Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute - Acta Nostra Yearbook (Guelph, Ontario Canada)

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XVell, Leando, I guess we're not do- ing as well as we have, but we're mak- ing out. lVhen can you start work? Nothing like getting right to the point, is there? chuckled Leando. How about next week? That soon? Boy, Leando, we'd sure appreciate it. Did the Doc say it was all right? According to hitn, the more time 1 spent in the hospital, the worse I was getting. l'm anxious to start practising. l'll start tomorrow. I l t L qj, 5 L x K 'T7 . tl ' I . l ' j t XX ,I aw l'l 'T3H. Good, They've been getting a little out of the routine, I guess, but il 1 know you, you'll have them back in shape in less than a week. I'm really glad you're back, Leandof' Same here, Ron. ACTA NOSTRA 43 He stepped ottt ol the wagon. and ambled through the dank warm night to the took-tent, where most of the per- lormers were hating a bite to eat. .Xs he walked through the door. all eyes turned toward hitn. Then, as one, they jumped up, and ran toward him, chairs tumbling in tlte process, and the babble ol their yoites liilled the tent with welcoming chatter. They were all just as they were when he had left: f the midgets, the strongtnen, the acrobats, the trapefe artists and all the others - and eyeryone was glad to see him. Much. much later that night he lell asleep in his trailer. which the others had kept ready lor him, anticipating his retutn. Suddenly. it seemed, he woke again. Listening, he knew that the circus was awake, and he jumped ottt of bed, eager to be again a part ol this won- derlul sawdttst world ol tinsel and span- gles, XX'ith a swinging gait. he crossed the tent. waving gaily' to the others. The circus was a hire ol actiyity. just as he remembered it, with everyone doing his job. Then. as he tame to the lion cage. a leeling ol terror struck his heart. He suddenly realized that he was terribly alraid ot the eats. especially that tawny streak oi light that sat perched upon the uppermost pedestal ol the cage. Saja, she was called. Now be knew that he would never be able to late the eats again. as she glated down at him through glassy eyes. She knew that he was alraid, She knew, and somehow she communicated the knowledge to the other animals. ,Xs Leando approached the bars ol the cage, the cats snarled at him, and bared their sharp fangs. One tiger pressed his paw through the bars, unsheathing his claws. Leando turned his back on the cage, and walked sadly and slowly out the side exit. Unable to face the others, he wan- dered back to his trailer and sank slow- ly down, upon the bed. The next day he would leave the circus, tnuch as he dis- liked the thought. It would be deserting a friend, lor Ron would be in a bad

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42 ACTA NOST RA The WClCOfT1C Prize Senior Story by Nancy Robinson XIID Ladie-e-e-s and Gentlemen! blames Brothers' Circus now takes great plea- sure in presenting the Great Leando. world's most famous lion tamer! The tall, dark man walked confident- ly toward the lion cage in the centre ring. The spotlights glittered on his sequin-covered jacket, and a murmur of excitement passed among the spectators who filled the tent to capacity. Leando was a good drawing-card, and Ron James, the owner of the circus, appre- ciated the man's talent. X'Vithout him, their show was likely to be a failure. Even as the door of the cage slammed shut with a metallic ring, Leando sens- ed that something was wrong. The cats were restless, overly excited. lt's not the same, he thought: I wonder what's wrong. The act seemed to pass uneventfully, however, and finally Leando was about to climax the performance. Suddenly a bolt of yellow lightning seemed to hurl down at him. He felt the tear of sharp, jungle claws, and then-nothing. Y'Vhen he woke up, seemingly ages later, he saw through foggy eyes a room of white, through which figures clad in the same immaculate shade, seemed to float, barely distinguishable. Slowly his vision cleared, and he could make out a tall, lean figure standing by his side. X'Vhere am I? XVhat's happened? just be quiet, and try not to move, said the figure. 'Tm Doctor Jackson, and you're at Centre Hospital. You've had a bad time, but you're going to be all right. Be back to work in a couple of months, I should think. Now just take it easy. Back to work, Leando thought. I doubt it. I doubt it very much. But the folks from the circus were wonderful about the whole thing. They sent him letters, and cards from wherev- er they were playing one or two-night stands across the country. Ron even sent him his pay regularly, although, as Le- ando knew, it was fairly certain that without him the crowds weren't excep- tionally large, and the profits always correspond to the crowds. He felt asham- ed, leaving them in a spot like that, and wrote ahead to Ron, telling him to look for a new lion tamer, but Ron insisted on keeping his job open. Then one day, the doctor came to his room. You can go, one of these days, he said. YVe've done all we can for you. The rest you'll have to do yourself. You need the circus surroundings. At the' rate you're going, moping around here, you'll never get well. Suddenly, Leando realized that he did want to go back to the circus. He missed the smell of the sawdust and the re- freshment booths, and his ears hungered for the barkers' cries. That afternoon he wired ahead to Ron. See you Friday. Miss you all. Friday night he slipped into the main tent. The main performance was under- way, and Leando shook his head in sor- row as he glanced over the few occupied seats, whose purchasers dotted the great expanse of greyness that was the seats, like specks upon a great terrain. He remembered, then, the packed houses while he was the feature of the evening's programme. After the performance he went back to the wagon where Ron toiled over the day's meagre receipts. XfVell, how are things going? he ask- ed, knowing full well what Ron would Slly. -lust fine, just fine, came the expect- ed reply, but we do miss our star. Come on, Ron. 1 saw that house tonight. You're going broke, aren't you?

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