156 RECOLLECTIONS OF A LION TAMER 



dressing-room. All the applause my step-father ever 

 bestowed on me was a box on the ear ! 



It was his way, and I suppose he meant well ; still, as 

 I did not appreciate that sort of playfulness, I decided 

 that we must part. Useless to ask his permission, it 

 would not have been granted, for if I loas his rival, I was 

 at the same time the attraction of the show. I drew the 

 public, and thus increased the receipts. 



Therefore it must be done silently, secretly. One fine 

 day, accordingly, after an unusually severe beating, I 

 slipped away to seek my fortune for myself, with the sum 

 of 2hd. in my pocket. It was not a large sum with which 

 to begin the world, but I was fifteen, strong, and full of 

 confidence in myself and in my good star. 



The first day I spent wandering about on the hill-side, 

 enjoying my liberty and the fresh air, and subsisting on a 

 loaf of bread and a draught of water from a spring. Next 

 day I spent in similar fashion ; but at the end of it even 

 this frugal fare had exhausted my slender resources. 

 After that I wandered about the country, getting a few 

 scraps at one farm, a drink of milk at another, and 

 sleeping at night in the stables of a third. At the end of 

 a week, however, I had enough of this vagabond existence, 

 and went down to the nearest town in search of work. 



In the market-place a gaping crowd of rustics sur- 

 rounded a strange sort of vehicle, whose owner, a quack 

 dentist and vendor of miraculous ointment, was holding 

 forth in praise of his wares. I immediately proffered my 

 services in any capacity whatsoever, and was promptly 

 engaged as head-groom and drum-major, being, needless 

 to say, the sole and only occupant of both posts. I filled 

 these functions with satisfaction to myself during about 

 six months, for though badly paid, I was well fed and 

 independent. One evening, however, my master informed 

 me suddenly that he had no longer sufficient means to 

 carry on the business, and therefore had no further need 

 of my services. He sold his wretched screws of horses, 



