ine fully to the elbow.

"Hi! Back! Thunder! He'll eat you alive!" yelled a trainer, discovering
the lad's venturesome position.

"S-sh. Good old fellow. Purr-rr. So--so."

Old Sultan bristled. Then his corded sinews relaxed. He lowered his
muzzle. Andy stroked it gently. The animal sniffed and snuffed at his
hand. He began to lick it.

Just then the trainer ran up. He gave Luke a violent jerk backwards,
throwing him prostrate in the sawdust. With a frightful roar Sultan
sprang at the bars of the cage, glaring apparently not at Luke, but at
the trainer.

"Do you want to lose an arm?" shouted the latter, angrily. "You chump!
that animal is a man-eater."

"I'm only a boy, though, you see?" said Luke, arising and brushing the
sawdust from his clothes. "He wouldn't hurt me."

"Wouldn't, eh? Why--"

"He didn't, all the same. Did he, now? Say, mister, I'm a side show
actor just now, but some day I'll work up to the cages here. Bet you I
can make friends with your fiercest member."

"Bah! you keep away from those cages."

"How did you dare to do that?" asked Andy, as the boys came out of the
menagerie.

"Why, I'll tell you," explained Luke. "I love animals, and most times
they seem to know it. Once a lion tamer summered at our farm on account
of poor health. He told me a lot of things about his business. One thing
I tried just now. I've got a lot of fine sugar flavored with anise in my
pocket. When I tackled Sultan I had my hand covered with it. Any wild
animal loves the smell of anise. You saw me try it on their champion,
and it worked, didn't it?"

"You are a strange kind of a fellow, Luke," said Andy studying his
companion interestedly.

"That so?" smiled Luke. "I don't see why. You fancy tumbling. I'm dead
gone on the cages. We both have our especial ambitions--say, I haven't
caught your name yet."

"Andy."

"All right, Andy. Going to use your full name on the circus posters, or
just Andy?"

"The circus posters are a long way ahead," smiled Andy. "But if I ever
get that far I think I'll use my right name--Andy Wildwood."

"Eh? What's that? Andy Wildwood!" exclaimed Luke.

Andy was amazed at a sharp start and shout on the part of his companion.

"Why, what now--" he began.

"Andy Wildwood? Andy--Wildwood?" repeated Luke.

He spoke in a retrospective, subdued tone. He tapped his head as if
trying to awaken some sleeping memory.

"Got it now!" he cried suddenly. "Why, sure, of course. Knew the na