they came
here some years ago," said Mr. Hagenbeck, and then he took a beautiful
silver cigar-case out of his pocket, from which he offered me a very
fine weed. This cigar-case, he told me, had been given him on that
memorable occasion by the King of Bavaria himself.

Then a see-saw was constructed in the middle of the circus, upon one
end of which stood a lion, and upon the other end of which stood a
tiger. A bear standing in the middle preserved the peace between them.
Two leopards stood on guard on either side, and then the bear set the
see-saw in motion by walking alternately from one side to the other.

Then took place a curious and amusing performance. Four lions and
tigers were arranged in a row at an equal distance from one another.
Some of the German boar-hounds were let loose, and one after another
they gayly started a game of leap-frog with the wild beasts, who
seemed to enjoy it to the full as much as they did. After they had
finished their performance, some enormous double ladders were brought
in. The great Polar bear was persuaded to take his place at the very
top; next to him on either side, on the next rung of the ladder, was a
beautiful boar-hound; then came two royal Bengal tigers, and then a
couple of the finest lions I ever saw. Round about the base of the
pyramid were grouped, in picturesque profusion, lions, tigers,
leopards, and dogs. There they stood perfectly still, and uttering not
a single sound, until, very suddenly, Mr. Mellermann cracked his
whip, when the animals joyfully quitted their strained positions and
retired to their seats. "Ah!" said Mr. Hagenbeck, as he turned to me,
"no living human being can imagine what it means to get those animals
to do that. It makes a man old and sick and nervous before his time.
I'll never do it again after the Chicago Exhibition. Life is too short
for such a strain. I wouldn't take any money for those animals now
that they are trained, although I was offered only the other day
upwards of sixty thousand dollars for them."

And now came the _piece de resistance_ of the whole affair. A large
Roman chariot was rolled into the circus; two huge tigers were led
forth, and, growling much, they were harnessed to it; and then there
was ushered into the chariot, with no little state, a noble and
stately lion. A robe of royal crimson was fastened round his neck, a
gleaming crown was placed upon his head, the reins were thrown upon
his shoulders, two boar-hounds t