Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-02-24
A WoMAN' S WIT,
BIZ wARREN wALrERs.

BY WARREN WALTERS.
Crack crack crack
One of the horses deadi The dri-
yer tumbles down from his seat, a
second later followed by an outside
passenger.
The crash OF glass, flying splin-
tiers, the shrih whistle OF the rife
balls! Over and above all, the I'M
earthly yell of the sayages Taken
prisoners-Billy aud Dave Hopkins,
known on theatrical posters as the
"BalsamO Brothers." Mademoiselle
Helene, "the Queen of the Floating
Wire, i'm private life, Mrs. Billy
Hopkins; "Ei NinO, the Child
Wonder"-in fact, Billy Hopkins,
Jr. Dead-The driver and two pas
| sengers.
The BalsamO Brothers, Mademoi-
selle Helene and Ell Nino were en-
route to fill an engagement in Den
I yer, just then assuming the import
ance 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 select
ed by running stream, and the
/ party encamped.
Words fail to portray the ankle
\ ties, the ag0nies of the prisoners.
When the fire was built, the VIC
Tins imagined 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 de-
/ lights of laeerating and mangling
/ human flesh.
The Indians were altogether diff
| ferent from the "nOble red men"
represented on the stage. These
fiends were dirty, lacking even the
finery and feathers which go to
make up the dusky bravo who poses
upon the bill boards. In their faces
could be read the record OF brutal,
/ bloody natures. EEE
Poor little woman! How she re-
preached herself, in an agony of
| tears-for she it was who urged the
acceptance of this Western engage
ment. The salary, which was some
! thing 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 go SO far towards pay
ing 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 do? The devils mean to tor
ture us. See, they are collecting
wood for the purpose My wife and
child may be saved for a worse
| fate ="
at would have been much better
for us all to be lying on the road,
still and stark, like those other poor
| fellows 20
81 tell you what, Dave, l 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 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" APP
peared in public.
The tights belonging to the Bal
samO Brothers, however, OccasiOned
much Wonderment. Over these
they gesticulated and vociferated,
as they were passed from hand to
hand.
Presently couple of the braves
brought the garments forward and
reeled off 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 merits of the
singular affairs.
81 say, Dave" spoke up Billy,
quickly, "they 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 a day or two"
"Or they may take us for medi-
cine men," answered Dave. "If we
get our hands free we may escape
somehow" .
With this idea in their minds they
went through great amount OF
pantOmime dialogue, and succeeded
in conveying some ideas into the
brains of their dusky captors, which
resulted in their being released, still
carefully guarded, however.
They swung their trapeze from
the bOugh of a large Oak-performers
on this Continuance always carrying
the necessary ropes and bars with |
them.
The savages watched every move
ment with the deepest interest,", their |
RIrin2TfNy inRrnaGinO with
movement.
Billy managed tn exchange few |
words with his wife, and was glad
to find she had her hands free.
Lucy, when you see these fell
flows looking their eyes out, take the
boy and slipaway. Follow that star,
and you will strike some town be-
fore long" ~
"And leave you, my husband ?
Never! We can die together 20
"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 20 shouted Dave,
"they are impatient"
Billy, with whispered "Good-
bye, God keep you safe! !" lett his
wife. His bosom throbbed with
wild emotion as he thought of the
terrible strait in which they were
placed, and wondered if he would
ever see the dearly-loved partner of
his joys and sorrows, or ever again
fondle the second edition of himself.
1t was curious sight, certainly;
the like of which the mammoth
trees about them never before wit
messed.
The dozen of hideously-p painted
Indians were gathered about the
fire, whose red flames lined the
dark shadows of the night with a
crimson glow, and Transmitted the
Overhanging foliage seemingly into
the cunning work of the silver or
goldsmith.
Towering over the trees and glis-
tening in the moonlight, one might
have seen
"A few baby-peaks that were peeping
From under their bedclothes of snow"
The Balsamo Brothers had per-
fortnfad hQfarn MANY audiences In !