Page:The red book of animal stories.djvu/185

 'Oh, no!' exclaimed the audience with one voice, 'by no means awake him!' and this was just as lucky for me. By means of this same ruse I succeeded, day after day, in drawing fresh spectators. At Marseilles alone, where I made a stay of three weeks, after paying off all expenses I had a clear gain of 100l. This sum I laid out in fresh purchases—a lioness named Saïda, two hyenas and two



THE LION TAMER OFFERS TO WAKE THE (STUFFED) CROCODILE!

wolves, next a panther, and, later, a bison and a black bear.

These last were the cause of a disagreeable scene that took place one night at Avignon. After an unusually heavy day, I was sleeping peacefully in my waggon, when I was aroused by an appalling noise, bellowings of pain and furious growlings, accompanied by terrible blows, which