The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1874-06-13

interior OF the pagoda proper, the APP
pearance of which outside / have de-
scribed. The illumination from
from multitudinous lamps was
very bright and brilliant, too soft
TO be dazzling or overpowering.
yet 50 penetrating and pervasive that
one missed nothing of the perfect light
OF the day. | could distinctly trace the
ascending and diminishing rings of the
cupola above us, and the rows Of brick
work, only thinly whitewashed, that
supported it.
The dun of the horrible orchestra
increased, and band of old women
came out from under the stage singing
or rather shrleklng OUT the most dia-
poilcal chant that i ever heard The
req curtain fiuttered a little, there was
a duli thud, and there, right before us,
stood very old man, wrinkled. with
very long hair and beard white as cot
ton fleece. His finger nails were
several inches long, and his sunken laws
We're horribly diversified with two long
teeth yellow and ogreish He was
naked, except for a breech-cloth. and
MS Shrunken muscles shone with oil
he took the censor in his hands and
blew his breath into it until the flame
rose twenty feet high, red and furious
then, with a sudden Jerking motion, he
tossed the burning oil toward the crowd
OF squattlng spectators. 1t shot toward
them a broad sheet OF terrible flame
1T descended upon them a shower Of
roses and ~~Japonicas, more than could
have been gathered in a cart Turning
the censor bottom upward, he spun it for
a minute upon the point of his long
thumb nail, then flung it disdainfully
away toward the audience 1t struck
the pavement with a metallic clang,
bounced, and rose, with sudden expanse
OF wings, shrieking eagle, frightened
horribly and seeking flight toward the
summit of the dome The old man
gazed moment upward, then, Selling
the tripod upon which the censor had
stood, he sent its legs apart with a
nervous hand, Strengthened them
against his knee, and hurled them.
dartllke, toward the eagle. They
glanced upward with gilded flash,
and instantly the eagle came futtering
down to the pavement i'll our midst,
dead aud three horrible cobras coiled
about him, lifting their hooded heads
detlantly, and flashing anger out of
their gathering eyes. The music Shrek
eel still wilder, the snakes coiled and
plated themselves together in a ryth-
mic dance, lifting the dead eagle upon
their heads, and prestol right i'll our
midst there stood the tripod again,
with its Pickering flame, and its incense
savored breath. Amore perfect illusion
never was seen.
That is Norodom," whispered
Woun-Tajac in my ear. Another actor
now came upon the scene whom ] rec
ognized to be the tall athlete, Tepada
Behind him came a smaller man, whose
name, WOun-Talac informed me, was
Minhman, and a boy, probably II years
old, called Tsin-ki. These four began
some of the most wonderful athletic
) exhibitions that can be conceived 1t
is impossible to believe, unless you saw
it, what work these men put human
muscles to. [ am not going to provoke
the incredulity of your readers by at
tempting to describe the majority of
them. In one feat Tepada seized Nor
OdOm by his long white beard, held
him off at arms length, andspun round
with him until the old mans legs were
horizontal to the athletes shoulders
Then, while they still spun with the
fury OF deryishes, Mlnhman sprung up,
/, kelzed upon NorOdom's feet, and spun
>r.t - h-ai'i14Aaatal- continuation of tho
ancient, and when hIiuhman was firmly
established, the boy Tsin-ki caught to
his feet in like manner, and the tall
athlete, every muscle in him straining,
continued to whirl the human iointless
lever around. At last, slowing slightly,
Tepada drew in his arms till the old
mans white beard touched his body !:
there was a sudden strain and the arms
of the men from being horizontal be
came perpendicular, Noronom's head
resting atop of Tepada's, Minhman's
head upon NOrodom' S feet, and Tsin-
ks head on Mihmann' $ feet 4 pause
for breath, then the column of men
was propelled into the air, and presto !!
Tepada S head was on the ground,
| Norodom's feet to his, Ninhman's feet
upon Norodom's head Tsin-ki's feet on
Minhmans head Each had turned a
somersault, and the column was I'M
| broken
/ could fill several columns with de
scriptions of the most remarkable and
unaccountable feats of magic performed
| ~ tlltoS "Oi'iilitll Jtlt lltlSt
refrain. One trick which Minhman per
formed was a very superior version of
the mango tree feat Of the Indian Jug
glers. He took an orange, cut it open,
and produced a serpent. This he took
down into the audience, and, borrowing
a robe from one, cut the snakes head
off and covered it with the robe. When
| the robe was lifted again, a fox was in
| place of the snake. The fox's head was
! cut off, two robes borrowed, and when
| they were raised, there was wolf,
which was killed with a sword. Three
robes, and Il leopard appeared it was
slain with iaveiln. -Four robes coy
cred a most savage-lookinS buffalo, that
was killed with an AK. Five robes coy
cred i'll part, but not altogether, alordIy
elephant, who, when the sword was
pointed against him, seized Minhman 10y
the neck and tossed him violently up.
He mounted feet foremost, and finally
chung by his toes to the capital of one
Of the columns. Topada now lcaped
from the stage and allighted upon the
elephants shoulders. With Il short
sword he goaded the beast on the head
until, shrieking, the unwieldy animal
reared upon its hind feet, twincd its |
trunk about one of the great columns, |
and seemed trying to liftitself from the |
ground and wrap it's body around the |
great pillar The music FLASHED out
barbarously, Norodom flashed forth |
dazzling tirewOrk of some sort, and the |