The Perils of a Trainer's Life 170 Where Steady Nerves are in Demand 172 Captured Animals Preferred to Cage-Born 173 The Education of a Young Jaguar 174 The Leopards at Kindergarten 177 How they Punish Unruly Pupils 179 Punishment of Treacherous Beasts 180 A Single-Handed Fight with Five Lions 182 Teaching the Horse the Two-Step 186 Ring Performers Trained with a Derrick 187 Circus People a Long-Lived Class 189 X. MOBS, CYCLONES AND ADVENTURES 192 Forcible Argument with a City Marshal 193 Breaking Camp under a Hot Rifle Fire 195 Ambushed and Shot at on the Road 197 The Studies of the Apprentice to the Clown 201 Devotional Services Upset by a Demon 204 The Wild Beasts Loose in the Big Crowd 205 The Midnight Stampede of the Elephants 208 A Polar Bear Hunt on Fifth Avenue 209 An Equine Officer of Artillery 211 XI. STORIES OF OLD-TIME SHOWS AND SHOWMEN 214 Dan Rice's One-Horse Show 215 Tan-Bark Oratory and Harlequin Pluck 217 An Imitation Patriot Shown Up 219 In which Cupid was Master of the Ring 223 Barnum's One Unconquerable Superstition 227 Gullible Patrons in Early Days 229 Expedients of Advance Agents 231 Plantation Shows 234 Exhibiting "Yankees" in the South 235 Sleeping in Strange Attitudes 236 A Circus "Crier" 238 Showmen's Names 239 The Escape of a Leopard 241 Hotel Keepers 243 Early Breakfasts 245 XII. HOW THE GREAT NEW YORK AQUARIUM WAS MADE AND LOST 247 The Quest of the Tree-Tailed Kingio 249 Half-Hours with Bashful Whales 251 A Slippery Deal in Sea-Lions 254 An Eventful Monday Morning at the Aquarium 258 The Ultimate Fate of the Aquarium 260 FOREWORD