his
time for entering the cage; the beads of sweat stood on his forehead,
and he held his heated iron in his hand; then he roused himself to
decision, spat on the heated end of the magic wand, which hissed, and
strode quickly to the cage.

This was a revelation to Rounders. It was apparent that even Brinton,
plucky as he was, had his moments of apprehension and demoralization,
from which he concluded that the danger must be real. Rounders, as usual
taking a deep interest, followed him to the cage and took his station
near the front of it. Brinton's first action as soon as he got into the
cage was to run at the nose of Brutus with his hot iron and drive him
back to one end. Rounders fancied he could almost hear the frizzle of
the flesh. He went through the first part of the performance with the
cage-bred lion, whipping him and making him jump over his shoulders in
the usual way, but he omitted that part where he tore open the jaws of
Brutus, and made him lick his face.

The dramatic event took place in the second part. Brinton in his
preoccupation of that night left the magic wand reposing against the
wheel near the door of the cage as he entered it, to play the drama.
Brutus, rebellious and gloomy, went through his part until the scene
where the spears are thrust through the bars arrived. His master gave
the word of command:

"To the rescue, Brutus! Down with the miscreants!" at the same time
pointing as usual to the spears with the enemies behind them. Brutus,
who was at the opposite end of the cage--the tamer in the centre--did
not move. Brinton gave the command a second time, stamping with his foot
to enforce it. The eyes of the lion did not turn in the direction of the
spears, as they heretofore did when the animal was ordered to the
rescue, but settled in a sombre manner on Brinton, whom the beast began
gradually to approach. At this moment Rounders, who was narrowly
watching the proceeding, observed a momentary quailing of the eye in the
tamer; still he called up his fierce expression again, and gave the
order for the third time to the gradually advancing brute, whose eyes
were steadily fixed on him. The heart of Rounders beat quick; he held
his breath. The theory then flashed through his mind about the steady
human eye being able to hold the lion in subjection or deter him from
attacking, and he scanned the eyes of Brinton. They were both fixed on
the beast, but there was no sign of the beast's quailing. Brin