The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-09-13

company which gave performances
OF Gilbert and Sullivan and went ON
the rocks in Calcutta.
Since then. with a number of hia.
tnses. which she left to the imagina-
ton. she had been in the circus bus
mess. First as q snake-charmer: ana
then. following the demise by tiger.
violence OF ~Goralkin the Animal
King" she had volunteered to take
over his troupe Of dangerous felines
and go on with his act.
IL was not as IL she had had no
experience. She had sometimes an
peared with Goralkin as his assist
ant. and she had watched him so
much that she knew precisely how
to confuse a beast when It became
suddenly exasperated. and how to
win its confidence between times.
Tigers, she said. were supposed
to be the most recalcitrant Of the
cat family. Most trainers preferred
10 work with lions; but naturally in
India and Malaysia, where these are
not Indigenous. you had to work
with tigers and leopards or nothing.
Goralkin's had been a mixed
troupe. tigers and leopards; but the
species are not happy together and
she had gradually eliminated the
latter. She wished that Bowers
could have seen her tigers. She had
known how to keep their coats beau
tiful and their dispositions calm.
One. an old tigress named Maudie,
had been a love of thing. always
flinging herself down to be tickled
and petted. Ivy Green had been so
sure OF Maudie's good manners that
she had sometimes taken her for a
walk through the main street OF a
native town.
when the villagers saw us COM
ing" she said, at was fun to see
them disappear" She laughed lit
tie at the recollection, then sudden
" frowned. "And then there was
this Matassori business"
BOWERS asked her about It. 1t
~ was the usual thing, apparently.
Business had not been good and
while there had still been little
money in the cash-box, Senior Matas-
sori had thought best to have it all
for himself.
Ivy Green was under the impress
sion that she might have shared the
money with him as Signora Matas-
sori II she had ever given him any
encouragement. But he had been, It
seemed. a detestable. Italian, fat
and greasy. Once. the worse for
liquor. he had tried to force his at
tentions on her. She had wrenched
free and managed to open Maudie's
cage.
Maudie loved nothing so much as
to be invited out for a romp. The
moment you started to fiddle with
the fastenings of her cage door the
anticipation of immediate and de.
lightful pleasures caused her to
open her vast mouth as wide as pos
sible. and to roar tremendously.
The effect upon anyone not init.
mately acquainted with her DISPOSE
ton. was disquieting. AS Maudie
came roaring out of the cage. Senior
Matassori fed bowling from the
tent.
He had never renewed his moleS-
tations. He had leered and ogled
and limited. but he had not dared to
touch her. She had told him that If
he ever laid his hands on her again,
he would have the worst kind of
tiger trouble. She would loose them
all. all five of them, and sic them on
him. just as If they had been five
highly trained police dogs.
"And he believed your" asked
Bowers.
"No." said Ivy Green, "and again
yes. He wasn't sure"
Bowers chuckled. What was the
truth of the matter?" he asked.
THE truth? If I'd turn them loose,
some OF them might have run amok,
but wouldn't have been allowed to
choose the victims"
She asked him about McLeod's
shipment, and of just what it con-
sisted.
Il was only on board q short
time." said Bowers. There are two
tigers. beauties. Mr.. Flint. the wire
less. made a point of showing them
to me. Then Mcleod sent for me
and | had only the impression Of q
lot OF cages and crates and things
and glimpses of some of the birds
and small fry that you see in these
parts. l noticed the head Of a big
python sticking out of some litter,
and a lot of monkeys exactly like
Helen. She'll have plenty Of COM
pany on the voyage"
ANY other big cats?" she asked.
Il think not. There were two little
honey-bears. cubs, awfully cute"
"They are cute" said she. I've
had one once that wasn't happy un.
less he was wearing a nicely pipe
clayed helmet, Just like a man. II
you gave him a package of cigarets.
he would eat It on the spot"
(cotyiSIf. 1884. By Gosssrasw AoSris)
Tomorrow, Bowers tells Mcleod