Page 160 - A Little Bush Maid

A white-faced woman flung herself upon him and clung to him desperately.
Norah hardly recognised her as the gay lady who had so merrily jumped

through the burning hoops a little while ago. "You shan’t go, Dave!" she
cried, sobbing. "You mustn’t! Think of the kiddies! Joe hasn’t got a wife

and little uns."

The circus proprietor tried to loosen her hold. "T’ve got to, my girl," he said

gently. "T can’t leave a man o’ mine to that brute. Tt’s my fault--T orter
known better than to let him take her from them cubs to-night. Let go,

dear." He tried to unclinch her hands from his coat.

"Has she--the lioness--got little cubs?"

Tt was Norah’s voice, and Mr. Linton started to find her at his side. Norah,

very pale and shaky, with wide eyes, glowing with a great idea.

The circus man nodded. "Two."

"Wouldn’t she--" Norah’s voice was trembling almost beyond the power of

speech--"wouldn’t she go to them if you showed them to her--put them in
the small cage? My--old cat would!"

"By the powers!" said the proprietor. "Fetch ’em, Dick--run." The clown
ran, his grotesque draperies contrasting oddly enough with his errand.

Tn an instant he was back, two fluffy yellow heaps in his arms. One whined
as they drew near the cage, and the lioness looked up sharply with a growl.

The clown held the cubs in her view, and she growled again, evidently
uneasy. Beneath her the man was quiet now.

"The cage--quick?"

The big lion cage, its open door communicating with the ring, stood ready.
The clown opened another door and slipped in the protesting cubs. They

made for the further door, but were checked by the stout cords fastened to
their collars. He held them in leash, in full view of the lioness. She growled