Larry thought so, too, and wondered how men cared to risk their lives in such dangerous performances. If the rope should break when the man’s descent was so suddenly checked, he would surely be killed.
Larry saw about all there was going on among the performers, and decided next to visit the animal quarters. There he found a very lively place indeed. Some of the cages of wild beasts had just arrived from the train on which the circus came to New York, having been out on the road. The big wagons, containing lions, tigers, leopards, hyenas, giraffes, hippopotami, snakes, monkeys, bears, and other denizens of the forest, plain, or desert were rolled into place, either by horses pulling them, or by the elephants pushing them.
Larry was quite surprised to see how these huge and seemingly unwieldy and clumsy creatures were made to perform hard work. They were useful as well as being ornamental, from a showman’s standpoint. Putting their big heads against a wagon or truck that would take the strength of eight horses, one elephant would shove it into place with ease, two men at the tongue directing its course.
Larry found the head animal man, who gave the young reporter some facts to use in his story for the paper, and related a few incidents of the recent trip.
While the cage of lions was being put into place there came from it a terrifying roar. It seemed to shake the very ground.
“Old Nero isn’t feeling in the best of spirits,” said the animal trainer. “He’s got a bad tooth that pains him, and he’s as ugly as they come. I hope nothing happens. If he got out——” The showman shrugged his shoulders in a way that told more than words.
“Look out, there!” he cried, suddenly, to the men who were guiding the pole of the cage containing Nero. “You’ll run into that post if you don’t look out. There you go! Call to that elephant to stop pushing, somebody!” yelled the trainer, for a huge elephant was shoving the lion’s cage into place.
The men at the guiding pole had slipped, and the cage was headed straight for a big iron pillar.
The next instant there was a crash of splintering wood, and the cage ran full tilt into the column.
“Lookout, everybody!” the trainer cried. “Nero’s cage is open! Get the hot irons ready, in case he’s loose!”