Largest Black-maned Nubian Lion
in Captivity! Danger!

The face of the cage was boarded halfway up, but above the top line of
the planked cross panel Red Hoss could make out in the foreground of the
dimmed interior a great tawny shape, and at the back, in one corner, an
orderly clutter of objects painted a uniform circus blue. There was a
barrel or two, an enormous wooden ball, a collapsible fold-up seesaw and
other impedimenta of a trained-animal act. Red Hoss had heard that the
lion was a noble brute--in short, was the king of beasts. He now was
prepared to swear it had a noble smell. Beneath the cage a white man in
overalls slumbered audibly upon a tarpaulin folded into a pallet.

"There's the man you take your orders from if you join us," explained
Powers, flirting a thumb toward the sleeper. "Name of Riley, he is. But
you draw your pay from me." With his arm he described a circle. "And
here's the stock you help take care of. The only one you need to be
careful about is that leopard over yonder. She gets a little peevish
once in a while. Well, I would sort of keep an eye on the ostrich here
alongside you too. The old bird's liable to cut loose when you ain't
looking and kick the taste out of your mouth. You give them both their
distances. But those bears behind you is just the same as a pair of
puppies, and old Chieftain here--well, he looks pretty fierce and he
acts sort of fierce too when he's called on for it, but it's just acting
with him; he's trained to it. Off watch, he's just as gentle as an
overgrown kitten. Riley handles him and works him, and all you've got to
do when Riley is putting him through his stunts is to stand outside here
and hand him things he wants in through the bars. Well, is it a go?
Going to take the job?"

"Boss," said Red Hoss, "you speaks late--I done already tooken it."

"Good!" said Powers. "That's the way I love to do business--short and
sweet. You hang round for an hour or two and sort of get acquainted with
things until Riley has his nap out. When he wakes up, if I ain't back by
that time, you tell him you're the new helper, and he'll wise you up."

"Yas suh," said Red Hoss. "But say, boss, 'scuse me, but did I
understand you to mention dat eatin' was in de contract?"

"Sure! Hungry already?"

"Well, suh, you see I mos' gin'rally starts de day off wid breakfust,
an' to tell you de truth I ain't had nary grain of breakfust yit!"

"Got the breakfast habit, eh? Well, come on w