of his cage,
in order that the casual passer-by might observe his ferocity
through the inner iron bars. Now the tiger's frenzy meant something
very like frenzy for Finn. When the tiger snarled, and thrashed the
inner side of his cage with his great tail, Finn's snarl became a
fierce, growling bark; his fore-legs stiffened, like the erect hair
along his backbone, his white fangs were all exposed, and his
aspect became truly terrifying. Saliva began to collect at the
corners of his long mouth; his great wrath and unreasoning,
instinctive fierceness and resentment made him look twice his
actual size; and altogether it may be admitted that when Sam came
to investigate, after the camp had been formed, Finn truly was, to
all appearances, a fearsome and terrifying creature. His snarls and
growls waked fury in the breast of the irritable old tiger, who was
not accustomed to hear threats or warnings from any of his
neighbours, he being the only large carnivorous animal in the show,
and, in consequence, he threw himself against the partition between
Finn's cage and his own, snarling ferociously. This put the
strength of centuries of hunting and fighting courage and
fierceness into Finn's replies, and left the Wolfhound, to all
outward seeming, a more formidable wild beast than the tiger
himself.

Sam marvelled at his own courage in having led this monster through
the streets, and told himself that nothing would induce him to be
such a fool as to take Finn out of the cage. His mother had given
him both Finn's name and the name of the breed, but Sam had never
before heard of an Irish Wolfhound, and, looking now at Finn's
gleaming fangs and foamy lips, all that he recalled of the name was
"Irish Wolf." It was thus that Finn was presented to the great John
L. Rutherford himself, the proprietor of the circus.

"He's the Giant Irish Wolf, boss," said Sam, "and the only one in
the world, as I'm told. I bought him cheap, an' I got him into that
cage single-handed, I did; an' now I'll sell him to you cheap,
boss, if you'll buy him. If you don't want him, he goes to Smart's
manager, who offered me twenty-five quid for him, as he stood last
night."

"Smart's" was the opposition circus; but the rest of Sam's remarks
were imagination for the most part, based upon his desire to make a
good sale of Finn, his cowardly fear of handling the now infuriated
hound, his ignorance, and a natural wish to afford an explanation,
a plausible and cre