IN A DEN OF LIONS.

Feilding Star, Volume I, Issue 294, 18 June 1907, Page 4

IN A DEN OF LIONS.

Two women fell into a cage of lions a few weeks ago in the Apollo, a new music-hall recently opened in Paris, and were nearly eaten up. The spectacle (says a correspondent of the Daily Telegraph) was much more sensational, and one might say I sanguinary, than had been intended by the programme. The two women were tight-rope dancers, and were supposed to perform a series of clever feats on a rope stretched across the stage, and under which there was a big cage with two lions. The top of ! the cage was left open, so that the | lions could see the women performing over their heads, and the public at ' the same time could enjoy a delight--1 ful sensation of terror. The lions as [ a rule took no interest in the feats of the tight-rope walkers, and some- ! times even dozed off while they were !in progress. Perhaps they could not ( see the sense of their exploits. That 1 night, however, they were suddenly 1 awakened from their indifference. The i rope snapped in twain in the middle ; of a performance, and the unhappy | women fell literally into the jaws of ( the lions. The wild beasts, natur--1 ally, did not understand the situa- ; tion, and mauled and clawed the women terribly. One of the women had presence of mind enough to remain prostrate on the floor of the cage, and succeeded in crawling out, , while her companion was .so impruj dent as to stand up, and was being mangled by the lions. The audi- ' ence was in a panic, women scream|ed with terror and fainted. At last, , after considerable efforts, the re- < maining woman was rescued from the | cage. Her arms and breast were terribly clawed and bitten, but she ■ had escaped with her life, and seemed cheerful over it. She even took f her companion by the hand,, and, with dramatic self-composure, came ' before the curtain and saluted the . spectators.