Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-09-24

Thus tho manager delivered himself
and went to work here. there, and av-
erywhere, while the wizard pulled out
a long pipe and conforted himself wits
a smoke as he sat taking observations.
In few minutes the wind iamGls - p
ranged themselves in line in front nf
him and played their usual parade Sc
lections. He praised their skill. espe-
cially that of the slide-trombonist, who
excelled all the rest in volume of tone
and came out considerably in advance
at the end as well.
In less than an hour the curtain rose
on the audience of one, reinforced by
the doorkeeper, the ticket seller and
the canvas hands, and the performance
was gone through. It was not as
pleasant to the performers as ordinari-
ly, for a fair audience would have
rustled at first, been drawn down to
quiet attention presently, applauded
strong points and roared with laughter
at the humOr, and so given the per-
formers spirit to do their parts; where
as, the old man sat in quiet the whole
time. In fact, one or two of them gave
a side scowl at him for his lack of ex-
pressed appreciation. but still he sat
quietly smoking.
''Now, then. old man. p" said the man
ager at the close, 1--WE have given you
the whole show"
"Ah yes. Well, take down yer
tricks again, if that's the case, and l
will give you little show myself in
return"
Flows dinner. cookP'' inquired the
manager.
dinners ready. sab"
"Dinner," yelled the manager, and
he escorted the old man to the table.
The old man did not eat much.
seeming quite unfamiliar with ordi-
nary victuals, but that did not inter-
fere with the appetites of the rest.
'Take down, pack up. and load!"
called the manager, and the various
functionaries proceeded to undo what
they had done; in thirty minutes all
was ready to start again.
Being all on the wagons as before,
the old man observed that they might
as well go on, as he could give them
his performance quite as well while
they We're getting over the road as
otherwise, so off they went and left
him sitting on a LOG, his horse teth-
cred to a bough close by. He was
putting away his pipe at the last
glimpse they had of him.
Suddenly they heard heavy roar
in the distance. A mile or so in the
rear was huge, black, funnel-shaped
cloud. The lower point Of it was
whirling rapidly; the two upper
corners seemed to reach the skies.
'It's cyclonew shouted the man
ager. We're done for. boysl"
The roar Increased and it became
evident that the cyclone was coming
toward them. Great trees We're TO be
seen whirling around IN the funnel.
Very shorCly it was upon, or rather,
alongside them, and then one moment
of fury and it was gone. and they
were uninjured. There was d clean
cut path, seventy-five yards wide,
right parallel with the trail. every
tree in it felled.
A whish! was heard, and on the tail
of the tempest. as it were, like an old
stump with long wisp of moss for a
beard, went the old man.
That's the first act of my show,
boys" he yelled, as he passed on.
A little shower fell the clouds van
ished, and everything was pretty much
as before.
Some two or three hours after din
ner the horses began to show a want
Of water, and the people as well, but
mile after mile was passed through
that quiet. level oak forest without the
sign of a stream or even one of the
usual stagnant red pools. Rests were
taken in the densest shade that was
encountered. which was thin enough
at best, and the outfit" moved on
slower than ever.
At last came the joyful sight of
running branch, and as the horses
eagerly pulled the wagons into it, side
by side and drank their ill, behold!
there sat the old man on a. fallen tree,
as cool as usual.
They passed on.
All quieted down again and they
were poking along through the forest
as usual when, without warning, they
came right out on the brink of a cliff
a thousand feet to the bottom, right
over which the road appeared to lead.
AS they were bordering over this cir
cumstance in a great quandary, the
band leader heard voice calling from
over the cliff:
Come, now, get down off of that
# you want any dinner"
The cliff faded, the forest changed
its aspect, houses and indications of
civilization appeared. and right in the
foreground was the second musician
in rank, who had just spoken to him.
That was a great trip we had,
wasn't it?" remarked the band leader
as he slowly descended from the wa
gon.
What, to-day's trip Twenty
miles of oak forest and nothing more.
Nothing morew