WONDERFUL FEAT ACCOMPLISHED BY A COSSACK

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2131, 22 May 1889, Page 3

WONDERFUL FEAT ACCOMPLISHED BY A COSSACK

When Peain the llon-tamar was at Moioow with his menagerie, be had oooaston to employ a moujik, a fine apeoimsn of the Oossaok, to olean out the eagss of the wild heists. Ths Oossaok did not understand a word of Freooh, and the terms of the contraot were settled In dumb show. By way of In* struotlog him In his new duties, Peain went through a sort of pantomime with tbe broom, aponge and water buoket. The moojlk watched him olosely, and appeared to fully understand the details of the lesson given. Next morning, armed with a broom, a buoket and a sponge, he opened the first cage he came to, and quietly stepped In, as he bad seen bis master step on the previous day Into two oagea of harmless brutes ; bnt this one happened to be tenanted by a splendid but untamed tiger, that lay stretched on tha floor fast asleep. At the noise made by opening and dosing tbe dcor the oreature raised Its head, and turned Its green eyes full on the man, who, all uoeonsolons of his danger, stood In a oorner dipping his big sponge Into the buoket. At tbat moment Peton oame ont of bis caravan, and was struok dumb by tbe terrible sigh* that met his gaga. What oould he do to warn tbe mtn of his danger } A sound, a movement on his part, might enrage the great beast and hasten Its attack on the defenceless Ooss.ok. So Peron stood, awaiting developments, ready to dash to the scene when the ertsls oame. The moojlk, sponge In hand, ooolly approached the tiger, and made ready to rob him down with the stolidity of a military bootblsok polishing his oaptaln's boots. The sudden application of cold water to Its hide evidently produced a yery agree* able effeot on the tiger; for it began to purr, stretched out its paws, rolled over on ita baok, and complacently offered every portion of ftp body to the vigorous treatment of the moujik, wbp wen£ on scrubbing with might and main . All the while Pezon stood there with his eyes wide open, ai if nailed to the spot. When he hod finished hts job tbe Cossack left the cage as quietly as he entered it, and It required the meat energetlo aid expressive gestures on the part of the lion tamer to prevent his repeating the experiment on a second wild beast,