The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1894-11-02

when the great Saladin, as he called
himself, walked the tight rope. For
the people love above all things to
cape at dangerous performances; and
when Saladin walked the tight rope
there was no net stretched to catch
him if he fell. A fall, in his case
they knew, meant death and hideous
mutilation.
Eagerly and impatiently they await
ed his appearance. The artists who
preceded him played to an inatten-
tive audience No one showed any in
terest when the juggler balanced
plates upon his forehead; only the
front row of the stalls regarded the
skirt dancers; the efforts of the comic
singers were lost in the buzz of a
thousand conversations. But at last,
at 10 o'clock precisely, the number of
Saladin's turn went up, and the peo-
pie clapped their hands and stamped
their feet and cheered.
He kept them waiting few min
utes. 1t was his custom-the device
by which he insured himself a Sec
ond outbreak Of the applause, which
he enjoyed. Then he stepped out ON
the tiny stage, close to the roof, from
which the tight rope started, and
dung off his picturesque cloak and
showed himself arrayed in all the
splendor of his flesh-cOlored tights
and gay green trunks.
A handsome man beyond a doubt;
man whose symmetrical and well
knit frame; man whose muscular
arms and chest and shoulders be-
spoke his perfect training. His eye
has that clear, limpid look which tells
of perfect physical health; the firm
outlines of his mouth and chin spoke
of determination and fearless resolu-
tion. The men gazed at him with
envy, the women with admiration
akin to that which the bullfighter ex-
cites In more hot-blooded lands.
Bravo! bravo! bravo" they shout.
ed.
And some Of the women whispered
to one another, as women will on such
occasions:
"Oh, how dreadful if he should
fall"
Saladi1 looked down from his giddy
height through haZy space upon the
mass Of upturned faces and drank
the delicious incense of their applause
Then, as the band began to play the
prelude of a popular waltz, he osten-
tatiously blew kiss toward a box
where little woman with a scared
look in her eyes sat watching him.
She had Acknowledgements forebod-
ings born of ominous dreams-that
something terrible would befall that
night. So she had told him, and now
he blew her a kiss before that great
multitude to reassure her.
And yet she was not reassured. Not
that she doubted, for an instant, her
lovers sureness of foot, or steadiness
Of head. Only she had seen a face IN
the stalls and pair of eyes that had
met hers and frightened her. She
clutched suddenly at the sleeve of her
companion.
Look" she cried, Historically.
Eyes, dear; what is it?''
my husband. He is sitting below
there"
"Your husband?"
Eyes. I left him to run away with
Saladin. Didn't you know? He'll do
something dreadful, ! know he will.
I must run and tell Saladin. Let me
60, Kitty"
The other tried to calm her.
"You can't, DEAR" she said. 'It's
too late. The turns just beginning"
"But I can't bear to look at it,
Kitty"
'Then come outside, dear. There's
NO danger, really; but if you stay
here you may scream and frighten
him"
And so saying she took her by the
arm and led her out gently into the
ladies' cloakroom, and made her drink
a little brandy.
Meanwhile the strains of the Myo-
sotis waltz were already floating
through the building, and Saladin, all
ignorant of the little woman's fears
for him, had grasped the balancing
pole and walked out upon the tight
rope.
1t stretched from end to end of the
hall, some eighty feet or SO above the
floor, and Saladin walked along it,
ambled along it, and tripped along
It, as easily and safely as a man who
crosses plank bridge over tiny
brook. He stood on it on one foot;
he knelt on it; he sat astride of it.
He even crossed it blindfold, with
sack drawn over his head. The mul-
titude gazed at him, open-eyed and
and every time he got
back to his little platform in midair,
roared tumultuo,s applause.
Then came the feature of the eve
ming for which everyone had been
waiting with anxious curiosity. The
manager of the hall stepped out on
the stage and made speech.
Ladies and gentlemen" he shouted,
I'VE have now arrived at the final
item in Saladin's entertainment. Sa-
ladin asks me to say that If any MEM
ber of the audience will intrnst him