Harper's Round Table, October 8, 1895 Part 8

But before the ex-Pirate could answer, the Lion arose and roared so fiercely that the rafters shook, and many of the birds fell from their perches.

"What does this mean?" he growled. "What does all this skylarking signify?"

"I'm not doing anything," put in the Skylark.

"Shut up," continued the Lion, even more fiercely. "This banquet has not been adjourned yet. Why are so many of you standing and running about?

Everybody sit down! I want you to understand that this is a continuous performance--booked for forty days and forty nights--and if some one does not perform pretty soon, I'll take a hand in the entertainment myself!"

Everybody knew what that meant. There was only one kind of entertainment that the Lion knew anything about, and that was eating. He was very good at that, and he cast his eyes about on the smaller animals gathered at the board. But the warning was sufficient; there was a grand rush for seats again, and a general inclination to be entertaining was displayed by all. Tommy and his companions got their old places, but the Gopher was so frightened that he retained his seat with difficulty, and he trembled so that he was unable to keep his sun-bonnet on straight.

In the mean time the Lion was scowling and waiting for some one to volunteer. His eyes fell on the shaking Gopher, and he said, grimly,

"Don't you know another joke?"

The poor little animal almost fainted with fright, and for lack of a better inspiration he pointed at the ex-Pirate and gasped,

"_He_ knows _lots_ of things!"

And so the King of Beasts, who was rapidly losing patience, glared at the ex-Pirate and roared,

"Do something!"

The ex-Pirate hesitated; but Tommy, who was not feeling at all comfortable, whispered:

"Give them Abou-Ben-Din!"

"That's a pretty risky thing to do," answered his neighbor; "but I guess I shall have to. I can't think of anything else." And so he arose in his customary way, and bowing to all, announced that he would recite another selection from his autobiography ent.i.tled,

THE BALLAD OF ABOU-BEN-DIN.

_Oh, there's many a tale that I like to tell, And many a yarn to spin, But there's none I love one-half so well As the story of Abou-Ben-Din._

For Abou-Ben-Din was a terrible man, A blood-thirsty wretch through and through; A pirate on quite an original plan, And he captained a terrible crew.

Not a _man_ did he have on his swift-sailing craft, But a hundred and ten wild beasts, That snarled on the deck while Abou stood aft, And steered them toward movable feasts.

For all day the brutes, with eyes opened wide, Would eagerly watch for a sail, And as soon as their vessel was brought alongside They would swarm like rats o'er the rail.

Then after the lions and tigers had dined, Old Abou would visit the ship.

To collect all the booty and goods he could find Then drive his beasts back with a whip.

Thus it soon came to pa.s.s that the sailors were few Who would sail in the India Seas, Where Abou-Ben-Din and his man eating crew Were eager and ready to seize.

But _I_ was no coward, and none of my crew Had ever been known to show fear; So I said, "We will capture this nautical Zoo; Toward Abou-Ben-Din let us steer!"

The men all agreed, and we started that day With cheering and waving of caps; And down in the hold I had hidden away A hundred and fifty steel traps.

These were brought up on deck as soon as we spied Old Abou-Ben-Din and his ship, And were set and all covered with sawdust to hide The teeth that were ready to grip.

Then the men went below and closed down the hatch, While I clambered up on the mast, Where, safe from the lions, 'twas easy to watch What happened from first to the last.

Well, the pirate approached. He came alongside.

And the beasts all scrambled aboard; And I never have heard such cries as they cried, Or such terrible roars as they roared.

Each lion was caught, and he couldn't get free, Each trap held an animal fast; And the way that they struggled was fearful to see-- And _I_ saw it all from the mast.

But Abou-Ben-Din merely gazed in dismay, And when he knew what had occurred, He plunged in the sea, and sank straightaway, Without ever speaking a word.

_Ay, there's many a tale that I like to tell, And many a yarn to spin, But there's none I love one-half so well As the story of Abou-Ben-Din!_

There was a dead silence when the ex-Pirate finished his recital, and Tommy noticed that the lions and tigers were shifting about restlessly in their chairs. He turned quickly to the Gopher, and said in low tones,

"They don't seem to like it."

"I'm afraid it _was_ a trifle personal," answered the Gopher.

"Perhaps we had better retire," suggested the ex-Pirate, prudently.

"Where can we go?" asked Tommy.

"You can go to the dogs," said the Gopher.

"You must not talk like that," observed Tommy, sharply. He had heard his Uncle d.i.c.k use that expression before, and it shocked him a little.

"Why not?" exclaimed the Gopher. "The dogs are all right, even if they are down below. They might be of some a.s.sistance to us if the lions get ugly."

"Oh!" exclaimed the little boy, but before he could say any more the Lion coughed very fiercely, and spoke to the ex-Pirate.

"How many lions and tigers did you say there were on board of that ship?"

"About a hundred and ten, I reckon," answered the ex-Pirate.

"One hundred and ten," repeated the Lion, slowly. "And you gathered them all in?"

"We did. Every single one." The ex-Pirate's recklessness staggered Tommy and the Gopher. Then the Lion growled:

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE EX-PIRATE JUMPED UPON THE TABLE AND FIRED.]

"That being the case, I think I shall have to gather _you_ in." And he arose, followed by the tigers, and began to approach the ex-Pirate and the little boy. The Gopher became so alarmed that he dropped under the table and was never seen again. Tommy was so scared that he could not move. But the ex-Pirate jumped upon the table, and drawing both his pistols from his belt, aimed them at the approaching beasts and fired.

The flash, the bang, and the smoke caused Tommy to close his eyes tightly for a second, and he felt as though his heart had leaped into his throat.

When he opened them again he was sitting on the window-seat in his own room, and his mother was standing in the doorway.

"You must not leave the door and the windows open at the same time, Tommy," she was saying. "That causes a draught and makes the door slam.

Get ready for supper; it is nearly tea-time."

THE END.