gentleman by the whiskers, which he tore off about enuff to stuff
a small cushion with.

He said, "You vagabone, I'll have you indicted for exhibitin
dangerous and immoral animals."

I replied, "Gentle Sir, there isn't a animal here that hasn't a
beautiful moral, but you mustn't fondle 'em. You mustn't meddle
with their idiotsyncracies."

The gentleman was a dramatic cricket, and he wrote a article for
a paper, in which he said my entertainment was a decided failure.

As regards Bears, you can teach 'em to do interesting things, but
they're onreliable. I had a very large grizzly bear once, who
would dance, and larf, and lay down, and bow his head in grief,
and give a mournful wale, etsetry. But he often annoyed me. It
will be remembered that on the occasion of the first battle of
Bull Run, it suddenly occurd to the Fed'ral soldiers that they
had business in Washington which ought not to be neglected, and
they all started for that beautiful and romantic city,
maintaining a rate of speed durin the entire distance that would
have done credit to the celebrated French steed "Gladiateur."
Very nat'rally our Gov'ment was deeply grieved at this defeat;
and I said to my Bear, shortly after, as I was givin a exhibition
in Ohio--I said, "Brewin, are you not sorry the National arms has
sustained a defeat?" His business was to wale dismal, and bow
his head down, the band (a barrel organ and a wiolin) playin slow
and melancholly moosic. What did the grizzly old cuss do,
however, but commence darncin and larfin in the most joyous