Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1845-06-12
VelunIle|1.

1
counter Of IA 4 venerable rooster. He
wore no mask, but his face was painted
in a style which did credit to his nge.
nuity and taste-the groundwork was
red ochre, relieved with occasional
Idashes ofblack, green. and blue--while
a broad circle Of white was drawn
around bis eyes. His brawny should
ers, and chest, and muscular arms,
were also painted of light red, with
diagonal stripes of dark blue, His
lower garment was a Dutch pair of
.spetticoat, trowsers,' striped slongifudi.
nally, blacksand white, and gathered,
fastened and terminated at the knee.
Stockings he, considered unnecessary.
but he encased his feet in some strange
looking articles, which he called moe
casins. His legs, were not, however.
as bare as a Highlander's-they were
well covered: with a coat of sky blue
paint. Agirdle which be wore about
his waist, carried a rigger's knife, by
way ofan Indians sclaper-and for a
tunic, a huge dopble-milled blanket was
carelessly thrown over his shoulders!
Jack flagstaff, thus strangely ac'
coutred, proceeded to the theatre at
an hour fashionably late, it being, be-
tween eleven and twelve O'Clock, ?. M.
He was admitted without difficulty, on
presenting his ticket--and even his Gu
rious costume did not excite much sur
prise or curiosity--for many others
were present, most wildly or grotes.
quelyarraycd But when, after aefew
minutes, band of music struck up, a
party of masks being about to perform
quadrille, Jack threw off his blanket,
and sprung into the middle OF the floor.
making frigbtful grimaces, and utterlng
the horrid warwhoop, and, Immediately
commenced performing by sheer phys
ical strength and Muscular activity, an
anonymous .hornpipe, sensation was
created which. -augured unpleasant
things for Jack The, ladies' all scream
| ed and tainted away-7the men believ-:
ing that a veritable savage from Moot
ka Sound, the Fegee Islands, or New
Zealand, had obtained admittance, turn
ed pale with terror, and instinclively
looked towards the entrance of the
theatre, but the police officers and the
gems d'arms who were present, indig
nant that any individual, whether saint,
sinner, or savage, should dare to aston
ish or frightcn the good people of Ha-
vre, who filled the theatre to overflow
ing, rushed upon poor Jack without
more ado, while he was performing the
feats Of agility. which; under other cir
cumstances, would have elected thun.
ders, Of applause, and arrested him with
out ceremony! is,r,.s.F y q t.,.-, AL ~.
| This was an event which Jack had
not calculated upon. !, He was taken
fiat .aback, and found great difficulty
"in getting beadway' again. He sput-.
tered in bad French, and struggled--but
to no purposc--for before he wellk
what had taken place, or the why and
wherefore he had been so rudely inter-
rupted in his salutatory exercises, he
was hustled out of the theatre, and in
custody Of three gems d'armes, and fol-
lowed by rabble, hooting and yelling.
was proceeding at rafting pace to.
wards the guard house. ,a@, .....
Jack was so astonished at these
strange proceedings, that he was inca
pable Of demonstrating, as he was in
the habit of doing. But afterhe reach,
ed the streets, his presence of mind re-
turned, and he resolved to- make bold
push to regain his liberty. As the pros
cession was passing corner ola street,
with a tremendous effort of strength
he shook himself clear of his captors.
felled to the ground with single blow
Of his fist, a tall, surly.looSing gems.
Parme, who happened to be in the way,
dashed through the remainder Of the
throng upsetting one in one direction,
and another in another, and started of
down the street, under all possible can
vass, going at tthe rate Of twelve or fif>
teen knots an hour. .ss. ~. ;.
The hue and cry" was given, and
Jack was closely pursued by some in
dignant, meddIesome Frenchmen. A
mong them was long.limbed police of
ficer, who, with drawn cutlass, kept
close to Jacks heels, almost within feel
ing distance; fact Of which Jack be-
came aware, by casting rapid glance
behind. He behcld, also, TO his confu-
sion, by the light Of the street lamps.
d squad Of gens-d'armes advancing to
wards him from the lower end Of the
street. He was becoming exhausted
and breathless, too, from the unwonted
exertions he was maklng--and for a
moment he became a little apprehen-
sive with regard to the result. l, was
only for a moment, however, for his
hopes were revived BY seeing a front
door in large dwelling house, one Of
| a block or a dozen or more, standing
Hospitality penwhiIe the. lights in