evening, just before we are fed, the doors of our cages are not locked.
We can easily push them open, before the meat man comes to feed us and
closes them. We can get out then."

"But if we go before we get our meat, we shall be hungry," roared the
lion.

"What of it, silly?" cried Sharp Tooth. "Is it not better to get away,
and be hungry for a little while, than to stay here shut up in a cage
all your life?"

"Well, I suppose it is," said the lion with a big sigh. "Then we are to
come out of our cages to-night?"

"Yes, soon after the man has finished cleaning them, and has left the
door unlocked. He does not know that I know about the door. I suppose he
imagines I think it is as tightly shut as ever. But it isn't!"

"Good!" cried the lion. "Then we'll run away! But when?"

"To-night," hissed the tiger. "Be quiet now, some one may hear us."

"Ha! Some one has already heard you," thought Tum Tum. "So you are going
to get away to-night, are you? Well, not if I know it! I'll stop you all
right! It would never do to have you loose in the woods; all the people
would be scared. Let me see, how can I stop you?"

Tum Tum wished he could speak man-talk, so he could tell the keepers
what the lion and tiger were going to do. But Tum Tum could speak only
animal language.

"But I can stay near the tiger's cage, and when he does get out, I can
grab him in my trunk, before he has time to scratch me, and push him
back in his cage again," thought Tum Tum. "By that time the keepers will
come, and shut the cage doors. Yes, I'll do that with Sharp Tooth; but
what about Roarer? I need help there. I'll get Maggo."

So Tum Tum told Maggo, about the lion and tiger going to escape from the
circus.

"And if you'll stand in front of the lion's cage, he won't dare run very
far," said Tum Tum to Maggo. "If you'll look after the lion, I'll look
after the tiger."

"All right," said Maggo, "I shall. It would not be right for those
fierce animals to get away."

Toward evening, when the show was over for the afternoon, Maggo and Tum
Tum were allowed to roam about the animal tent a little, the chains
being taken off their feet.

"Now's our time, Maggo," whispered Tum Tum. "You go over by the lion's
cage, and I'll stay by the tiger's."

"All right, I will," said Maggo.

Over she went to stand in front of the lion's cage. The cleaning man had
been around, and the doors of the cages were open.

Then, before Tum Tum could get to the tig