It was not a circus tent, for the show was in what is called its “winter quarters.” It is no time for a circus to travel about, giving performances in a tent, when weather is cold. Cold is not good for many circus animals, so in winter they are kept in warm barns. And it was in one of these barns that Shaggo now found himself.
“Hello,” called a man to the driver of the wagon. “Did you get the new buffalo?”
“Yes, he’s here,” was the answer.
“Let’s get him into a wagon cage,” went on the first man. “The circus will soon start out on the road. This is the first buffalo we’ve ever had. Let’s get a look at him.”
A crowd of men gathered around Shaggo to look at him. Some put their hands in and stroked his shaggy coat of hair.
“Look out for that swelled shoulder of his,” warned one of the circus men. “I guess he got a bump in the train wreck, and he’s sore. We’ll have to doctor him up a bit.”
“All right. But let’s get him into one of the regular cages now, where he’ll have more room,” suggested another. “Later on, when he’s tamed a bit, we may be able to let him be out in the open, like the camels and elephants.”
Shaggo did not understand this talk. All he knew was that he was tired, hungry and thirsty. The wagon, on which his cage rested, was backed up to another wagon, which was really a cage on wheels. In this cage hay and water were put, and the two doors were opened. Shaggo looked around a bit, and, seeing something to eat and something to drink in the larger cage, into it he walked. The iron-barred door clanged shut on him, but Shaggo paid little attention to this. He took a long drink, and then began to eat some hay.
“We’ll leave him alone for a while,” said the men, and they walked off.