me then with a relentless and irresistible power. There was scarcely a moment when I was not under its spell, at least to some degree. It was like a vampire that took the zest and vitali

a person drugged. My mind seemed in a state of miserable torpor, while my body went about in a mechanical way and did its work. The change from a regular life, which saw me snugl

was a consciousness that I was in the act of falling asleep in bed with clean sheets, and that I would not be awakened unti

d anything whatever to do with the moving of the show were under the spell of this dragon. They, howeve

wed by a fortnight of fair weather. My associates had "caught up" in the matter of sleep, but I was still in a

ful performance, the scene was so novel and impressive that I held out for a few minutes against the d

laborate and gilded chariots, the piebald Arabian horses, the drove of shambling camels and the huge swaying elephants gave a t

f a lumbering chariot. The almost endless vista of prairie, the serpent caravan, the gay colors and the fragrance of the flowers all combined to refresh and impress me, and to

bit stir. Then he dropped upon all fours and vanished in a gray streak traveling in a line parallel with the course of the caravan and keeping only a few rods from our trail. While I was still pondering over the strange conduct of the animal I saw a "rattler" emerge from the grass into the beaten trail only a few feet in front of the "off leader" of our four-horse team. Naturally I expected to see the snake coil and strike the horse, but he did nothing of the kind-simply avoided the horse's hoofs and then slippe

passed over us, flying low but very rapidly. The grass on both

gan a strange moaning unlike their ordinary roars and growls. From the monkey cages came plaintive, half-human cries. These sounds were taken up by all the animals big and little. The elephants trumpeted, t

on horseback on the crest of rise in the prairie. He was riding towards us as fast as his horse could carry him. Passing us like a whirlwind, he shouted: "Whip up, man! The prairie's on fire! Move for the river straight ahead!" In a second he was gone, shouting the same word to every startled driver he passed. His approach had

he must set the pace for the remainder of the caravan. It might be thought that the greatest drag on the speed of the terrified procession would have been the camels and elephants. So tho

s a revelation to all who saw them. Which was the more pitiful and terrifying, the

ungainly bodies of the camels and elephants swayed from

ly answer was to lay the lash harder on the backs of the poor horses pulling the heavy wagons and chariots-leaping and straining like so many modern fire department animals responding to an alarm. It was a genuine ch

the saddle, struck a match to the grass, remounted and rode back a short distance. As each team approached he ordered:

the volume, intensity and sweep of that hurricane of flame from which we were fleeing. One after another of the teams reared, pitched a

screeches that went up from the maddened beasts in that caravan as the great sky-reaching cylinder of flame and

air like rockets. Instantly the whole six stallions became absolutely crazed with fear and made a plunge directly for the on

ling upon us. Then came a moment which was a dizzy blank to most of us, I guess. The fearful strain of the long race, the moments of awful suspense after the charred ground had been reache

in the whole group. Probably there was not a choicer collection of "unbelievers" on the face of the civilized earth than our company contained-yet only a few moments before every man, woman and child had been praying for dear life-some fairly shouting their supplications, others kneeling quietly in the wagons, and still others mum

s. We had not far to go before we came to a heap of wheel tires and other ironwork from the big vehicle. A little beyond it were the blackened remains of the splendid horses which had dashed into an unnecessary death. These animals had been the pride of the show, an

e fires started on the far side of the river by the sparks which the wind carried across the stream. Some of them were almost raving with grief over the fate which they firmly believed had

ETING WITH

ant of the pioneer type whose life was an unbroken romance. It may be asked, What has this kind of thing to do with circus life? I answer: Everything! Much of the success which I have achieved in this peculiar field of effort I owe to the contact with men of large capacity with whom I chanced to "fall in," as it were, while on the road. These meetings were as bread to my mind.

ll town, where hotels were as rare as other evidences of civilization. I had just gone to

better wait up and arrange with him about the side of the bed you are to sleep on. If he wa

rule with me to maintain the silence which is said to be golden when I am among strangers in a strange land. I afterwards discovered that it was customary for this landlord to

tibly drawn towards him. It was the saddest, tenderest, sweetest smile that I have ever seen upon a man's face. He spoke to me kindly as he placed his candle upon the little table, then drew his chair up close beside me in fro

"I see Gen. Sam Houston is billed to speak here to-morrow night

admirer of h

ty, and his apparent hatred for all shams. But there seems to be another side to his character which I do not admire. The manner in which

ietly, smiling the sad smile whic

you agree wit

tell you a little story," my roommate replied, an

before worshiped anything on earth. For a time he was happy-after the manner of men who place their entire lives in the hands of one woman. By and by he noticed that his beautiful young wife was growing dejected and unhappy. Often, when he spoke to her in terms of endearment when they were alone, she would burst into tears, tear herself out of his arms and escape from the room. On one of t

his wife and her untutored friends a temporary farewell and drifted into Texas. Here he soon rose to recognition, and in a comparatively brief space of time once more held an important official position. But he had not deserted his Indian wife. On several occasions he returned to the tribe to see her and tried to induce her to return with him to civilization. But the poor, untutored Indian squaw was a thousand times nobler than the beautiful society woman who had ruined his life in early manhood. She loved him passionately, but positively refused to accede to his requests. 'I would only disgrace you,' she said. 'I am not fit to go out into your worl

as he sat gazing into the dying embers of our fire. I hastened to assure him that I was glad to be set right regarding General H

friend, don't let your enthusiasm run away with your discretion. Gene

I believe you have omitted telling me your name. I have spent such a pleas

"I believe I did omit that little

d he was to occupy. General Houston could have