Year: 1877

THAT lioness will be the death of you yet
Joe."


"Pshaw |" and Joe Amberly, "the Lion
Tanner" Of large travelling circus, laughed
at the predictions of his assistant.


"You may laugh as much as you please /;
but some day you will find 1 am right, and
that to your sorrow, though then it will be
too late"


81 have performed with all the ami
mails for some years, and never had any
difficulty"


"You forgot the one at Longtown."


'That didn't amount to much. l soon
brought them to subjecton."


"But the trouble commenced with this
same lioness."


"Yes, though it wouldn't have been so
bad if those cats of hunting leopards had
not set up yell, and drawn the black tiger
into the affray."


"She has devil of temper when it is up
is the most treacherous beast ever fed or
had anything to do with. have been watch
ing her close for a couple of days." con-
tinued the assistant, "snd know she is mighty
cross-grained So, depend upon it, you are
going to have trouble"


81 don't see why more than at any other
time"


"There are times-and you know it, if
you will only refect-and this is one ofthem.
If was in your place, l wouldn't try to
show off to-day with any extras, but just
give common performance, and get out of
the cage as quick as could"


"You know what we advertised, and what
crowd has gathered"


"Yes"-with laugh land know we
never have or do one half there is in the
bills. Paper is cheap, Joe, but human life is
precious. Think how poorly of you would
leave your wife and child if fanything should
happen to you, and what would become of
your wife if anything should happen the
child ?"


"Do not mention itP"
The man who had handled and tanned and
toyed with the savage beasts as if they had
been harmless kittens, groaned aloud at the
thought. A man of the most ardent, even
passionate nature, he bowed down in wor-
ship to his wife and little girl. And that
day it had been advertised that he would
take his child and a pail of blood into the
cage with him.


1t was very daring, foolhardy project al
the best but how much more 30 when the
beasts were doubly savage and out of TEN.
per-when the slightest thing might arouse
them to all their their pristine fury, and
the fierce blood of the wilderness assert its.
elf in al! its tempestuous wrath.


But the husbandly and fatherly emotion
was soon conquered. The habit of years and
his natural strength gave him self-reliance
and it would take more than idle words t.
turn him from his purpose, no matter how
dangerous it might appear TO others. II
this must be added the esprit de corps tina
would make him take the most desperat,
chances before having even the shadow o
cowardice attached to his name.


Still he could not help thinking NOR
deeply, perhaps, than ever before. Wa
there in reality any danger? He could no
convince himself of it, argue the matter a
he would.


The old lion in the cage, though mon
ster in size, was inofiensive, tame and obedi
ent. In the language of the keepers, he wa
"good for nothing but to make show an
sit back in the corner, grind his teeth, an
growl," Besides, he was his friend, and up
on more than one occasion had acted tn
part of peacemaker. The 1eopards-
pair Of spotted cheetahs-were scarcely to b
taken into consideration. The black tigel
the most rare and strikingiy beautiful saim.