LIONS 15 



at the many faces, smelled one or two bottles 

 and glasses, sniffed a cigar, which he did not 

 seem to care for, and then quietly jumped off 

 the table and walked to the door as though he 

 had had enough of it. 



And, in spite of his apparent tameness, 

 there were those in the company who inti- 

 mated that as, after all, he was a wild ani- 

 mal, perhaps it would be just as well not to 

 thwart him, but to let him have his own way. 

 And no one can blame those few who gave 

 a sigh of relief as the door closed, for, how- 

 ever interesting a lion may be at dinner, no 

 one can be quite sure what he will do next; 

 and even a few playful, clumsy gambols 

 might not only turn the tables over, but some 

 of the men themselves, and the falling down 

 of a man, no matter for what reason, is 

 always apt to rouse all the savage instincts of 

 a wild animal, no matter how "tame" or well 

 trained he may be. 



I watched this lion many, many times last 

 summer, and never once did I see the slight- 

 est sign of fierceness, savagery, or even that 



