Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1880-03-25
THE TWO ACRODATS.

l. AlI l. w ~ IlOlSOOhi = Ns
1t was done away with long ago.
Government took it up, said it was
dangerous, and put a stop to it. Per-
liaps 1t was dangerous, and perhaps
government was right to put a stop to
it. But | did not like it then, for it
was my bread, and meant five pounds
a week to he aud when it was stop
ped, my brothers and my profession
was ruined.
How we'll | remember one bright
June day, when, going forward in
our grand dresses, all tights. satins.
ruff and spanges, we were greeted
with Il roar of applause, and saw that
the gardens were crammed with peo-
pie, in the middle of whom was the
great balloon, ready filled, and swing.
ing to and fro, As 1t tug4cd at its
ropes.
"How do YOU feel. Tom % | said,
looking at him.
Brave As Il lion, my boy he
says sloutly. Its no more than
doing it twenty foot high
"Truc,' | said. land it Is as easy
10 he drowned III sixty as in six hun
drcd feet of water
The next minute we were holding
the trapezc bars, close to the balloon,
waiting the signal for ii to rise: and
now for the first time, ] felt sensa-
ten Of fear, and I'll tell you what
gave it to me-the people instead OF
cheering us rs soon as we be-
gan to rist, kept perfectly silent, amt
that seemed 10 go right through me
for You must know that what We had
t been advertising to do WIS TO perform
our rope and bar tricks right under
tile balloon. twenty feet below the ear,
and that without anything to save us
if we should make a slip.
There was 80 time for fear, though
and the next minute We were doing il
all as coolly a. could be, as we r,st
/ fifty. a hundred, a thousand feet il
the air, and iloatcd away out of sight.
| | don't recall that | was so yer,
glad to get up into the car, for the
excitement kept mr from feeling
afraid: | remember thinking, though
that Tom looked rather pale. Thcl
We wrapped up we'll, and enjoyed oul
/ first hours ride till we come down
right away in Kent.
We kept that ON time after time
and the people came to sec lis il
mObs. Tbs. manager said it was til,
greatest take he had ever bad and
must say he behaved toward us yer,
handsomely, by raising oar wage.
and making Us presents. But die
not feel easy III my own mind, for th'
idea WAS my own invention, and
ought not have rNpO-rd poor / ON t
danger likewise; hut AL rhc SAINT,
dared not say a wpl,l. ti, il had
know how jcaIou, he would hav'
turned directly.
should think we had done thi
abou- a month and Ill that mont
there was ringing in my ears th
words OF a wDtnai1, who said out lout
on the second time we went up: 'Ali
they IL do tina! once too Cftcn. Sup
pose, | thought to myself, we ii
do it once too often! But then ther
came the thought Of the money, ant
that drove away II great deal OF tlmld
itv. as told myself that a man nigh
play such antics for his whole life an'
never fall. Well, as | said, we ha'
been doing it about a month, whe
one evening we took our places a
usual. 1t was an extra night, an,
the largest balloon was to ascend
our rope, too, was to be lengthcne
to thirty feet, and at that distanc
below the car we were to swing abou
as usual.
You may say we ought to have bee
used to it by this time; there ar
things, though, which you never d
get used to, try how you will, an
this was one of them.
The bands were playing away thei
best: the people were eagerly lookin
at the half a dozen aeronauts VIII
were TO ascend the manager of tn
balloon was there; the signal wa
given, and the geople got in. The
the balloon was allowed to rise S
high that our trapeze swung clear
when l hung from it by my legs, hold
ing bar in my hands, over whic
} Tom threw his legs and hung his hea
downward and then away we wen
up, up through the soft evening ali
so slowly that Toms hands touchc
the top of one of the elm trees as h
waved about couple of flags.
Our custom was TO stand quite sti
till we were up four or five hundre
feet, and then to begin our twinin
and twisting and 50 we did now, whe
Tom pitched away the flags, and "
went through our tricks, rising higl
er and higher, with the facts OF th
dense crowd getting mixed into
confused mass, and the strains of I'll
band growing fainter and fainter, ii
all below was quite mingled into a
almost inaudible hum.
We had only one more trick
do, and that was to cast loose til
bar, and each man swing by his ow
rope. 1 had loosed my end, th
perspiration streaming down me a
the while, and Tom had done th
same when, swinging round towar
line with q horrible white face, he e.