The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-04-14
The aa1ittx naily Eagle aednesday ornne April H. 1897

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he beheld what still awaited him, for
he found that he must leap from his
lofty pinnacle into deep pool of wa
! ter and swim out as best he could.
After an instant's hesitation he took
the plunge. however, and amid the
laughter and applause of the multitude
swan to shore, where, minus most OF
his leafy decorations. he trotted leis
urely down TO the goal with fair field
and no competitors.
Another contest was to throw iaye.
lin through a ring hanging from =
crossbar upon which was placed a
bucket full of nice. cold water. The in
terest of this proceeding conferred in
the fact that the bar was so adjusted
that it would turn over at the slightest
provocation. and thus the chilly con-
tents of the bucket would be dis
charged upon whoever was beneath
The warrior with the javelin seated him.
self in a chariot, consisting of wheel
barrow. A fellow-soldier then seized
the handles, and as the wheeIbarrow
passed under the ring the spearman
flung his weapon at it. AS the char.
ioteer, and not the warrior. was the
one most likely to get drenched. the
aim was not always the best possible
Nothing could be more laughable thar
to see one of her majesty's defenders
perched in ridiculous little wheelbar-
row, his legs dangling over the front
and his head thrown back, intent upon
taking advantage of the most oppor.
tune instant to jab at the ring above.
The various maneuvers also by which
ing were delicious Some made fierce
dash; some proceeded with great dis
cretion, caution and circunnspection"
as the inimitable Mulvaney-who
doubtless had been through it all
would say; others tried strategy, but
all were well soaked.
But the funniest thing of all-the
eliminating feature Of the day-was
the mop tournament. Two soldiers
acted as horses, and upon the shoulders
of each was mounted a doughty war
rior armed with an extremely long
handled mop. like those used to clean
windows. To make them more deadly
the mops were dipped in bright-hued,
glutinous liquids of the sort used by
calciminers. The 'horses" were high
spirited and FESTIVE, and it was with
the greatest difficulty that they were
controlled; but finally they were
brought into line, and the warriors
with lances in rest urged their pranc-
ing steeds to the fray.
At the first shock Of the encounter
each knight was decorated with large
splotch of some vivid color.
When a comba.ant was endorsed, the
successful warrior challenged others to
mortal combat; and as a new dye was
used for each joust, these knights of
the mopstick soon became frescoed
with variety and quantity of color
which would have made Comanche
chief die of despair.
After Tommy had mixed up and
lost his shoes beyond redemption in the
"boot and shoe race" had taken his
turn at the black creased pole, had re-
ceived several duckings. repeated and
vigorous contact with the sand of the
arena, and liberal dose of the gaudy
gore of tourney, this quondam devotes.
of pipe clay, trig uniform, and brigh.
buttons looked as if he had just come
from the regions below. But he was
cheerful sort of fiend, and entered into
all sports with an abandon and gayety
which suggested that gala days were
none too plenty and he was going to
make the most of this one.