"Not they! They may be afraid of their keeper, but they would as
soon chew him up as anybody else--I guess they would rather, for
they've always got a bone to pick with him."
"Do any of the men go in the cages and make the animals perform
here?"
"Oh, yes. Wallace, the big lion over there, performs every
afternoon and night. So does the tiger in the cage next to him."
Phil had dumped the bag of peanuts into his hat, which he held
out before him while talking. Two squirming trunks had been busy
conveying the peanuts to the pink mouths of their owners, so that
by the time Phil happened to remember what he had brought them,
there was not a nut left in the hat.
He glanced up in surprise.
"Emperor, you are a greedy old elephant," laughed Phil, patting
the trunk.
Emperor trumpeted loudly, and the call was immediately taken up
even more loudly by his companion.
"No, you can't have any more," chided Phil. "You will have
indigestion from what you've already eaten, I'm afraid. Behave,
and I'll bring you some more tonight if I come to the show," he
laughed.
Two caressing trunks touched his hands, then traveled gently over
his cheeks.
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