The sun., 1901-07-28

Auo tu0 0lant IN p9TICulhf was Corrle0 away
By the sight Of the leader isadlnsit
AT every performance our leader used
10 conduct the band % though II was a grand
orchestra, and to see the professor standing
up there In front Of II and waving his baton
over II. gently now and now with vigor. max
Ing the piccolo to squeak. the drums TO beat.
and the big bass horns to. thunder. seemed
fairly 10 fasolnate the giant. and II bred in
him the strongest sort Of desire 70 lead the
band himself.
The giant and the professor were great
friends. and there was nothing the professor
would not willingly have done for the giant.
excepting only just that one thing. TO let him
lead the band. For. about HE music. the
professor was In deadly earnest. That was
10 him something not TO be trihed with. and
he felt that. earnest and sincere as the great
giant undoubtedly was In his desire to lead
the band. yet. II he was permitted 10 try II.
he couldn't help In some way making the
Undertaking ridiculous.
You see. the giant wouldn't, in fact. ac-
tually lead at all; he couldn't road note Of
music. to begin with. not note. all he could
do would be to keep with the band, In auto
matte sympathetic movement. and the pro-
fessor knew we'll enough that. what with the
giants great sise and all, the least little thing
might turn the whole business into q tre-
msndous farce But the old man came in
here and persuaded the professor. or course.
the old man saw In the giants leading great
big advertisement for tho show. and 80 what
with the old mans wishes and the giants
desires. and the professors Difference for the
one and friendly feeling for the other. the
giant finally got his chance.
They let him try az Ishesrsal arsts and
ali the tunee that the band played, and his
thy thy with them. and really he sw lng the baton
appropriately enou h; and with his ieht
swings here and his heavy ones ones there re ana ana
feet time, 1t actually looked as II he was
leading, and everybody felt more comforta-
o's There her was really one thing about It all.
however. that was ridiculous. and that was
fessor's stick. and this in the giants hand
be provided with q baton OF suitable size to
co could get that the giant could have his wish
and wSas tEsT e. void do
in tent stake. such as is used around the
big tent. this being pin about six feet N
by Sut fqL n S. bs end to
prevent its fraying out there and splitting
under the strokes OF the beetles when the pm
pretty 81 bis stick Of timber for a baton, 6qt.
as n matter Of fact, for conductor ot the
giants size 1t was inst about in proportion.
0S5 s3Sns hand at S b@t nr RSS
the. entrance To the ring for the performers
and animals and the professor used TO stand
on 10 " box placed at the 'front.' ct ,hS pay,
form. The giant, at tins performance IN
which he led, stood in front OF the platform,
his feet on the ground, and he had the music
rack stood on tho little stand on the pat
70 hnf ha mi pfosa n co
when the musicians were all IN place on
this occasion-the professor himself was
be san She eppea 1si nS ;hs ~ s h and bowed
around 10 the great audience ana men turned
and faced the band. and stood there for
moment looking to the right ana md To- the left !elt,
there and In place, all auiot In the usual man;
ner, and then straishtening up he tapred
his baton with his right; and they were OF
in due, and proper form.
And gayly they went along. with every
thing slick as could he and without a mis-
hap, the giant holding himself In we'll and
everything going In the most dignifed man.
Sey psrsof into swss that
the band played ss Incidental music TO an
act in the ring. like the high school act Of
keeping step to slow music: and then It seenid
as though everything broke loose all at once.
Just as they'd got well a-soing in that
You know the pin had been selected because
1t was new and bright and fresh and had
never been driven and 50 the wood around
the ferrule. and then the stake had shrunk a
little. too. with season-drying. and the ferrule
wasn't very light, and when the giant gave
o the 0f.o. Ss simply SaGs Ts Ss rule S
weighed three o. four pounds. and it was
sharp-edged. and that sharp-edsed iron ring
went sailing straight for the big bass drum.
1T made a grand boom when IL hit 1t. and
smashed through the drumhead. besides.
IL hit the drum II hit the drummer's drum
stick and knocked 1t out Of his hand. so that
the drummer had to bend down to pick il
over toward the giant and shook the drum
stick at him with look on his face that said
as plain as any look could say that he was
Il The he died for IL That. you know. made the
people laugh; but 1t made the professor.
sitting up there with his B fat cornet on the
What he feared had come to pass some
thing ridiculous had happened But the.
giant never saw the bass drummers look
and he was becoming all the time more and
more Interested and wrought up. He was
a man OF sentiment. and ] suppose the song
stirred him up some, % and then thm, ne was stirred
he advanced a step or two nearer the plat
form, and putting more vtgor and sweep into
his movements, ne swung MS right arm.
heightened out as It was by the long tent pin,
out over the heads OF the musicians to the
right. and his long powerful left arm out
over them to the left and 40 low down as
to max some Of them duck their heads
That made the people laugh little more
and then the first thing you know, In getting
in with one OF those long. swinging full-band
swells in the chorus, the giant. with a sort OF
sweeping. soooping movement with both
arms at once. swept half dozen men on the
platform to the left, and on the right upset
hni M m m nm hA 81.
form. and managed somehow with IL all
to get the tent pin baton with powerful
lifting motion under the rim Of the bell OF the
biggest basshorn, sending that soaring up
through the air In broad and lofty curve
clean across the ring. TO descend there, bell
downward. and wedge itself, a grotesque
!al brass hat. upon the bead q solemn
had been sitting in the front row Of seats
This man jumped over into the ring in a
minute with that big horn on his head and
sta aggered around there struggling TO get
It on, while the bigh-stepping horse still kept
on high stepping. though there was not any
music now, Over at the music platform the
back and those that had been upset were
righting themselves. with the leader. the
lessly indignant The great giant who a
moment before had been so carried away
by enthusiastic delight, now lowered notion
less with a sort OF dazed expression on his
countenanoe. and the whole great audience
shock itself AL but to pieces with uncon-
And that was not only the first. but the
only time. that the giant ever led the band"
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