Beadle's Dime Library, No. 406 — page 4: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

- - —--- _ >--—+ =--- ? * ae Old Pop Hicks, Showman, Mlle. Celestine, was the great attraction of Pop Hicks’s show; his sure card. She understood the art of the manege to per- fection, and understood, too, the art of conceal- ing the means she used to produce her effects, equally well. She moved her hands but little, and then al- most imperceptibly, had her riding-whip of the same color as her mare's hide, and kept it down, so as to be very nearly invisible. When Flirt stood still in the arena and puwed the air with one forefoot in time to the music, then changed to the other, and finally alter- nated between the two, people thought the horse had been taught by music; and no one recognized the little pats of whip and spur, the little tugs of one rein and the other, by which a one foot, then the other, was made to do its uty. hen Flirt trotted round the ring in the pecu- liar airy gait known as the “ piaffer,” few knew that her rider, with rein, whip and spur, regu- lated the length of every pace, while she sat in the saddle apparently unmoved. The most difficul of the performance was, in fact, that which excited least applause; and it was reserved for the showy leaping oe call forth the hearty clappings of the crowd. The manege act was successfully executed, oe ae —- ~ —— as — ——s te —— ee ee horse. Please sit down. It will be over ina minute.” His voice calmed the excited people, of whom many were women and children, and they set- tled into silence, whén he went back to the ob- noxious dudes and said sternly: ‘* Now, if you want to give those flowers, give them. If you want to make a disturbance, you can have it. Which is it?” nard, who was pot-valiant, instantly threw his bouquet down, erying: ‘*To blazes with you and your circus girls. Come along, boys. t’s get out and go to the other show, where they know how to treat a gentleman properly.” ‘* Best thing you can do,” retorted Pop Hicks sharply. ‘*Your kind are no good in a decent show.’ The words were hardly out of his mouth when Stone uttered a savage curse and put his hand to his hip pocket, an action imitated by his friends. Before a weapon could be drawn, the active powerful circus men were on them, and had them clinched, | In three seconds more they were hauled out of their seats and dragged to the door, while Pop Hicks, in thé middle of the ring, cried: ‘* Keep your seats, ladies and gentlemen. ony a little too much whisky aboard; that’s all. No ee ee & ae 7 , . - of the riot and darkness the shrieks of women became audible in the tent they had just left. The lady riders in the show, appalled at the noise outside, had shrunk into their dressing- room and had tried to get out of the tent by the back way, when they were met by Stone and Leonard, with their crowd of half-drunkem sports, who ran at them, crying: ‘*Fair game, boys! Each take one!” There, in the darkness and confusion, the brutes ran and clutched at the women, who be- gan to shriek wildly for ms! while they fought so fiercely, (for they were strong, wiry crea- tures,) scratching and screaming, that their capturers were glad to release them, all but Stone, who had caught hold of little Sally in his: arms, crying: “Now, my saucy beauty, I must have one kiss, positively.” The plucky little girl screamed and fought desperately, but Stone was a heavy-weight and heeded her “sug no more than if she had been a child, and the confusion waxed ten-fold worse, when Sally with her utmost strength. shrieked: ** Hey, Rube!!! Hey, Rube!!!” Stone laughed aloud, answering: - - ag won’t come, my beauty! you The clamor on the other side of the tent grew I’ve got and the men were running in to set the hurdles | danger!” fiercer, and it seemed as if help were an impos- for the leap. e si ed to the band and it struck up a | sibility, when an answering cry came to the. Sally sat on her horse at one side of the ring, | lively air instantly. Before the air was finished | girl’s ear. waiting for the set, when, as if by one motion, the row of men whom Pop had told her of as the “‘mashers,” stood up together; and the leader, who was Mr. Stone, in a loud voice, ob- served: “Ahem! Ahem!” Sally turned her head and saw them all on their feet, extending their bouquets to her, when Stone, in a voice that would not have shamed Professor Rabbetts, cried out theatri- cally: “Beautiful Celestine, accept these flowers from me, as a token of profound admiration