a dock in New
York. Then Nero felt himself being hoisted up in his cage, and, for the
first time in many days, he saw the sun again and smelled fresh air.
And, oh, how good it was!
It was not like the air of the jungle, for it was cooler, and Nero had
been used to being very hot nearly all the time. But he did not mind
being a bit cool.
Nero's cage was hoisted out of the hold, the deep, black hold of the
ship, and slung on a big automobile truck with some boxes and barrels.
Nero was the only wild animal, and people passing along on the dock
stopped to look into the big wooden cage at the tawny yellow lion who
had been brought all the way from the jungle.
Away started the auto-truck, giving Nero a new kind of ride. He would
much rather have walked, but of course a lion can't go about loose in
the streets of New York, though they do let the elephants and camels
walk in a circus parade. But Nero was not yet in a circus.
Nero looked out through the bars of his cage as he was carted through
the streets of New York.
"My, this is a queer jungle!" thought the lion. "Where are the trees and
the tangled vines and the snakes and monkeys and other animals? All I
see are men and other queer creatures. This isn't at all like my
jungle!"
And of course it was not, being a big city. There are not many places
for trees in a city, you know.
So Nero cowered down in the corner of his cage until he was put in a
freight car to be sent to a place called Bridgeport, Connecticut, where
some circus men keep their wild animals, to train them, and have them
safe during the winter when it is too cold to give shows in the big,
white tents.
"Well, this is a new sort of motion," thought Nero, as the train started
off. "I don't know that I like it, but still it is better than being
made to turn somersaults all the while."
[Illustration: Nero looked out through the bars of his cage. _Page 62_]
Indeed it was easier riding on a train than in a ship; at least for
Nero. He knew nothing about railroads, nor where he was being taken.
But, after a while, during which he did not get much to eat or drink,
once more his cage was put on a big auto-truck.
A little later, after being lifted about, and slung here and there, Nero
suddenly saw one end of his cage open. The wooden bars, which had been
around him ever since he had left the jungle, seemed to drop away.
"Ha! Now, maybe, I can get loose!" thought Nero.
He sprang forward, but, t
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