Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-05-25
By Margueri

z By Marguerite Stabler. 9
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THE music. the sound of flying hoofs.
l the uproar of the animals. the wild
applause, were still ringing in her ears
when Tex broke the spell with: Bet
ye can't do it again."
"Humph! that's nothin'," Petersen's
Bah shifted, trying to hold out her
limp little cotton skirt asMlle Sylphine
had held her gauzy wings. And after
another mad chase around the corral,
poor frightened Pedro was caught and
made to take his second hurdle.
But the applause of Tex and Stiffy
was not satisfying. Digging her little
brown heels into Pedros ribs, and TAX
Ing the three-rail fence as easily as
Mile. Sylphine herself would have done,
the two untamed young creatures
Bah and PedrO-galloped at full tilt
up the trail
'Oh. Pedro, I can't stand it any
longer!" the girl whispered into his
sympathetic ear, as. looking out across
the bare, brown hills, the deserted
"diggings, the struggling cabins in the
vicinity Of Timuc'. choking sensation,
which might have come from the clouds
Of fine red dust and might not, gripped
her throat
Fresh roasted peanuts here! Two
bags for nickel" Balloons, balloons,
ten cents apiece!" Lemonade and soda
water, two straws in a glass;" This
time it was the gay reality.
"And now for the first time this dar-
Ing feat" arose the deep tones of the
rlngmaster, "is to be performed before
this vast and intelligent audience"
Pausing an instant to give the audience
time to grasp the nature of the i'm
pending feat, he announced, "The
One and Only Lady Somersault Rider,
the Unquestioned Champion Eques-
trienne of the World, Mile. Babette."
An instant the cries of the peanut
"venders' were stilled, the hum of the
voices ceased, the band licked off
subdued rocco, the roaring of the
Gagged animals alone was not sup
pressed. Thousands of eyes strained
toward the greenroom tent, while the
ringmaster, to cover an awkward de-
lay, eXpatiated upon the perils of the
feat
Meanwhile the Unquestioned Cham
plon Equestrienne chung desperately to
Repro, and sobbed, "Oh, Jim, can't!
l can't do it,"
- introducing a complete somer-
sault from one horse to another while
both rapidly circle the ring" reached
the ears of the trembling little One and
Only, as Beppo, through his painted
mask, answered: Flush, they're wait
ing for you. You must go on. There.
quick, you're all right" And pushing
her gently from him, he ran to the
springboard, jumping headlong into the
ring, which brought down the house,
and gave poor Babette a moment in
which to grip her courage.
Pedro, when his rider appeared,
pranced eagerly toward her. The
crowds, eager to witness the danger
and risk promised them, leaned for
ward and applauded her entrance
Beppo, balancing on pole like red
Daruma, held his breath and watched
her as, with one quick spring, the In
questioned Champion reached the
blanket.
"She's all right now," he assured
himself, as group OF other clowns
sprang upon him and he went down
from his perch; but he kept his eyes
liked anxiously upon her.
Drunk, old man." asked one of the
merry-andrews, noticing Beppo's un-
steadiness as he walked with his feet
in the air.
"Nope, it's Bah; she's off tonight"
he answered. Then, Gee, but wish it
was over" the painted fool sighed to
himself, making his way crab-wise to
the edge of the ring.
AS Beppo righted himself a flying
figure flashed past him, balancing airily
on one foot and throwing kisses to the
audience. STEADY Pedro" he got close
enough to call, as he caught glimpse
Of the white face above the glittering
spangles. Pedro heard the well-known
voice, and for a moment felt the force
Of it's command, but they had been two
days on the road with no exercise, and
his spirits were running uncommonly
high.
''Work off some of his steam before
you do your act!" Beppo called again
when next the gauzy figure flew past
him. Whereupon the little wisp of a
woman arose in her perch, folded her
cleaning bare arms, beat tattoo with
the foot of her slipper, and urged her
steed to his utmost speed; but the eyes
nahind thu 1rinnircr M oclr tbox mot al