Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-05-10


One Of the horses dead The driver
tumbles down from his seat, second
later followed BY an outside passen-
ger. r
The crash of glass, flying splinters,
the shrill whistle of the rife balls I
Over and above allthe unearthly yell
Of the savagesl Taken prisoners
Billy and Dave Hopkins, known on
theatrical posters As the ~Balsamo
Brothers" "Mademoiselle Helene, the
Queen of the Floating wire" in pri-
vate life Mrs. Billy Hopkins; "El
Nino, the child wonder" in fact Billv
Hopkins. Jr. Dead-The driver and
two passengers. 91
The Balsamo Brothers, Mademoi-
selle Helene and Ell Nino were en-
route TO fill an engagement in Denver,
just then assuming the Importance of
mining city. -
The prisoners were tied upon the
coach horses and hurried some 10 or
l5 miles away. When night ap-
preached, a green spot was selected
by running stream, and the party
encamped. 4t gas.Y
Words fail to portray the anxieties,
the agonies of the prisoners. When
the fire was built, the victims i'm
agined q fiery death; when the chiefs
touched their knives or so much as
turned to look at their captives it
seemed as if they were experiencing
in advance the delights Of laceratine
and mangling human flesh.
The Indians were altogether differ
ent from the noble red men" repre-
sented on the stage. These fiends
were dirty, lacking even the finery
and feathers which 90 to make up
the busy bravo who poses upon the
bill boards. In their faces could be
read the record Of brutal, ,beastIy
bloody, nature III
Poor little woman How she re-
preached herself, in an agony of tears
for she it was who. urged the ac-
'ceptance o. this Nestern easement.
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 laughed !:
the salary which would 90 SO far to-
wards paying for the little home they
meant TO buy, and for which they had
been boarding ever since their boy
was born.
f'Great heavens, Davele what are
we to do? These devils mean to tor
ture us. See they are collecting wood
for the purposel My wife and child
may be saved for a worse fate i
at would have been much better
for us all to be lying on the road,
stiff and stark like those other poor
fellows T.
II tell you what. Dave, mean to
give them trouble yet"
What can we do. Billy? Our hands
are tied, and wherever we 60 we are
guarded"
The two men relapsed into gloomy
silence.
For some time the Indians amused
thenlselver over the wardrobe of the
show people. Especially were they
delighted with the stage iewelry, and
fluffy skirts in which the Queen of
the Floating Wire" appeared in pub
bic. e1r9oN hEEf
The tights belonging to the Balsa-
mo brothers, however, occasioned
much wonderment. Over these they
gestienlatsd and vociferated as they
were passed from hand to hand.
Presently q couple Of the braves
brought the garments forward and
reeled off words, the purport of which
the brothers might not have fathom-
ed had the gestures been omitted.
1t was evident they asked an expla-
nation Of the use or merits of the sim
gular affairs. A~f
II say, Dave" spoke M Billy.
quickly, ''thsy want to know what
these tights are for. If YOU can only
persuade them to allow us to do some
stage business it may save our lives .
day or two.
''Or they may take as for medicine
men. answered Dave. eff we get
our hands free We may escape some
how"
With this idea in their minds thev
went through great amount Of PAN
tomimic Dialogue, and succeeded in
conveying some ideas into The brains
Of their dusky captors. which result
ed An their heing released, still care
fully guarded. however.
They swung the trapeze from the
bongh Of large oak--performers on
this continuance always carrying the
necessary rope and bars with them.
The saFages watched every move
ment with the deepest interest, their