Year: 1872

had try; and the next day we nearly frightened our landlady to death, and sent her off searching for help to cut Tom down, because he had hung himself from hook in the ceiling. They got used to our an- tics at last, and took no notice of us, as we tried hard to get off that stiffness, for the same idea had struck us both-that we had better take to tumbling, than paint and starve.

 "Tt strikes me-" said Tom, "that if we get rope or two and some cross-bars fixed, we can rather astonish some of them any how, we'll see."

 quite agreed with Tom and short time after, as bold as brass, we applied to the manager of the Gardens for an engage ment. Of course he wanted to see what we could de; so couple of ropes were fit ted over the stage of the little hall, bar was tied. across like swing and on it we set to, turning over, hanging by hands and toes and the backs of our heads, and play ing such daring pranks, that we brought down the house-that is to say, the lessee and his friends applauded loudly and believe I never felt so happy in my life as when he engaged us on the spot at salary.

 For the whole of that season we were as successful as could be; and through con- stant practice we got to be very handy and did our tricks in way which the newspapers called graceful; but as a mat ter of course, there was soon host of i'm itators; and at the beginning of next sea- son, people wanted something new, and the manager asked us if we couldn't introduce some. hing" it must be wonderfully exci- ting, you know" he said, ''or else it won't take. You'd think that was strong enough for then," he continued, pointing to a bal loon '"out, Tor bless you, they don't care now for balloons. Go and think it over For my part, thought of proposing a tra- peze at the top of the two highest scaffold poles we can get"

 I started bit as he said that and just then the balloon rose and went away swift ly and lightly over the trees, while I watched it thoughtfully, for I had got an idea into my head. ....>

 The next morning talked it over with Tom, who agreM to it in minute; and we shook hands over it slowly; for our minds were made up. -'

 When the manager engaged us first, he said our name wouldn't do a bit. The Tantipalpitis' name, he said, was by rights Bodge. The consequence was, (as I uufC onlNJ w NCAU HI lOA EASuCAS oO GuC announcement of the "Grand Trapeze Act' of ssLesa Freres Provencaux "was adver- tised all over London.

 How well l remember that bright June day, when, gong forward in our grand dresses, all tights, satin, ruff, and spangles, we were greeted with a roar of applause, and saw that the Gardens were crammed with people, in the middle of whom was the great balloon ready filled, and swinging about as it jugged at it's ropes.

 "How do you feel, Tom ?" I said looking at him.

 "Brave as lion, my boy" he says stoutly. "It's no more than doing it twenty feet high" "TIue,"sI saids "and it is as easy to be drowned in sixty as in six hundred feet of water"

 The next minute we were holding the 1 trapeze bars close to the balloon, waiting the signal for it to rise; and now, for the first time, I felt a sensation, and I'll tell

 you what gave it to me-the people, in stead of cheering us as soon as we began to rise, kept perfectly silent; and that seemed to go right through me; for you must know that what we had been adver- tised to do was to perform our rope and bar tricks right under the balloon, twenty feet below the car, and that without anything to save ns if we should make slip.

 There was no time for fear, though; and the next minute we were doing it all as cooly as could be, as we rose fifty. hun dred, thousand feet in the air, and foated away out of sight.

 I don't recall that was so very glad to get up into the car, for the excitement kept me from feeling afraid I remember thinking, though, that Tom looked rather pale. Then we wrapped up well, and en- :jcyed our first hours ride till we came down right away in Kent.

 . We kept that on time after time, and

 the people came to sec us in mobs. The

 manager said it was the greatest take he

 had ever had; and must say he behaved

 to us handsomely, what with raising our

 wages and making us presents. But 1 did

 not feel easy in my own mind, for the idea

 was my own invention, and thought l :, ought not to have exposed poor Tom to

 danger likewise; but all the same-I

 dared not say word, for if had, knew how jealous he would have turned directly. I'should think we had done this about

 amonth and all through that month there was ringing in my ears the words of a wo- man who said out loud on the second time we went up: "Ah! they'll do that once to

 often." Suppose thought to myself we

 do it once too often! But then came the thought of tho money, and that drove away a great deal of the timidity, as . told myself that man might play such an ties for his whole life and never fall Well, as said, we had been doing it about

 month, when one evening we took om f places as usual. It was an extra night, anl the largest balloon was to ascend; our rope was to be heightened to thirty feet, and al

 that distance below the car we were tt swing about as usual.

 You may say we ought to have beer , used to it by this time; there are things . though which you never get used to, try how you will and this was one of them 2 The bands were playing away their best

 the people were eagerly looking at tht D half dozen aeronauts who were to ascend a the signal was given, and the people got in a Then the balloon was allowed to rise st

 high that our trapeze swung clear, when t hung from it by my legs, holding a cross l bar in my hands, over which Tom threw I his legs, and hung downwards; and thel away we went, up through the soft evenin, air, so slowly that Toms hands touched n the top of one of the elm-trees as he wave,

 about couple flags.

 , Our custom was to hang quite still till W, F were up four rive hundred feet, and thel I to begin our twining and twisting; and S, we did now, when Tom pitched away th flags, and we went through our tricks, ris ing higher and higher, with the faces c the dense crowd getting mixed into con - fused mass, and the strains of the ban' growing fainter and fainter, till all be - low was quite mingled in hum. I We had only one more trick to do, an' l. that was to cast loose the bar, and eac

 man swing by his own rope. had loosene,