Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-03-10
ESPINOSA, THE DANCER.
His Three Hoaths Captivity .among the IHdiai

I His Three 8oHths Captivity -dMong ne indidhs
-H0W he Escaped.
MANY Of our readers doubtless remember a
very supple young man, with very large nose,
named Espinoss, who Travelled through this
country some years sgo-with the Ravels, we
| belieVs-in lhe capacity Of dancer. A late
number Of the London Era contains an inter-
esting sketch OF his life, from which we take
the following:
| At last an American manager, hearing Of
/ EspiDosa's growing fame, crossed the Atlantic,
/ and steamed him away from the Partisan
'taxe, at a salary Of one thousand pounds for
! three months. From the year 1850 to 1857
when be returned to France, bis life was one
/ Of continuous success, triumph, accident and
/ adventure. He ccmic-dsucsd in Mexico, over
1 India, and throughout China, with great srtls-
/ tic glory; but at Bourbon, Calcutta and Pom
| dicbery be rssped golden and laurel harvests.
] At Hong Kong, Sydney, Madras, Bombay, and
| scores OF other Indian cities and towns, his
success was immense, but the result was more
TO the honor Of bis artistic fame than to the
/ filling Of bis eXchequeT.
One day California. with its golden prestige,
/ fascinated our hero's mind, and forthwith be
/ dreamed Of nothing else, save artistic glory,
oTnamented with gold, and, in the hope Of
/ gathering the same, be embarked for the Pacific
| Ocean. Crossing ever the Rocky Mountains
be FELL into the bands Of a gang Of cannibal
robbers, who relieved bin Of all he possessed,
and kept him a close prisoner for three menths.
/ Here he was destined, after having been previ-
/ ously "fsttened up to be roasted and served
up at the table Of The canBibal chief at their
next grand solemnityl But Espinusa would
/ not "grow fat" for the grand cannibsl display;
50, when the day did come, be was tied, as use
less flesh lumber, to the fatal tree, there 20 be
tortured TO DEATH "the obstinate pale face -
/ The last savage dance had already begun
around him, but the "pale face" stood and
] looked undismayed; non time0, sed sper0,
thought bel During his captivity be had
/ learned enough Of the savsges' dialect to make
himself understood; 80, as the cannibals
4 Jumped and frisked around him, be suddenly
exclaimed: "Oh, ye sccursed redskins call ye
that dsncing2 Loose my cords and Pll show ye
what dancing is-how we 'pale-faceso dancel
Pisrce my body with your srrOws, and deRpur
Il sfterWard, in you will, but let me shOwl ou
what dancing is.o He was silent, and the
eaperine red horde stopped suddenly short.
The chiefs moved to a short distance, and held
a conference " COsifcusre OnaRes, si UUlgi
sfGnte coTonal'' The result Of which confer
euee was, nBe It as the pals-fsce hath spoken;
let bin Dance" SPOKE the principal chief.
Amid a yell Of internal noises q ring was
quickt made, and Espinosa, loosed from bis
bonds, Jumped intO the middle Of il with
! DirOueite or m0TibolGat, so fantastic, yet so
outlsndish and extrsvagant, that the red
skinned squatteFs giggled, and grinned, and
| chsttered like monkeys He then gave them
a dance Of the regular gGslin DE- Paris style.
/ He vsulted head over heels a Ia GTimdldi,
pir0ustted round the savage inclOsure, within
and without, and enraptured one and all.
Finally, seeing the favor be was "steepng"
/ into.she began the popular Paris dance called
[ sIss ssvate,0 p and throughit he went con 1usoTe
I Il pedibus, right and left, backward and
/ forward, dispersing bis audience, on all
sides, surprising them, delighting them,
mesmeTizing and enhancing them BY
| bis impromptu dance tWiXt life and death; and,
while al were in sclemn amazement and mute
/ sstoniskmeDt at the velocity Of bis tWistings
and turpjngs, bis iumpings and vsultings, be
I suddenly vsulted into tie vacant saddle on one
[ Of the feet steeds Of The chiefs, and, presto,
/ Of be went like an arrow, TO the general ad-
! mlration Of the red skins, who mistoOk that
pas for a par. Of bis "daRse iaferHGle7 exhi-
/ bition; or, as DR.. O'Tosle says, "a part Of
bis sYstem.D But when the entrsneed savages
[ saw him iy, quickly fly and scud through the
air, and when they lost sight Of him IN toto
] feelings Of rage and vengeance succeeded ad-
mirstion and delight, and, yelling out their
war cry. the best riders jumped on their steeas
in pursuit OF the "Paleface Devil" But
sifortune favored the brave" and Espinoss
ne'er saw the silly red skins more. What q
dance be had OF it on bis "borrowed courseF p
Yet 'twss only when bis pursuers from afal
saw him arrive in sight Of numerous anc
l uefl-srraed caravan that they give up al hops
Of reespturing their fascinating fugitive dan
Ger and, as a desperate signal Of rage aat
vengeance, they fired of at bin shower O
poisoned arrows, while he rode, under SAT-
convoy, toward San Francisco.