They tickled, but Phil did not flinch.
"You could do most anything with them now, you see," nodded the
keeper. "They'd follow you home if I would let them."
"Especially if my pockets were full of sweets."
"There's the animal trainer getting ready to go into the lion
cage, if you want to see him," the attendant informed him.
"Yes, I should like to. And thank you very much for your
kindness."
"You're welcome. Come around again."
The boy hurried over to the lion cage. The people were now
crowding into the menagerie tent in throngs. There seemed to
Phil to be thousands already there. But all eyes now being
centered on Wallace's cage, they had no time to observe Phil, for
which he was duly thankful.
The animal trainer, clad in red tights, his breast covered with
spangles, was already at the door of the cage, whip in hand. When
a sufficient crowd had gathered about him, he opened the door,
and, entering the cage threw wide the iron grating that shut
Wallace off from the door end of the wagon. The big lion bounded
out with a roar that caused the people to crowd back
instinctively.
Then the trainer began putting the savage beast through its
paces, causing it to leap over his whip, jump through paper
hoops, together with innumerable other tricks that caused the
spectators to open their mouths in wonder.
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