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. All the time Wallace
kept up a continual snarling, interspersed now and then with a
roar that might have been heard a quarter of a mile away.

This was a part of the exhibition, as Phil shrewdly discovered.
The boy was a natural showman, though unaware of the fact. He
noted all the little fine points of the trainer's work with as
much appreciation as if he had himself been an animal trainer.

"I half believe I should like to try that myself," was his mental
conclusion. "But I should want to make the experiment on a very
little lion at first. If I got out with a whole skin I might
want to tackle something bigger. I wonder if he is going into
the tiger cage?"