ore the mayor, as she informed the delinquents from the
platform before disappearing. Her wrongs were likely to be more
speedily avenged, to judge by the angry murmurs which arose
outside immediately after her exit.

But still the high jinks went on, Donovan leading all mischief,
until the master of the menagerie appeared inside, and
remonstrated with the men. "He must send for the police," he
said, "if they would not leave the beasts alone. He had put off
the feeding in order to suit them; would they let his keepers
feed the beasts quietly?" The threat of the police was received
with shouts of defiance by some of the men, though the greater
part seemed of the opinion that matters were getting serious.

The proposal of feeding, was however, welcomed by all and
comparative quiet ensued for some ten minutes, while the baskets
of joints, bread, stale fish, and potatoes were brought in, and
the contents distributed to the famished occupants of the cages.
In the interval of peace the showman-keeper, on a hint from his
master, again began his round. But the spirit of mischief was
abroad, and it only needed this to make it break out again. In
another two minutes the beasts, from the lion to the smallest
monkey, were struggling for their suppers, with one or more
undergraduates; the elephant had torn the gown off Donovan's
back, having only just missed his arm; the manager in a confusion
worthy of the tower of Babel, sent off a keeper for the city
police, and turned the gas out.

The audience, after the first moment of surprise and indignation,
groped their way towards the steps and mounted the platform,
where they held a council of war. Should they stay where they
were or make a sally at once, break through the crowd and get
back to their colleges? It was curious to see how in that short
minute individual character came out, and the coward, the
cautious man, the resolute prompt Englishman, each was there, and
more than one species of each. Donovan was one of the last up the
steps, and as he stumbled up caught something of the question
before the house. He shouted loudly at once for descending and
offering battle. "But boys," he added, "first wait till I
adthress the meeting," and he made for the opening in the canvas
through which the outside platform was reached. Stump oratory and
a free fight were just the two temptations which Donovan was
wholly unable to resist; it was with a face radiant with
devil-may-care delight