The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-06


down, because he had hung himself
from a hook in the ceiling. They got
used to our antics at last, and took NJ
notice of us, as we tried hard to get of
that stiffness, for the same idea haC
struck us both-that We had better take
to tumbling than paint and starve.
'1t strikes me-" said Tom, "that if We
get a rope or two and some cross-barS
fixed, we can rather astonish them; any
how, we'll see."
quite agree with Tom; and shortly
after, as bold as brass, we applied to the
manager of the Gardens for an engage
ment. Of course, he wanted to see what
we could do; so couple of ropes were
fitted up over the stage of the little hall,
bar was tied across like a swing, and on
it we set to turning over, hanging on
hands and toes and the backs of our
heads, and playing such daring pranks
that we brought down the house-that is
to say, the lessee and his friends ap-
plauded loudly; and 1 believe / never
felt better in my life as when he engaged
us on the spot at salary.
For the whole of the season we were as
successful as could be, and through con-
stant practice we got to be very handy,
and did our tricks in way which the
newspapers called graceful, but, as a mat
ter of course, there were soon a host of
imitators, and at the beginning of the
next season people wanted some
thing new, and the manager asked
us if wei couldn't introduce something,
at must be something wonderfully ex-
citing, you know" he said, "or else it
won't take. You'd think that was strong
enough, for them," he continued, point
ing to a balloon; "but, Lor' bless you,
they don't care now for balloons. Go and
think it over. For my part, | thought of
proposing a trapeze at the top of
two of the highest scafold poles we can
get"
started bit as he said that; and Just
then the balloon rose and went away
swiftly and lightly over the trees, /
watched it thoughtfully, for l had got an
idea into my head.
The next morning | talked it over
with Tom, who agreed to it in minute; !;
and we shook hands over it slowly, for
our minds were made up.
When the manager engaged us first he
said our names wouldn't do bit. The
Tantipalpitis' name, he said, was by right
Bodge. The consequence was (as / have
said) he went in for French. So the an
nouncement of the "Grand Trapeze Act'
of ''Les Freres Proyencaux" was aGver-
tised all over London.
How well | remember that bright June
day, when, going forward in our grand
dresses, all tights, satin, ruff and spanges
we were greeted with roar of applause,
and saw that the gardens were crammed
with people, in the middle of whom Was
the great balloon ready filled, and swing
ing,,to and fro, as it tugged at its ropes.
GLOW do you feel Tomp Isaid looking
at him.
Brave as lion, my boy" he says,
stoutly. 'Its no more than doing it
twenty foot high"
"True," / said; "and it is as easy to be
drowned in sixty as in six hundred feet
of water"
The next minute we were holding
the trapeze bars, close to the balloon,
waiting the signal for it to rise; and now,
for the first time, felt sensation of fear,
and Pll tell you what gave it to me--the
people instead of cheering us as soon as
we began to rise, kept perfectly silent,
and that seemed to go right through me;
for you must know what we had been ad-
vertised to do was to perform our rope
and bar tricks right under the balloon,
twenty feet below the car, and that
without anything to save us if we should
make slip.
There was no time for fear, though;
and the next minute we were doing it
ell as coolly as could b., as we rose fifty,
hundred, thousand feet in the air, and
hoated away out of sight.
| don't recall that l was so very glad
to get up into the car, for the excite
ment kept me from feeling afraid: re-
member thinking, though, that Tom
looked rather pale. Then we wrapped up
well and enjoyed our first hours
ride till we came down right away in
Kent.
We kept that on time after time, and
the people came to see us in mobs. The
manager said it was the greatest take he
had ever had; and must say he behaved
to us very handsomely, what with raising
our wages and making US pres nts. But
| did not feel easy in my own mind, for
the idea was my own invention, and /
ought not have exposed poor Tom to
danger likewise; but, all the same,
dared not say a word for if | had | know
how jealous he would have turned di-
rectly.
Il should think that we had done this
about month and all that month there
was ringing in my ears the words of a
woman, who said out loud, on the second
time we went up: "Ah, they'll do that
once too often" Suppose, | thought to
myself, we do it once too oftenl But
then there came the thought of the
money, and that drove away great
deal of my timidity, as I told myself that
a man might play such antics for his
whole life and never fall. Well, as
said, we had been doing it about month,
when one evening we took to our places
ac 1IsI1oI IF waa ON ovfro r;uht onJ