Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-06-15

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
4 woman arose in her perch, folded her
| cleaning bare arms, beat a tattoo with
/ the foot of her slipper, and urged her
steed to his utmost speed; but the eyes
behind the grinning mask that watched
F., the fluffy skirts and rose-hued tights
| swaying like a reed with the horses
motion, guessed the panic that clutched
the heart beneath its spangled bodice.
The band arose in Haunting tones. The
audience, eager fer the coming mo-
| ment, held it's breath and leaned far
! ther forward.
Slick ridin'. hey?'' 'hayseed' citi-
zen gasped into his neighbours ear.
This here Mile What-You-Call-'Em
is a winner
Know who that isl" a supervisor
from the foothill district leaned for
ward to say, bristling with his infor-
nation.
Nope" answered the first speaker,
Immediately forgetting his neighbor,
and doubling forward as the second
horse pranced into the ring.
The next burst of applause was for
Qpeenie as she trotted up to the side
Oh Pedro, crowded past him to the in
side of the ring, and, falling into STEP
| made a we1I-matched Snan
Back, Queenie!" Beppo shouted,
forgetting his place as he noticed she,
too seemed gayer than usual tonight.
Clowns outside the ropes!" COM
manded the ringmaster, cracking his
whip, threateningly.
"Who?" the hayseed citizen found
time TO ask moment later, handing
the foothill man a handful of peanuts
Remember old Petersen up here at
Timbuc'?" the supervisor crunched be-
tween mouthfuls.
Yep"
This here rider is his little gel, ran
off with an actOr-fellow. Remember
that?'
'Lor' bless my soul, if it aint little
Babbie Petersen sure enough!" ex-
claimed Madam Hayseed, wiping her
lips with her cotton glove.
Lemonade, sir? Ice-cold soda %
persisted red-faced boy, hoping the
peanuts might have created thirst:
red and white here, which1l you
have?'
Popcorn and chewing-gum!" shout
ed second vender, seeing the foothill
contingent seemed a good thing
- used ter git the old mans
bosses out into the corral and play
circus when she was knee-high to a
grasshorper,' continued the woman.
and by gum. that's old Pedro she's
a-ridin' now broke in the supervisor;
well, I'll be durned!"
Balloons! balloons! going fast!''
persisted third eager vender, in line
to be next.
And while the foothill party gaped
wide-eyed after the little girl they had
seen from her babyhoOd breaking colts,
jumping bitches and riding bareback
over the hills, the "actor-fellOw" forgot
that his sole purpose for living was to
supply the button bursting" fun for
which he was billed
Pedro and Queenie were now canter-
ing neck and neck. The great One
and Only had already put her act be-
hind its schedule time by her delay
in entering the ring, and there was NO
excuse for dallying longer. At given
sign the band struck up the long
swinging measures of Jackie Heave-
l1O," the horses were refined together
the slittering little figure balanced
crouched Sprang into the air. de-
scribed a rose-hued semi-circle and
landed upright upon Queenie's back
The crowd arose and shouted itself
hoarse. Thousands of eyes biinked in
credulously after the feat they had
just seen, thousands of voices shrieked
and called and whistled The roar OF
the Gagged animals came in deafenine
waves from the menagerie as the band
played the gayest airs And all be-
cause little Babbie Petersen had per-
, formed the greatest equestrienne feat
the sawdust ring had ever seen; while
the foothill party began to think Peter
, | sens runaway girl mad turned out g
great lady
Beppo, faint from his anxiety
Sprang TO catch the gasping Lady
, Champion ins his strong, reassurins
| arms. Thank Cod" arose in his
heart. This is the last he began
/ to whisper, when the voice of the ring
master. in answer to the waves of ap.
plause that rose and surged through
out the tent and beat in deafenine
echoes upon the stand. shouted
; Again."
Seeing nothing of the high pressure
/ strain the rider was laboring under
and eager to please the enthusiastic
audience, the ringmaster took the cen
: ter of the ring. cracked his whip a
r Pedro as he turned to the exit, and or
: dered the feat to be repeated
''Oh, JIM" the voice of the One anC
l Only faltered as she passed him; bu
he was OOworleSS