Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-10-29
CHAPTER vi.

I1AuDuTy, tWeuly-SlA years VI ARcs VI III
dependent fortune, had entered it with
Dora Ashton, aged twenty, to whom he
was privately engaged to be married.
Dora had never seen any OF the poorer
parts Of Chicago, and he, after much
expostulation and objection, consented to
escort her through Chetwynd street.
At the eastern end, William Sampson,
negro and street entertainer, had enter
ed the street, prepared to perform, hoping
to win a few coppers from the loungers.
He was a tall man with round shoulders
and restless eyes, vas gesticulating vio-
lently and addressing loud speech, appar-
emily to the hrst-floor windows of the
houses opposite him in Chetwynd street.
The negro turned his face toward John
Hamburg and Dora Ashton. He had be-
side him, on the ground, two cubes of
stone, one the size of an iron half-hun-
dredweight, the other somewhat bigger.
In his hand he held a small, square, thin
board.
eyes, ladies and gentlemen" said he,
"like q great opera singer, l earn the
bread I put INTO my mouth with the
mouth l put it into. Here Is my stock in
trade" patting his chin and cheek and
jaw. He made a hideous grimace, at
which there was q laugh mingled with q
cheer.
This laugh brought Mr.. Williams to
his door, and finally into the street. He
glanced at the negro and the crowd with
benignant liberation. then, turning his
eyes upward, he saw Leigh at the win
dow, whittier he had been attracted by
the noise Of the crowd. The window
was nYnp md r a;rh uyoS loo pipy o,t md
watching the group below.
Williams called out to the hunchback.
Some down, Mr.. Leigh. and see the fun.
American money for a dead Egyptian
prince would surely be interested in a
living African black, whom he could
see for nothing"
Leigh hesitated for a moment, then
called out. "All right" and disappeared
from the window.
his harangue.
me to prove to any man, who won't take
my word for it, that l am the strongest
jawed man in all the world. Ladies and
gentlemen, 70" have often heard Of the
Rocky Mountains-there," pointing to the
stones, there they are"
what will he do with the stones,
JackT' whispered Dora, with some appre-
hension of danger.
Eat them." answered Hamburg in a
whisper.
At this point Oscar Leigh opened the
side door Of L orbes' bakery and stepped
into the street. John Hamburg, with
Dora Ashton on his arm, was standing
at the curb. About fifty people, men,
women and children, were now gathered.
Leigh took up his place by the landlord.
without a word. and stood leaning heavily
on his stick. He fixed his quick, piercing
eyes on the negro.
The latter first took up the smaller
block, tossed 1t high into the dir, and let
1t fall on the road, saying, in a defiant
voice, Eighteen pounds" Then he
took the larger block. and treating it in
the same way, said "Twen:y-four pounds.
The two together forty-two pounds"
Then Black Sam began a series Of
tricks with the stones. Before starting,
he placed on the ground a square piece
Of white thin board. Then he balanced
q stone on the point of the first finger
Of each hand, and then jerked the lesser
stone from the point Of his left forefinger
to the top of the larger stone, still bal
anced on the f%orefinger Of his right hand,
and kept both upright on the point of his
right forefinger for half a minute.
The negro stopped carefully, seized the
larger stone, threw 1t a few feet into the
air, and caught and balanced it on the
top Of the smaller one resting on his
shoulder.
Something more wonderful than the
contortions of Black Sam at that mo-
ment attracted Leigh's attention. He
had caught sight Of Dora Ashton, and
Leigh's eyes were fixed on the slender
form and pale olive face Of the girl with
an expression Of amazement. He looked
like an ANNA! that suddenly sees some
thing 1t breads and from which It desires
to remain concealed. He seemed stupe-
Aed, stunned, dazed. All the scorn had
gone ont Of his face. He leaned forward
more heavily than formerly on his crook
ed stick. He appeared to doubt the evil
dence Of his senses.
Black Sam lifted his body 3 couple Of
inches, resting his entire weight on his
feet; then. passing his hands back. he
slid them under the lower cube and rails
Cd both hands from the ground, the lower
cube resting on the palms. With back
bent like a bow, he thrust out his head.
holding the piece Of board In his mouth
parallel to the horizon; then he swung his
body, first forward, then backward, and
with q prodigious effort and violent thrust
Of his arms and head between his legs,
threw the two cubes up int the air,
Strengthened himself like Z Hash, stepped
back q pace, and, still holding the piece
Of white board In his enormous mouth
parallel to the horizon, caught the two
cubes on II % they fell
There was a loud cry of ~exultation.
Hamburg forgot the girl BY his side, for
got everything bst the black man ana his
feat.
@What y be doing nowf.' asked Dora.
4 aannot m4ke out. What does ~ mean
thrp1sfng himself down h that way
and lytng Gtili1 II ~ mn = y AustI
~ ~ ~. ~. Leek u1os ~