Page:Hugh Pendexter--Tiberius Smith.djvu/200

 next morning we fed them up and carefully outlined what they were to do.

"‘Above all things, Murphy, don't swear,' begged Tib. 'It's immoral, and again, lions, as a rule, eschew profanity. And don't, Reynolds, don't sit with folded arms. That's too much, even in a hyena. Crouch, that's the idea, crouch! and snarl occasionally. The tiger must lie on his side, asleep, the lion on his stomach, dignified and solemn, and the bear should huddle up in a ball.'

"Then the unthankful beasts began to protest, and Murphy and Reynolds wanted to be the tiger and sleep, but Weisman swore he'd claw the lining out of any one that disturbed his feline ease. Burke, the bear, didn't know what kind of a noise to make, and it took Tib ten minutes to teach him to say 'woof' in a bruinesque manner. Then we took each one in turn and gave the key, and made him practise his call of the wild so there would be some individuality. Then we waited for the mayor.

"I remember Tib wore a pink shirt and a suit of clothes that reminded me of a backgammon-board. But it would have done you a world of good, sir, could you have seen him walking to the entrance in his old, cheerful manner, smiling pleasantly as he confronted the rabble and explained that no show would be given until all of his menagerie had arrived. He compromised, however, by explaining that the