Year: 1866

Some time since scene occurred in


circus performing at neighboring town,


few miles distant, which, as they say


about railroad accidents and steamboat


explosions, "begared descri ption."-


Those of our readers who have attended


the circus will recollect having Sc en- an


amusing masquerade enacted in which


the only characters are the ring master


and one of the performers the latter


making his appearance in ragged and


uncouth apparel, and appearantly severe


ly afflicted with ardent spirits and insist


ing upon the privilege Of taking ride.


The ring master remoL strates Gas the piece
goes) aud insists upon the inebriatcd in


dividual leaving the ring, but finally
compromises with him and is allowed to
mount and try his horsemanship. After


playing the drunk a while, he sudden.
y throws off his rags, and is metamor-


phosed into an Indian padding his canoe,


and then to king etc, until he goes


through a series of characters. This
much by way of explanation now to
our tale, which by the way, is true and
III every partcular.


On the occasion referred to, the drunk
en- man appeared in the ring and express
ed a desire to ride The ring master re-
monstrated, and the two seemed likely
to have serious difficulty. At this
juncture the High Sheriff Of the county,
who was among the spectators. fearful
that the performance in which be SEEM
ed intensely interested, was about to be
interrupted, and being valorous and
efficient officer ever ready to throw him
self into the breach when peace was
threatened, appeared in the ring in the
discharge of what he conceived his duty.
He laid his official hands upon the intru-
der, as he, in his unsophisticated heart.
supposed the performer, and in digni6ed
but firm language, ordered him to "vam-
ouse the ranch" To this the actor Of
course demurred, but the Sheriff was not
to be trihed with He was discharging
solemn duty, and that too with the
eyes Of a thousand or two Of his consti-
tnents fastened upon him. He was not
the man to finch under any circum-
stances, much less such as these. With
becoming promptness, therefor, he laid
violent hands upon the disturber, of the
performance, witha view of submitting
him to summary ejectment. But, un.
fortunately, the arm of the law, however
valiantly supported, is not always the
strongest. Mr. Sheriff was surprised
thst be should fail in handling drunk.
en- man but so it was. The man was
too much for him, and again and again,
as he renewed the attack, be came to
position, with saw dust for
pillow. During this time the condition
Of the large audience, "can be better
than described" We are told
such convulsions of laughter were never
before. The noise and din
could have been heard nearly as far as
a powder-touse explosion. But our friend,
the Sheriff, as we before said, was a de-
termined man, and he resolved to try the
last expedient. Finding his raggedly
clad customer too good a wrestler, he
turned to the audience, and, by virtue of
bis official furction, he at once COM
menced summoning a posse to his aid.
After he had enlisted about dozen able
bodied men and everything was ready
for an attack, the ring master stepped
forward and explained to him that his
services would not be required further
be had enacted his part admirably, and
at any future time he would not hesitate
to give him re engagement in short.
that the supposed intruder was bona
fide actor, and the drunk" was only
put on.


Our friend the Sheriff, was sold-lock,
stock and barrel--and the suddenness
with which he disappeared from the crowd
was amusing. The balance Of the per-
formance was stale the cream had been
taken, and left only the skim milk.


After the performance was over, the
Sheriff sought out the ring master and
offered an apology for interrupting his
performance, protesting that he did it
with the best intentions, and under to-
tal misapprehension Of the state Of the
,ase. The ring master assured the Sher-
# there was no harm done; that be no.
iced him (the Sheriff in the crowd, and
1ad directed the actor, to get close to
1im; rightly judging that he was the
'nly man green enough in the audience
o bite at so stale bait.