there isn't."

"No danger? And with a lion loose--a hungry lion!"

"That's where I think you're wrong," said her husband. "The circus
people usually keep their lions and other wild animals well fed. They
know the danger a hungry beast might be if he should get loose. And I
dare say they often do get loose, for all sorts of things may happen
when the cages are taken to so many different places.

"But though this lion has broken loose, I don't believe it would bite
even a rooster if it crowed at him. I mean he won't be hungry, because
he'll have been well fed before the circus started away."

"Then you don't believe there is any danger?"

"Well, not enough to worry about. Another thing is that usually circus
lions are so tame, having been caged so long, that they are fairly
gentle."

"I read of one that bit his keeper," said Mrs. Brown.

"Oh, of course there are _some_ dangerous lions in circuses. But we
won't believe this one that got away is that kind until we are sure.
There's a man who seems tired of running. I think he's going to stop and
I'll ask him how it happened."

One of the crowd of men and boys, racing past the "Ark," had slowed his
pace, being tired it seemed. Mr. Brown leaned out of the back door and
called to him:

"What is the matter? Did a lion really get loose from the circus?"

"That's what really did happen, sir. Are you one of the circus folks?"

"No, we are just travelers. We are stopping here because one of the
springs of our automobile is broken."

"Oh, excuse me. I thought this was one of the circus wagons. Yes, as
they were loading the lion's cage on the train a few hours ago, it
slipped, fell on its side and broke. The biggest lion in the circus got
away before they could catch him, and they say he headed down this way.
The circus men started after him with nets and ropes, and they offered a
reward of twenty-five dollars to whoever caught him. So a lot of us
started out, but I guess I'll go back. I'm tired out. I didn't have an
automobile like some."

"Then the lion didn't get loose while the circus performance was going
on?" asked Mrs. Brown.

"Oh, no. And it's a good thing it didn't, or there'd have been a
terrible scare and maybe lots of folks hurt in the rush. The show was
over, and most of the animal tent stuff was loaded on the flat cars when
the lion's cage broke."

"Aren't you afraid to try to catch him?" asked Mrs. Brown.

"Well, I didn't stop to think of that. I do