those spectators who wish to revel with safety in the degrading sight
of the royal beasts fed with lumps of bleeding meat pushed through the
lower bar on the end of a prong.

Rendered somewhat incoherent by fear, and haste, allied to the ghastly
English she had acquired in the streets and been allowed to retain in
the Council School, Gertrude Ellen had found it somewhat difficult to
arouse the keeper to a realisation of the impending disaster.

But when he _did_ look over his shoulder in the direction her dirty
little hand was pointing he swore a mighty oath and acted promptly.

"Keep still, Sir, for the love of heaven!" he whispered, catching hold
of Jan Cuxson's arm as the latter made a step forward. "Don't let that
there animal see yer, he's the blamedest, cussedest brute I've ever had
to do with. Never had a civil growl from him since he came here over
three years ago."

Whilst speaking the man had hurriedly discarded his boots and climbed
inside the barrier, whilst Cuxson held the child quiet by her thin
little shoulders.

"Damn that woman," went on the keeper, "why can't she keep still. Sure
as blazes if that there tiger sees her, which don't mean if he's
_looking_ at her, he'll go nasty and have that missy's 'and off."

Mrs. Higgins, having clumped her brood into silence, was making frantic
and what she imagined to be surreptitious signals of distress with her
left arm, keeping her eyes glued on Leonie, who was clinging to the
bars with both hands whilst calling upon the tiger to come back.