"Like Billy Bumps," murmured Dot.
But Tess had struck a new line of thought and she wanted to follow it up. "Please, sir," she asked, "is that your business?"
"What's my business?"
"Going into lions' dens?"
"That's it. I'm a lion tamer, I am. And that's what I wanted to bring my nevvy up to, only his mother kicked over the traces and wouldn't have it."
"My!" murmured Tess. "It must be a very int'resting business. Do—do the lions ever bite?"
"They chews their food reg'lar," said Mr. Sorber gravely, but his eyes twinkled. "But none of 'em's ever tried to chew me. I reckon I look purty tough to 'em."
"And Neale's been in a den of lions and never told us about it?" gasped Agnes, in spite of herself carried away with the romantic side of the show business again.
"Didn't he ever?"
"He never told us he was with a circus at all," confessed Agnes. "He was afraid of being sent back, I suppose."