and undying affection.” Sally looked at him sharply and saw little Moone, the agent, beside him. She thought that it was a stroke of business, so bowed and took the bouquet, amid much applause, when the other men declaimed in chorus like college boys as they held = thelr bouquets: ‘* Beautiful — Celestine — accept—these—flow- ers—from—us—too—too—too.” Then she colored and laughed rather angrily, as she said to Moone: ‘Take them to my dressing-room. How can I hold them all? You must be sick Moone.” Then she started her horse, bouquet and all, at the hurdles, and went over them with much applause. The men with the bouquets sat down while _ she made the first round, but on the second they all rose up = Spm mba He the flowers. Flirt started and shied; knocked down a hurdle, and the next moment stood on her hind legs and be- an to waltz round, while Sally cried to the men the ring: ‘“‘Take them away. It’s those sick dudes. They’ve spoiled my act.” e men ran away with the hurdles, the mare came down, and the rider brought her to the stable door, calling out to the attendants: ‘* Bring the banner! I'll finish. The huge banner, twelve feet broad, was hur- ried in; the girl backed her mare to clear it and was just starting, when the body of ‘‘mashers,” who had refused to give up their bouquets to Moone to be carried in, jumped up again and began to declaim their chorus, ‘* Beautiful Celestine,” etc. This time Flirt shied more violently than be- fore, and reared up, while the girl cried pas- sionately : ‘*Put them out! They’re doing it on purpose to spoil the act.” er words were heard, and in a momenta rush of the circus men was made to the spot where the disturbers were placed. Old Pop Hicks kept cool, however, and said as he took his stand: “ Sit down, gentlemen. horse. Sit down.” ‘* Sit down be hanged!” answered Stone, in a bullying tone. ‘‘ Don’t you know how to treat gentlemen when they come to your show? The girl insulted my friends. She wouldn’t take the owers.” “‘T'll take them and see she gets them,” Pop Hicks answered firmly. ‘‘ You can’t interrupt the performance, sir. Other people have rights as well as you.” a He saw that the whole party had been drink- ing heavily, Stone and Leonard worse than the rest; and the — in the show were beginning to get up out of their seats and buzz, while a panic was imminent. He took his decision in a moment, and said hurriedly to his men: ** Hold them if they fight. I'll speak. — Then he rushed to the center of the ring and “Tadies and gentlemen—don’t be alarmed— only a mistake—these gentlemen want to give Celestine some flowers, and they’ve scared the You’re scaring the r the excitement was over; the men brought out the banner; and little Sally made her leap amid such thunders of ms lause that it was evident the audience sympa bined with the show in the ispute. hey shouted and stamped till she rode out to bow her thanks; but when it was all over, and the tumblers were in the ring, Pop Hicks said to his factotum, Moone: ‘We'll have to fix the newspaper guys. im afraid those men are going to e trouble wi us. They looked rich. ho are they?” The agent told him, with a grave face, that Leonard was the richest man in town, and owner of a paper. Then Pop Hicks bit his lip anxiously, but said: “*T couldn’t help it. I’m not going to have my Sally insulted by those mashers. It can’t hurt us much. We go out to-night.” At that moment the show closed, and the audience began to disperse. Pop was changing his clown’s dress for the costume of ordinary life, and the thunder of feet on the planks was incessant, when little em digehag al hee, been outside in his street ran in, cr : ‘Where's oe Where is he?” ee called out: ** Here, Tommy; what is it?” Tom came close to him, to say in a low tone: ‘“*Those dudes are outside with a gang, They’re going to make a raid. The money wagon’s safe, but we’re going to catch it.” op said nothing till he had finished his dress- ing. By that time the noise of the departing audience had ceased, but a buzzing told that the crowd remained before the tent. Old Pop Hicks picked up a club and went out- side, to be greeted by a volley of brickbats and the rush of a gang of men in anger. At that moment some one in the rear of the circus men yelled: ‘HEY, RUBE! ! It was the showman’s battle-cry, which means er eye every time. The fight had begun in earn CHAPTER IV. HEY, RUBE! Pop Hicks knew, when he heard that ery that it was a battle to the death, and so did every man in the show, from