TIGERS ON THE LOOSE.

Kumara Times, Issue 996, 9 December 1879, Page 3

TIGERS ON THE LOOSE.

An excellent joke was perpetrated upon the audience at Cliiarini's Circus in Wellington the other night. The master of the arena, about half-past ten o'clock, announced that the performance would conclude with the introduction of a a number of royal Bengal tigers, which would appear loose in the arena. The intimation (says the Evening Post) had a marvellous effect. Undisguised terror was mainly manifested on the faces of many, and of these several made an immediate bee-line for the exit. Others, who were ashamed to allow their fears to be exhibited so publicly, contented themselves with getting as much into the background as possible. A few raised a feeble protest, and said —"lt really wasn't right; some accident would occur if such foolhardy things were allowed. It was all very well foi people who got their living by it to go into tiger cages, but the proprietors had no right to put the public into that position," &c, &c. One fierce looking gentleman, with a large moustache and very little shirt linen exposed, got up and said, "He had seen too many wild tigers in his days to care about seeing tame ones ; he should go." And go he did. A dandified young M.11.R. suddenly iccollected that he must be up at the House before 11 o'clock ; he would come and the tigers another time. Ho, too, would have beat a retreat, but just as lie gained the place to exit the tigers' cage appeared in the very rpening he was making for and hastily 1 ackedjato the marque looking, to say !lie least of it, uncomfortable. The i hector all this time was striving to impress upon the people that there°was i ot the slightest danger, but it was evident from the murmurs' that were distinctly audible that his assurance was received .cum grano. Meanwhile the cage with three ferocious-looking tigers in it had been drawn into the centre of the arena, and when the attendants began to remove some boards which were affixed to the lower part of the prison, it was wonderful how deserted the front seals became. At this moment three keepers entered with half-a-dozen little tiger cubs about weeks old. The audience saw in a the harmless joke which had -oeen played upon them, and laughed heartily. It is needless to say "that the-;e babies were the only tigers let loose. We may mention that they were born during the passage of the company from San Francisco, and are of themselves a very interesting portion of the show.