began to get thoroughly chilled in the crisp autumn air before
they saw a host of twinkling lights approaching from the direction of
the town. The lights grew rapidly nearer, and the watchers knew that
this was the squad of men of which the trainer had spoken. Soon they
reached the fire where the head trainer had made his headquarters, and
after a brief halt started to surround the woods. Each man of the party
held a flaring, smoking gasoline torch, and their combined strength gave
a brilliant illumination. In their progress they stopped at the trees
where the watchers were stationed, and one after the other relieved
them. Bert, Dick and Tom were soon on the ground once more, and were
glad to get an opportunity to stretch their cramped muscles.

"Well, what's the plan now?" Bert asked one of the men.

"Oh, there's nothing we can do till daylight," he answered, "we'll just
hang around and make sure that the lion doesn't get out of these woods.
Then we'll capture him some way, and hustle to catch up with the rest of
the outfit."

"Why, have they gone on without you fellows?" asked Tom in surprise.

"Sure," replied the other; "we're due in the next town to-morrow, and a
little thing like a lion getting away can't stop us. Nothing much less
than an earthquake could, anyway."

And indeed, it was very much as the fellow said. A circus simply must
meet its engagements on time, or else go out of business. Its agents go
on days in advance of it, advertising and pasting bill posters over the
surrounding landscape, and if the show isn't on time all the cost of
this is wasted, besides the loss of prestige to the circus, not to say
anything of the loss of the day's gate receipts.

Therefore, the circus from which the lion had escaped struck its tents
and traveled on exactly as though nothing out of the ordinary had
happened. To be sure, it was hindered by the fact that so many of its
men had to be assigned to capturing the lion, but in spite of this it
was hardly an hour late in starting.

After the volunteer watchers had been relieved, Burton, the trainer in
charge of the proceedings, thanked them for their services, but told
them that there was nothing more they could do, so that they could feel
at liberty to go home if they were so inclined. A few did, but the
majority elected to stay and "see the show through," as Tom expressed
it. "It isn't often you get a chance to see a lion hunt in a quiet
college town," he said, "and