Year: 1877

from him, and the canvas tent rang
again. But instantly she was upon her
feet, lashing her sides with her prehensile
tail, drawing back her lips 80 as to show
her teeth, and uttering the deepest and
fiercest growls.


"For the love of mercy, hand out your
child, Joe, said his attendant.


"Wait moment. l shall be done
very quickly"


The crowning feat was yet to come.
It was one upon which he had bestowed
much time and upon which he prided
himseH-was a tableau of wild beasts,
with manhood and childish beauty for
the central attraction.


He stepped to the corner, led the mon-
ster lion forth into the center of the
cage, made him lie down, placed the
little girl upon him, and stood astride.
Then shrill whistle brought the cheetah
leopards bounding upon his shoulders
and standing up with paws crossed
above his head, and the black tiger erect
upon his left, and throttled with his
hand. But the lioness failed to do his
bidding and take her place upon his
right She lay in the act of springing,
and at but little distance.


"Come"


There was no movement, and the whip
was raised and fell heavily upon her
head. That was all that was needed to
awaken her latent ire, and with a roar
like that given in her native forest, she
sprang with almost resistless force
toward him. A sharp, stinging blow on
the bridge of the nose for a moment
cowed her, and she might have been
conquered, had she not partially fell
upon and upset the pail and deluged the
floor of the cage in blood


Then all became the widest commo-
tion-the most terrible and savage
sounds. Every beast sprung down,
Tapped the blood, and then turned upon
him. Even the veteran Lion appeared
to forget the long years of training, and
something of his young forest life blazed
forth.


Amberly comprehended all in an in
slant, and the father triumphed over the
actor. He snatched up the now terrified
and screaming child, sprang with her to
the door, thrust her into the hands of
the watchful attendant, and would have
followed, had not the lioness grappled
and drawn him back, rending his
shoulders with her sharp claws, and
causing the blood to stream over his rich
dress.


He was fighting against most desperate
odds, knew it, backed into corner, and
called for his irons. One, red hot at the
end, was handed to him, but at the first
stroke the lioness sent it whirling, and
her sharp teeth almost met for q moment
his thigh.


Hand me something sharp with
which can brain the brute !"


Everything upon which hands could
be laid was thrust to him, but he failed
to reach them, and the danger was be-
coming more and more imminent. The
blood had been Tapped up clean-all
were mad with desire, the tiger and the
leopards crouching upon him. Then the
majesty of command asserted itself.


"Come, Samson"


The old lion came forward at the
words, seemed to comprehend that some
thing was wrong, thrust himself between
his master and his raging mate, and,
when she turned upon him, sent her
rolling with blow of his great paw.


The lion tanner might have escaped; :;
but bleeding, wounded as he was, he
would not retreat, and turned his atten-
ton to separating the now tangled mass
of fighting animals. Picking up one
leopard after another, he drew them into
further corner of the cage, dragging
the tiger with the ioness clinging to it
and tearing its glossy hide, thither, tore
open its paws by main strength, hurled
it back and shut the partition, turned,
reeled to the door, fell upon it, and was
dragged through to safety, even with the
lioness rattling behind him as it was
closing.


A few steps taken, and the lion tanner
fell fainting by the side of his already
insensible wife, who lay with her alright
ed child hugged closely to her scarcely
beating heart.


Then the silence that had been as
death was broken by the most tumultu-
Gus shouts, and breath was drawn again,
and half-fainting women and fear -palsied
men felt as if q mountain had been lifted
from their hearts.


Lame, torn and weak, the hon tanner
entered the cage the next day before the
most unprecedented crowd, it having
been advertised that he would do so in
his bloody clothes, but never again could
he be tempted to take child or pail of
blood behind the bars.