me unless they stand back to back and keep in one place, for if
they are moving about an animal may run into one while endeavoring to
escape from the other, and even the blow from a lion's tail might knock
a man from his feet and then there would be trouble.

[Illustration: _"Jim," says Merritt, ... "there is a great advantage in
having a squaw for the top part of that there fish."_]

"Poor little Leotta used to go into the cage and try to keep the
tell-tale tremble out of her voice when she gave her commands, but she
could never learn to concentrate her whole attention on the animals and
give up looking for a sign of approval from Barton out of the corner of
her eye. I made it a point to see that there was always plenty of
assistance near in case of accidents, and gave Barton strict orders to
keep her out of the cage when the animals were under the influence of
'weather fear.' It was difficult for me to instruct or warn Leotta, for
she understood English very little; but I helped her all I could, and
gave her husband to understand that I would not allow any ill-treatment.

"In spite of all my precautions, I was always uneasy when she was in the
cage, and when I had to be away from the show she was constantly in my
mind. I had to go to the wharf one afternoon to superintend the
unloading of a new lot of animals which had been sent from our English
quarters, and owing to delays at the custom house it was late at night
before I could start back for the show. Perhaps I had absorbed some of
the weather wisdom of the animals from long association with them, but,
at any rate, I was uneasy at the delays and as I whizzed along in the
trolley I congratulated myself on my foresight in having warned Barton,
as the thunder heads were gathering and I knew the animals would have
the jumps and be unsafe to work with. But my heart sank as I drew near
the building and saw that it was brilliantly lighted up, for that could
only mean one thing at that time of night--Leotta must be rehearsing.
The trainers usually have but one small cluster of lights, but I had
ordered the electrician to turn on all the switches when she was in the
cage, as I thought she would be less frightened and the animals more
tractable in the full light.

"My guess was right: Barton, in disobedience of orders, had made her go
into the cage, and he had taken advantage of my absence to break our
iron-clad rule which forbids a trainer to drink. I saw the whole
situa