Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-03-12
"HOUP-LA."
CHAPTER l.

S-@
'Now come, young shaver, look alivel At
it again9 Come, be quick, don't waste my
time like this, Or" with q threatening and
significant culver and crack of a long white
whip, 'it,n be worse for you. Dye hearF'
Eyes, yes, Mr.. Frisco" he replied, in a
shaking voice, and he braced himself up for
another effort. He then added in lower
tones Of utter desperation, l know I'll rever
be able to do it,"
''Be quick about it, then" the man called
Frisco growled in brutal savageness. tive
spent more time over teaching you this, you
young limb of evil, than all your cursed
little body is worth. believe you do it on
purpose"
mo, Idon't. Idon't, Mr.. Frisco" in an
agony Of appeal, and with a glance Of terror
at the white thong in the ringmaster's strong
and merciless hand.
'Ah, well, you'd better dol this time"
was the reply.
There was a moment Of intense silence In
the deserted circus ring, lighted only by ons
faring gas jet and such daylight as could
flicker feebly through the ventilation apqr-
lures at the top Of tho tent.
The boy, an ill-fed, meager-faoed, un-
der-sized lad of L. years old or 50, with
thin trembling lips, tightensd by = life
Of misery and fear, and with big, bright,
blue eyes, unnaturally keen and quick,
stood ready to mount the ladder lead
ing to the several trapeze swings high
above their heads. Poor little chap, poor
waif and stray, bound body and soul to the
owners Of q travelling circusl He had now
been many days trying hard to achieve a
difficult and dangerous trapeze leap, which
was, in fact, utterly beyond the strength Of
his poor half-staryed little body to perform.
He knew he should never do it, he had tried
hard, nay, his very best. That leap was
never absent from his thoughts for a single
instant during his waking hours, very sell
dom from his dreamsl Night after night he
dreamt with horror Of his mornings rush
through the air, and Of the failure Of his
little nervous fingers to catch the bar Of the
opposite swing, and many a time he sat up
on his poor hard bed and Rugged himself TO
make quite sure his body was still whole
and his bones unbroken.
Come, up you gol How much more of
my time are you going to wasteW shouted
the ringmaster, savagely. 2
So up he went, stood for a moment on the
tiny platform high up aloft, a quivering,
~shuddering figure in a set Of worn and
ragged tights, looked desperately round, as
if appealing for help to the rows and rows of
empty ghost-like benchsq, clenched his hands
hard for a moment, the nervous hands
whose palms were hot and wet with the
sweat Of fear, wipel them hastily on his
tight-clad thighs, took the leap, and, missing
the bar, fell!
A fierce oath burst from the rin1mas-
ter's lips as the lad fell with a dull thud
into the net below. There was a culver
and a crack Of the long white whip, fol-
lowed by a piercing shrek as the bow
rolled out of the netting on to the ground
and rushed Tor protection to the hated lad-
der, which was no protection at all from tina
cruel lash welded by Frisco's strong and
merciless arm.
up you go, no nonsense" he shouted.
"Fail this time, curse you, and you shall do
the trick without the netting"
"pll be killed" sobbed the boy.
'I's all you're worth! Up you 90. I say
and be quick about it," and a crack of The
whip gave point and accent to the words
only too well understood by his wretcbed
little victim.
80 up he toiled once more, dashing the
tears from his eyes as he climbed the crlelp "
and to him now, dizzy height, then ~
reached the platform again, and looked his
fate hard in the face, as hard as the blindinp
tears, which came thick and fast over the
big blue eyes, would let him.
Ii he failed this time, oh, what could SAW
him thene He knew that the absence of the
netting below would take all his nerve
away, and that the leap to follow would bo
bis last. If only he could manage to clutcb
that bar this timel If only his legs would
not shake under him, and his hands trembie
SD! If only the tears which filed bis
Gyes-
BE quick" shouted the hoarse voica
below him, and 50, in haste, he took the
leap, and fell again!
The white thong few out again with a
hiss, and curled once more round the tor-
tured and quivering little body. Again the
boys piercing shrieks echoed through the
gloomy circus tent.
''You shall do it without the net. -" the r;no-
master shouted, flinging down his wbin and
flying to unfasten the cords which held Il in
place.
As the boy rolled down at his feet he
AiCheu I'LL aSIue, DuG Tue neXU instant he had
measured his length upon the ground. and
lay biting the filthy and trampled sawdust
of the ring. 4
mo, by Jove, that he does not, YOU infery
nal coward, " shouted a voice in his ears.
"As l live, you shall have a taste of vour
treatment. Get upl'
AS the bully regained his feet the THONG Of
his W whip whizze1 through the air and
caught him neatly in a double circle ronnd
the legs. Ay, not only round the legs. bnt
fell again and again, in sharp cutting strokes,
picking out deftly here and there every soft
point Of him, until pretty nearly every inch
Of his brawny body had paid the dearest
penalty of his cowardice.
At last he fell writhing to the ground
again, shrieking, %groaning, swearing. curs-
ing and vowing vengeance on the wretcbed
little acrobat's avenger.
Tn newcomer stayed his arm and draw
the long white thong through his ploved
left hand, as if it had done good service and
he was grateful to it.
A long, 1.-THE, handsome fellow he WINS
soldier all over him, well set I'D and smart
neatly and plainly dressed, with no sign Of
ornament about bin but a little pin Of lanis
lazuI in bis white cotton cravat and q
couple OF diamond rings on tho strong. bare