Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-09-17

latitudes," acc riding TO the astounding
programme of the famous Bracco troupe.
These connoisseurs had already APP
plauded the intrepid Mustapha, the
Samson OF the Desert the IMAM cannon,
to whom the Queen of England had sent
her valet begging him not to continue
his performance for fear of accident"
But Cape Nation was Incompatible in
his feats of strength, and feared no
rivals.
At last came the final exercise which
was to raise TO tho highest pitch the
enthusiasm of the cosmopolitan crowd
that surrounded the European perform
ers. Although it had done frequent
duty in the circuses of Europe, 1t seemed
that it was still unknown to the loungers
Of Tripoli. And the crowd crushed
more and more round the ring 10 look mt
the acrobats who were at work by torch
light
Cape Nation seized n pole nearly
thirty feet long, and held 1t upright
against his chest with his two hands.
At the end OF this pole Point Pescade,
who had climbed up like a monkey
began to balance himself in attitudes OF
astonishing audacity, and made 1t bend
alarmingly.
But Cape Nation remained undis-
MAYED, shifting about gradually SO rs to
retain his equilibrium. Then, when he
was close TO tho wall of Sid Hazam's
house, he summoned strength enough to
lift the pole at arms length while Point
Pescade assumed the attitude of n favor
lite actress throwing kisses to the public
The crowd of Arabs and negroes
roared in transports of delight, clapped
their hands and stamped their feet
Never had Samson of the Desert, the
intrepid Mustapha, the boldest of the
Touaregs, been raised to such n height!
At this moment the report of gun
echoed over the plain from the fortress
of Tripol. At the signal the hundreds
of storks, suddenly delivered from the
immense nets which kept them prisoners
rose in the air. and n shower of sham
stones began to fall on the plain amid n
deafening concert of aerial cries. to
which the terrestrial concert gave back
ON equally noisy reply
This was the paroxysm OF the festival.
II seemed as though all the mad-houses
in the old continent had been emptied
onto Soung Ettelate
But, rs If ii was deaf and mute, tho
moqaddems house had remained obsti-
nately closed during those hours of
public rejoicing. and not one of Sid
Hazams people had shown themselves
at tho gate, or on the terraces.
But, strange TO relate at the moment
the torches were extinguished, after tho
fight of tho storks, Point Pescade had
suddenly disappeared, rs if he had been
borne upwards to the skv hv the faithful
birds of the prophet of the Suleyman.
What had become of him?
Cape Nation did not seem at all con-
cerned at the disappearance He threw
the pole into the air, caught it adroitly
by the other end, and turned it as
drum-major does his cane. Point Pes
cades performance seemed to him to be
the most natural thing in the world
The establishment OF the spectators
was unbounded. and their enthusiasm
displayed itself in an immense hurrah,
which extended far beyond the limits of
the oasis. Mono of them doubted but
what the active acrobat had jumped off
into space, on his way to tho kingdom of
the storks.
What charms the multitude most? Is
it not that which they nre unable 10
explain'