4
THE BATTALION.
later it was whispered here and there in Camille that Leon
Suchet had found courag*e enough to commit suicide.
* # *
“When The Greatest Show on Earth” made its first tour
through Erance the cit\’ of Rondeau considered itself lucky
that the show would stop there. The vi!lag*e of Camille
considered itself very fortunate that it was so near to Ron
deau. Pierre Eavant, Ihe postmaster of Camille, knew more
about the show than anyone else in the vihag’e, for he had
closed up the postoffice and spent a whole day inspecting- the
hug-e show bills posted all over Rondeau.
He was very enthusiastic about the show when he re-
turn?d T r^iF the v'Tige of imiJ’e met him at the
po^t office on his return from the city and there he harangued
them for over an hour about the show. “Yes, the whole
show will be fine.” he shouted as he closed his speech, “but
the be it act will come last, when the Prince of the Eion Tam
ers will give an exhibition with the three fiercest lions and
tigers in captivity. The Paris papers call him ‘the bravest
of the brave’, and I shall consider myself unfortunate indeed
if I miss seeing him in the last act.”
On show day the population of Camille moved over to
Rondeau en masse. They were among the first to go in, and,
under the direction of Pierre Eavant, they all sat tog-ether,
opposite the middle ring.
It was the first large circus they had ever seen and
before the show had lasted ten minutes not one remembered
a thing about rhe last act. ‘ The Prince of the Eion Tam-