Tom Fowler, the age a rider, to the humblest canvas-man in the y: e ee in the other show were out, and a crowd of men were standing in front of it, look- ing on at the riot, while at least fifty rough- looking men, with clubs and stones, were as- saulting the Hicks party as fast as they came out, But the cry, ‘‘ Hey, Rube!” altered the atti- tude of every one. The Hicks men rushed together in a compact body, armed with tent-pins, iron bars from the e-shutters, pitchforks and shovels from the stables, and lengths of chain from the railings inside, which they knew how to wield. ‘* Hey, Rube!’ they yelled in chorus, and made a ferocious charge on their foes, striking, stabbing, cutting, with a force and skill that came 0 ir long training. They scattered the gang in front of them like chaff, and were chasing them out of the ground when they heard the cracking of pistols close by, and another body of men set on them in the rear. ‘* Hey, Rube!” shrieked Tom Fowler, as the little man, who was all muscle and sinew, dashed at his new assailants, and Pop Hicks fol- lowed, wielding a big club, with which he downed a man at every stroke. Then came more of the Popokus men to the assistance of their townsmen, and in the midst “* Hey, Rube !/!” With it was the trampling of feet, and round the corner of the tent came a dark figure, echo- ne oy. another moment the dark figure was on them, darting from side to side with the rapid- ity and force of some ferocious wild beast. ot a sound came from it, but at every blow it struck, down went a dude and lay still. Stone saw it coming and started to meet it, oud of bis own proficiency as a bruiser, shout- ng: f Sock it to him, gentlemen! Only one man! give him blazes!” The next moment he saw the dark figure leap. up in the air and two hard heels were dash * his face, sending him to earth senseless as a og. The stranger dashed at another and dealt him a blow behind the ear which settled him and scared George Leonard so that he ran away as hard as he could go, yelling for help. Then they heard the row on the other side the: tent wax fiercer, Ras ae hdc hay Gh who had come so opportune e help of the women said burried : : S . ** Now, ladies, run while you can. Ili keep. the guys off.” 7 Stef Ma’m’selle Hippolyte at once began to cry, now the danger was over. Her real name was Bridget Stubbs, but Hippolyte sounded better in the ring, “Oh,” she cried, ‘I’m frightened to death, Who are you?) Won’t you see us home?” ‘I’m Charley Noble,” said the stranger, ina hurried, anxious way, looking back. ‘‘I do the lions in the other show. For God’s sake, skip, ladies, There’s no time to lose. Go out, straight ahead. You'll see Main street lights on the other side, I must go and help the boys.” But Ma’m’selle Hippolyte had caught him by the arm, protesting: ** Oh, I shall die if you leave us.” ‘Then die, you donkey! You’ve no more grit: than a calf,” cried Sally Hicks, running to her and pulling her off, ‘Come along with me and let this gentleman go. We are very much obliged to you, sir. -by.” So saying she dragged off Bridget Stubbs, while Noble hastily amswered: ‘Thank you, thank you. I’d like to see you home, ladies, but—” “But get back and knock the spots out of ’em,” cried Sally, spiritedly. ‘‘We don’t need you. Hark! they’re Be again!” In fact the yell of ‘*‘ Hey, Rube!!!” arose at that moment louder than ever, as if it came from a hun throats, and Noble darted off, uttering the same cry and disappeared. ‘*Now, girls,” cried plucky little Sally, “this way to the hotel. They’re all busy.” saying she set off heroes the green lot, where was dark and lonely, to a gap in the fence, where they had come in that evening from the hotel, and, ina short half-hour later were safe in their parlor, awaiting the result of Show idtig. te tasted th ow long i ed they could not tell, but. they evinced no anxiety about it, now that they were out of pee danger, The life of a circus performer is so made up of accidents, sprains, bruises and broken limbs, that a fight is a mere incident among others. Even the women get used to it and t little. of it as long as no one is killed. They waited patiently for nearly an hour; and then came a knock at the door of the ladies?’ parlor, and little Moone came in, quiet and weary as usual, to say to them, with his old stereot smile, that meant nothing: ‘Well, ladies, the baggage is packed and we're ready to move whenever you are.” Sally Hicks rushed at him instantly, . > . A ad me , x ~~ EOMMIG ACC)