The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1874-10-24


blood.blisters on the alluvial bottoms of
his own fect-would have accomplished
some great thing in the world.
To the men-and there are many of
them-who frequent the Hippodrome
during Weston's walk, the condition of
the pedestrians feet becomes matter
of absorbing Importance; the general
contour Of mis- corns, the brilliancy Of
his blisters, and the temperature Of his
toes, are subjects Of the gravest discus
sion and the widest speculations. Wes-
ton on his slat stretcher is a monarch.
He waves his excavations with q ges.
ture Of command, and controls all about
him by the sheer force Of his infamma-
ton. He is tended and waited on and
COOLED and combed, bathcd and rubbed
down and swathed, with all the tender
ness imaginable. Everybody seems to
bend toward him in sympathy, except
the grim, gilt-bespangled lackey, who
evidently locks upon him as one Of the
properties" of Mr.. Barnum's show,
which is being tinkered up so that it
will work again.
Presently the process of tending his
feet is finished. Weston rises; after
one or two efforts the lines about his
mouth deepen into an expression of in
tense pain. He cannot stand still, but
stasgcrs, and rolls, and tumbles against
the attendants who are pulling to
pieces his stretcher and removing the
debris Of bandages scattered about.
He is what is called ''groggy." Mean
while an attendant is removing the
great coat which had been thrown over
his shoulders. A small riding whip is
put in his hand, and, after a few mo-
ments more Of shutting about with that
curious incoherence Of motion, he
catches the eye Of the time keeper,
throws the but of his whip into the air,
and starts off down the track amid a
shout from the crowd. His walk is a
strange, shambling and shutting gait
that suggests a drunken camel walking
on hot plates. His body seems to keep
we'll in advance of his feet,
end drag them along by the
force of superior weight
while they present tho appearance o1
being fixed at inf1exible right angles to
his legs. The spectator hardly recog'
nizes at first that the pedestrian is
walking fast, but he soon observes that
the large man who accompanies him j:
doing his best to keep up with hi
charge. Up to a few hours before HI
still had hopes of accomplishing his
self.imposed task. Now he knows it il
quite impossible. He is hopelessly be
hind his average. Two hundred ant
ffy-tlve miles-in the two days lef
him are odds in favor o
Time, his untiring antagonist
that he knows full we'll cannot be over
come. Still, after turn or two, he be
gins to warm again to his work; ant
goes at it with that dogged determine
ton which seems natural to him. TIL
band in the centre of the oval strike
up lively air, and he is soon bouacin
along aver the ground at lively pace
looking quite fresh and jaunty in hi
black velvet small clothes, leather gait
ers and canvas helmet. Whenver tn
band stops he at once drops somethin
, of the rhythm Of his stride and tn
, rap:dity Of his gait, which shows ho'
, overtaxed his physical powers hav
, been, and how completely they are no
, dependent upon the force Of his vii
stimulated by external influences. A
! ter a*time his legs begin to grow mum
with exertion, and then he resorts I
/ the expedient Of whipping them wit
Q the little riding switch he carries.