ly
superiority, and pretended to find amusement in the presence of so many
of the fairer sex.

In this atmosphere of giggles and whispers, Manto and Palit could
exchange confidences without being noticed. Palit said savagely, "Why
did you tell her that I could act too?"

"Why, because it's the truth. You're a very good animal performer. You
make a wonderful dragon, for instance. Go on, Palit, show her what a
fine dragon you can--"

"Stop it, you fool, before you cause trouble!"

"Very well, Palit. Did I tempt you?"

"Did you tempt me! You and your sense of humor!"

"You and your lack of it! But let's not argue now, Palit. Here, I think,
comes the lion-hunter. Let's scream, and be as properly excited as every
one else is."

* * * * *

My God, he thought, how can they keep their voices so high so long? My
eardrums hurt already. How do they stand a lifetime of it? Even an hour?

"Go ahead," whispered Carol. "You've seen the script--go into your act.
Tell them what a hero you are. You have the odds in your favor to start
with."

"My lovely looks," he said, with some bitterness.

"Lovely is the word for you. But forget that. If you're good--you'll get
a drink afterwards."

"Will it be one of those occasions when you love me?"

"If the moon turns blue."

He strode to the front of the platform, an elephant gun swinging easily
at his side, an easy grin radiating from his confident, rugged face. The
cheers rose to a shrill fortissimo, but the grin did not vanish. What a
great actor he really was, he told himself, to be able to pretend he
liked this.

An assistant curator of some collection in the zoo, a flustered old
woman, was introducing him. There were a few laudatory references to his
great talents as an actor, and he managed to look properly modest as he
listened. The remarks about his knowledge of wild and ferocious beasts
were a little harder to take, but he took them. Then the old woman
stepped back, and he was facing his fate alone.

"Children," he began. A pause, a bashful grin. "Perhaps I should rather
say, my friends. I'm not one to think of you as children. Some people
think of me as a child myself, because I like to hunt, and have
adventures. They think that such things are childish. But if they are,
I'm glad to be a child. I'm glad to be one of you. Yes, I think I _will_
call you my friends.

"Perhaps you regard me, my friends, as a very lucky perso