The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-09-28
The Champion
Knife-Throwor
'~~>~~~~~~~ - = - go
By JOHN PALMER
20. isas. Western Newspaper Union,


DMiITRI was the champion knife
thrower Of the world, whatever
that may mean. Every performer who
has stunt of his own thinks he Is the
worlds champion, and no one had ever
contested Dimitr's claim. Nobody
bothered to. There are not enough
knife-throw ers for them to tread on
each others heels, anyhow.
Smith was his partner, though was
not billed under that name. He was
billed as William Tell. Jr., or some
thing like that. Smiths Job was to
stand up against the wall on the stage,
a wall Of soft birch, whilst Dimltri
threw knives at him.
1t paid eighty dollars a week. OF
course, there was no real danger Dl-
mitri had been throwing knives since
boyhood. He couldn't have made a
miss If he had tried to. He could
place a knife to hairs breadth at
twenty PAGES. Still, there were not
many men willing to stand up without
blinking and have knives whizz,ng
past their face in all directions.
Dimitri's great stunt was to frame
Smiths face In knives. He would
put twenty or thirty of. them all
around Smiths physiognomy. He
would start on either side of his head,
and then work downward around his
face, putting one on the tip of each
ear and one at the lobe of each ear.
There would be one each side OF
Smiths mouth, and two or three each
side of Smiths chin. When he had
finished, Smiths silhouette was drawn
in knives.
Admirers used to say that Smith
didn't dare to smile for fear of hav.
ing the smile carved off. Dimitri's
knives were sharp as razors.
Smith and Dimitri had been associ-
ated for years. They were excellent
friends. But even If they had not been
1t was not likely that Smith would
have fallen out with Dimitri.
One day there was a surprise in the
troupe. Dimitri brought back a pret.
ty young wife from town. They had
been married quickly and secretly.
Nelly and Smith became excellent
friends. Just friends. Only Dimitrl
was of a Jealous temperament. That
is the real beginning of the story. One
evening. just before the performance.
Nelly came to Smith, weeping, with
q tale of jealous accusations, in which
Smith figured as the third party of the
triangle.
"He means mischief" she wept.
"Oh, Alfred, I'm so afraid And I
don't want you to go on tonight, nor
ever again until this dreadful misun-
derstanding has been cleaned up"
Smith laughed af her, and Dimitri's
greetings that evening were just as
friendly as usual. It was not until
their act began that Smith realized
Dimitri was acting.
Dimitri whispered in his ear taunt
which had reference to Smiths friend
ship for Nelly. Coupled WITH 1t was
a threat that made Smiths blood run
cold.
And the next instant Dimitri was as
jovial as ever.
Hurry up, boys!" said the manager
The audience was waiting for the
knife-throwing act. Smith hesitated
only an instant No man would dare
proclaim himself a coward in the pres
ence of the troupe And there was
Dimitri, smiling at him as If he had
never uttered threat in his life.
"Tonight's your finish," Dimitri
whispered in Smiths ear just as they
went on the stage.
And Smith, paralyzed with the sense
of his impending doom, stood UP
against the birch wall and waited.
The first knife whizzed past his hair
and implanted itself in the usual
place. SO did the second.
The third and fourth just grazed
the tip of either ear, shade nearer,
II such shade Of difference were pos
sible.
AS in a dream Smith saw the scowl
on Dimitri's face. the deadly purpose.
Dimitf could blind him, he could pin
him through the skull. infinite tor
lures were possible.
The two next knives fell In their
usual places. however. Smith saw the
expression on Dimitri's face change
to surprise.
1t was over. The act had gone of
as usual. More dead than alive Smith
staggered off the stage.
But Dimitri had broken down
frfa tn ,,l,,
couldn't" he sobbed. II guess was
wrong, Smith, about you and Nelly.
"God wouldn't let mel"
That's the story. Others ascribed a
more prosaic reason to Dimitri's fail
ure. When a man has been throwing
straight for years it's mighty hard to
throw crooked.
But perhaps the two things amount
to the same.