Nothing short of a pyramid of elephants with a glittering gentleman in a turban and top boots on the summit would have made her forget this new and charming plan.  But that astonishing spectacle and the prospect of a cage of Bengal tigers with a man among them, in imminent danger of being eaten before her eyes, entirely absorbed her thoughts till, just as the big animals went lumbering out, a peal of thunder caused considerable commotion in the audience.  Men on the highest seats popped their heads through the openings in the tent-cover and reported that a heavy shower was coming up.  Anxious mothers began to collect their flocks of children as hens do their chickens at sunset; timid people told cheerful stories of tents blown over in gales, cages upset and wild beasts let loose.  Many left in haste, and the performers hurried to finish as soon as possible.

“I’m going now before the crowd comes, so I can get a lift home.  I see two or three folks I know, so I’m off;” and, climbing hastily down, Sam vanished without further ceremony.

“Better wait till the shower is over.  We can go and see the animals again, and get home all dry, just as well as not,” observed Ben, encouragingly, as Billy looked anxiously at the billowing canvas over his head, the swaying posts before him, and heard the quick patter of drops outside, not to mention the melancholy roar of the lion which sounded rather awful through the sudden gloom which filled the strange place.

“I wouldn’t miss the tigers for anything.  See, they are pulling in the cart now, and the shiny man is all ready with his gun.  Will he shoot any of them, Ben?” asked Bab, nestling nearer with a little shiver of apprehension, for the sharp crack of a rifle startled her more than the loudest thunder-clap she ever heard.

“Bless you, no, child; it’s only powder to make a noise and scare ’em.  I wouldn’t like to be in his place, though; father says you can never trust tigers as you can lions, no matter how tame they are.  Sly fellers, like cats, and when they scratch it’s no joke, I tell you,” answered Ben, with a knowing wag of the head, as the sides of the cage rattled down, and the poor, fierce creatures were seen leaping and snarling as if they resented this display of their captivity.

Bab curled up her feet and winked fast with excitement as she watched the “shiny man” fondle the great cats, lie down among them, pull open their red mouths, and make them leap over him or crouch at his feet as he snapped the long whip.  When he fired the gun and they all fell as if dead, she with difficulty suppressed a small scream and clapped her hands over her ears; but poor Billy never minded it a bit, for he was pale and quaking with the fear of “heaven’s artillery” thundering over head, and as a bright flash of lightning seemed to run down the tall tent-poles he hid his eyes and wished with all his heart that he was safe with mother.

“’Fraid of thunder, Bill?” asked Ben, trying to speak stoutly, while a sense of his own responsibilities began to worry him, for how was Bab to be got home in such a pouring rain.