The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-07-12

AAOW tAAS A0AAAAAJ 3nOkll the three other cubs engaged other side of the cage.
 Mommie. lifted her head proudly and rubbed against his hand, utter ing friendly little growl. At that moment, Barton, the shows owner, entered the menag- erie tent and approached Jim "How's the cubs coming on" he asked.
 "Fine," Jim replied. T wish 1 could say the same about Sally's." He, led Barton to the other end of the cage which was partitioned off.
 As he neared the bars, a little Bengal tigress threw herself at the bars with a vicious snarl. Her eyes glowed like forge-heated steel; her black lips were drawn back over yellowed tusks in hatred that showed in every swipe of her barred claws.
 In the far corner of the cage six little tiger cubs covered against the boarding, their eyes still un- opened.
 Barton shook his head slowly. That devil, Sally is going to kill her cubs soon, just as sure as we're alive," he said gravely. Isn't there anything you can do, Jim 2"
 T wish there was," the trainer replied. But I can't figure any thing. If we take them from her and try to raise them on bottle so soon, l don't think there's much chance of them living. And yet she tu gone as bad as cat can go, ever since she killed Cortez." Just then the tigress hurled her. self at the bars again and spat out deep roar. Mommie on the other side of the partition, leaped to her feet, the fur on her thick neck bristling. She growled menacingly, instinct telling her that her cubs were in danger while the tigress was near.
 At Mommie's roar the tigress whirled and clawed at the wooden partition, tearing splinters from 1t. WED BETTER GET
 SALLY IN A CAGE.'
 "We'd better get Sally ip cage by herself as soon as possible" Barton said in alarm. "Is hat partition okay?"
 "It's good and solid" Jim re- piled. But I'm going to put her into the spare cage as soon as it comes out of the blacksmith's to- morrow. I don't want Sally getting at Mommie and her cubs" Barton and Jim left the menag- erie and headed toward the black smiths tent to look over the spare cage that was being fitted up for the tigress and her cubs. Neither Mommie nor Sally were performing in the arena. Sally, the killer tigress, had not been l worked since she had gone bad and killed trainer a year before. lMommie would not be worked until her cubs were weaned.
 Their cage-wagon was separated l from the ones in which the per- forming animals were kept. Sally and Mommie were usually loaded onto the train as soon as the night performance was under way, as
 Bartons Greater Shows were play
 ing one night stands.
 | That night the show had a three hundred mile jump. The train pulled out of the yards early as soon as the canvas was loaded. Far up front on one, of the for ward flat t-cars, the cage containing Mommie and Sallie swayed with the train as they sped along through the darkness and mid western foothills. Around wide curves; across high viaducts; through tunnels bored through solid rock, the long circus train clanked through the night.
 As the hours slipped by, the air grew cooler, a wind began to whip at the boards that covered the barred front of the cage. Mommie curled herself closer around her furry litle cubs and slept on, thoroughly accustomed to the click of the rails and the swaying of the flat-car.
 Suddenly she sprang to her feet as a sharp bang resounded. Cold air whipped into the cage. The
 cubs whimpered. The fastening