Show fe I 1 S I 1 aj W IH SM I 1 1 T wah V FRAID danton smiled maliciously as hedrix stepped back from the circular enclosure of abeel r during exhibition hours tit and halvord wild animal 1 w want through their routine of incas just now the enclosure was fave for the little croup of people fr in the hotel where signer madallo Va dallo tb star trainer stopped madallo had invited some of the acquaintances lie had made to bialt the show in tho morning and eee the animals it training some of the more adventurous had a deagro to stand in the for ming case while the lions were j lei in and harry s nce to form one of the number had attracted demons attention T vcr sinco they had come to the bior denton and handrix had been yi as for the favor of lucile bray cn had had rather the beat of t so as roat had gone for he wa rich and this had won th of irs bray personally lucille had beamed to i prefer hedrix but it was hard to tell ho would win and the rest of alio guests at the union mightily interested in the outcome A hedrix stepped of the cige danton seized upon his uny and began to chaft hedrix for liis cowardice for a moment lucile and it seemed as though abe top would elect to remain out bide but in tho end ahe changed her mind and joined the others gathered in the far end of the cage half a dozen of the safest lions were let anto the enclosure and put through a few tricks and then the party ant back to the hotel for lunch luclle walked hedrix and donlong jokes at the balters lal expense caused an angry flush to mount her check 1 I waa not afraid explained hedrix 1 I know that in the main the lians hav apt the spirit of so many hounds but there is one chance in a thousand that something will happen and I 1 saw no use in taking that chance dont mind mr danton she counseled 1 I would have come out myself had it not been so conspicuous and somehow her Kyro pathy comforted hanif though there was no rest gibes madallo frowned at the comment and ate that evening he and hedrix sat in the cafe and hedrix seemed much at the conversation for several days denton seemed to have the inside track both with lucilo and her mother and his arrogance grew with the knowledge that he had succeeded in making his rival ridiculous he wab not the sort of wan ta show generosity to a fallen foe hedrix only smiled at the references to bia cowardice and suggested that conditions might have much to alo with the lack of fear ten had passed sanco the incident of the cao and one morning denton woke just as the first dashes of red tinged the sky he had lingered long in the cafe the night before and ats head throbbed with pain he haaf raised himself to get up and get a drink when the hair upon his head raised In horror creeping across the room was a threefoot three foot alligator it was heading directly toward the bed the horse with a ferocious appearance that contrasted oddly with its beize it advanced toward the bed following the alligator but it made no hostile demonstration and denton ducked under the sheets again while bis body became bathed in perspiration he was not conscious of having imbibed too freely the night before and yet that was clearly an attack lay there trembling in every limb then with sudden determination ho sprang from the bed and mado tor the water pitcher he had almost reached the marble topped table at the far end of the room when he bumped into the elephant which resented the collision with an angry bark and began to waltz upon its diminutive hind legs in dodging the beast he stepped A WHOLE MENAGERIE SEEMED TO FILL THE ROOM with a groan of horror denton dived beneath the bedclothes but the fascination of the apparition was too great to be overcome and he cautiously uncovered his head and peeped over the edge of bod to the alligator had been added ft horse scarcely a foot high and even as he looked a lion forced its way under the bottom of the screen door with which the hotel were provided 1 the lion was slightly larger than of delirium cremens tremens tr emens or else he had gone suddenly crazy he assured himself that neither waa the case that it was all a dream and after himself to make certain that he was awake ho emerged from under the bedclothes determined thai he would see nothing unusual in the room but now the hon had been joined by a llonel and two leopards a tiber and an elephant even smaller them the horse for a moment ho on the tigers tall and the tiger struck at him four thin red lines appearing on the bare foot where the had landed with a howl he danced about on one toot nursing the injured member and with a joyous though muffled bark the horse sprang upon him the shock was unexpected and denton plunged headlong on the carpet the menagerie leaping upon him tremblingly be regained his feet and rushed to the door the hall was darker than the booro but he could see that the mals were in full chase and he darted down the long corridor he had reached the window by tho fire escape and was about to climb oufa when someone clutched the coat of his pajamas better get back to your room advised a voice and denton turned to confront hedrix the people in the rooms on either side of you arc aroused went on hedrix perhaps when wo have explained to you you will not be anxious to tell them how you happen to be out in the hall in your pajamas at this hour of the morning did you see them gasped ton hedrix laughed faug hed 1 I saw them too he saad corn tor tingly it was not wholly a delusion come back to your room and I 1 will explain H led the way down the long hall and donton followed wonderingly neither spoke unell the room was reached the place was now ind hedrix took a chair by the motioning denton to do the name still weak and trembling danton obeyed and batted for the other to open the conversation youve had a lot of fun with mo the past week or so began you took my unwillingness to stay in the cao while the lions were in as an indication of cowardice and made the most of it I 1 wanted to show you that bravery was a relative quantity and I 1 got madallo to help me out the show caa pres nh 10 play street fans aid a id they are add D attractions to the offer ing madallo recalled an act that wag being imbor d from eusope and suggested that wo try its effect on you of course in bo nil ll 11 t ahe fake would have been detected ut tn the gray light of dian the gs and cats looked like hs animals thoy ve ninde up to be aho and the tiger wee cats tho rest ereie dogs with paper micho bends come across the ball hedrix led he ay to his wa room directly the hall A t of odly huddled in a conier and tl roo cats aay pur in in while a boreli man wag bendlin over a trunk the pape masks that the benton tho tor a moment and aleu turned to hedrix your game he ask d ehnts tho rei re i 0 it thero h i train at a hedrix the nat y wo lo savor sf 0 o aeo sn here t listen to it your you r iad byoir canco una lost 0 o I 1 ant a cear fald for a moment berar II crix banal he un led ani entered liln 1 I wish tor d ask them to nak fut wv lilla he over ass kojl dr d r and I 1 yu god y bouye 1 I tc abilo as f and acl out his h nd |