Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1883-06-09
A WOMAN's WIT.
Crack! crack crack |!


One of the horses dead! The driver
tumbles down from his feet, q second later
| followed by an outside passenger.
The crash of glass, flying splinters, the
shrill whistle OF the rife balls! Over and
above all the unearthly yell of the saw
ages! Taken prisoners-Billy and Dave
Hopkins, known on theatrical posters as
! the "Balsamo Brothers, "Madcmoiselle
| Helene, the Queen of the Floating Wire, ]"
in private life Mrs. Billy Hopkins; Gel
Nino, the Child Wonder" in fact Billy
Hopkins, Jr. Dead-the driver and two
| passengers.
The Balsamo Brothers, Mademoisclle
Helene and El Nino were ell route to fill
an engagement in Denver, just then as
suming the importance of a mining city.
The prisoners were tied upon the coach
| horses and hurried some ten or fifteen
miles away. When night approached
green spot was selected by Il running
! stream, and the party encamped.
Words fail to portray the anXieties, the
agonies OF the prisoners. When the fire
was built the victims imagined fiery
death; when tho chiefs touched their
knives or so much as turned to look ut the
captives it seemed as if they were eXpe-
riencing in advance the delights of lacer-
aling and mangling human flesh.
The Indians wero altogether different
from the "noble red men" represented on
the stage. These fiends were dirty lack
ing even the busy brave who poses upon
the bill boards. In their faces could be
read the record OF brutal, beaStly, bloody,
nature.
Poor little woman! How she reproach-
cd herself, in an agony of tears-for she
it was who urged the acceptance OF this
Western engagement. The salary, which
was something wonderful in figures, was
to be paid in gold. Its dazzling light
blinded Mrs. Lucy to the risk of which
they had spoken, and at which they had
laughed; the salary which would go so
far towards paying for the little home
they meant to buy, and for which they
had been boarding ever since their boy
| was born.
"Great heavens, Dave, what are we to
dog These devils mean to torture us. See
they are collecting wood for the purpose.
My wife and child may be saved for
xynrco f.tn ~
'Tt would have been much better for US
all to be lying on the road, stiff and stark
like those other poor fellows"
az tell you what, Davo, I mean to give
them trouble yet"
"What can we do, Billy? Our hands
are tied, and wherever we go we are
guarded"
The two men relapsed into o gloomy
silence.
For some time the Indians amused
themselves over the wardrobe Of the show
people. Especially were they delighted
with the stage jewelry, and the fluffy
skirts in which the "Queen of the Floating
Wire" appeared in public.
Tho tights belonging to the Balsamo
Brothers, however, occasioned much Won
dcrmcnt. Over these they gestlculated
aud vociferated as they were passed from
hand to hand.
Presently couple of the braves brought
the garments forward and reelcd of
words, the purport of which the brothers
might not have fathomed had the gestures
been omitted. 1t was evident they asked
an explanation of the use or merits OF the
singular affairs.
81 say, Dave" spoke up Billy quickly,
"thcy want to know what these tights are
for. If we can only persuade them to
allow US to DO some stage business it may
save our lives Il day or TWO"
cor they may take Us for medicine
men," answered Dave. "If we get our
hands free we may escape anyhow"
With this idea in their minds they went
through a great amount of pantomimic
dialogue, and succeeded in conveying
some ideas into the brains of their duEky
captors, which resulted in their being re-
leased, still carefully guarded, however.
They swung the trapeze from the bough
of large oak-performers on this con-
trivance always carrying the necessary
rope and bars with them.
The savages watched every movement
with the deepest interest, their curiosity
increasing with every movement.
Billy managed to exchange few words
with his wife, and was glad to find she
had her hands free"
"Lucy, when you sec these fellows
looking their eyes ont, take the boy and
slip away. Follow that star and you
will strike some town before long"
"And leave you my husband? Never!
We can die together"
"You must fly, my darling! A worse
fate than death awaits you. Oh, my God,
Lucy, do not hesitate. We will keep them
interested as long as we can. You must
hasten away with all your might.
would plunge knife in your heart my
self rather than leave you to the mercy Of
these worse than brutes."
'Come on, Billy" shouted Dave
ssThey are impatient"
Billy with whispered "Good-by. God
keep you safe" left his wife. His bosom
,hrohhad with Wild ema-iou IS he fhought