Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 March 1883 — ONE WOMAN’S WIT. [ARTICLE]

ONE WOMAN’S WIT.

From “Border Life.” Crack, crack, crack! One,of the horses dead! The driver tumbles down from his seat a second later, followed by an outside passenger. The crash of glass, flying splinters, the shrill whistle of rifle balls! over and above all, the unearthly yells of the savages! Taken prisoners—Billy and Dave Hopkins, known on the theatrical posters as the “Balsamo Brothers;” “Mademoiselle Helene, the queen of the floating wire,” in private life, Mrs. Billy Hopkins; “Eli Nino, the child wonde ,* in fact, Billy Hopkins, jr. Dead— and two passengers. The Balsamo Brothers, Mademoselle Helene and Eli Nino, were en route to fill an engagement in Denver, just then, assuming the importance of a mining city The prisoners were tied upon the coach horses and hurried some ten or fifteen miles away. When night approached, a green spot was selected by a running stream, and the party encamped. Words fail to portray the anxieties, the agonies of the prisoners. Poor little woman! How she reproached herself in an agony of tears—for she it was who urged the acceptance of this western engagement. The salary, which was something wonderful in figures, was to be paid in gold. Its dazzling light blinded Mrs. Lucy to the risk of which they had spoken and at which they had laughed; the salary which would go so tar toward paying for the little home they meant to buy,and for which they had been hoarding ever since their boy was born. “Great heavens, Dave! what are we to do? These devils mean to torture us. See, they are collecting wood for that purpose. My wife and child will be saved for a worse fate.” “It would have been much better for us all to be lying on the road stiff and stark like those other poor fellows.” “I tell you what, Dave, I mean to give them trouble yet.” •‘What can we do Billy? Our hands are tied, and wherever we go we are guarded!” The two men relapsed into gloomy silence.

For some time the Indians amused themselves over the wardrobe of the show people. ■ Especially were they delighted with the stage jewelry/ and fluffy skirts in which the “Queen of the floating wire” appeared in public. “The tights” belonging to the Balsamo brothers, however, occasioned much wonderment. Over these they gesticulated and vociferated as they were passed from hand to hand. Presently a couple of the braves brought the garments forward and reeled off words, the purport of which the brothers might not have fathomed, had the gestures been omitted. It was evident they asked an explanation of the use or merits of the singular affairs. “I say, Dave,” spoke up Billy, quickly “they want to know what these tights are for. If we can only persuade them to let us do some stage business it may save our lives a day or two.” “Or they may take us for medicine men,” answered Dave. “If we get our hands free we may escape somehow.” With this idea in their minds they went through a great amount of pantomimic dialogue, and succeeded in conveying some ideas into the brains of their dusky captors, which resulted in their being released, still carefully guarded, however. They swung the trapeze from the bough of a large oak - -performers on this contrivance always carrying the necessary ropes and bars with them. The savages watched every movement with the deepest interest, their curiosity increasing with every movement. Bill managed to exchange a few words with his wife, and was glad to see she had her hands free.

tJL lookihg their eyes out, take the Boy and slip away. Follow that star and you will strike some town before long.” “And leave you, my husband? Never! We ton together.” ' “You must fly, my darling! A worse fate than death awaits you, Oh, my God, Lucy, do not hesitate! We will keep them interested as long as we can. You must hasten away with all your might. I would plunge a knife in your heart myself rather than leave you to the mercy of these worse than brutes.” “Come on, Billy," shouted Dave. “They are impatient” “Billy, with a whispered, “Good-bye! God keep you safe!” left his wife. It was a curious sight, certainly, the like of which the mammouth trees about them never before witnessed. The Balsatao Brothers had performed before many audiences in the east, but never were they so anxious to excel as on this occasion. Pride in their skill, the wish to astonish the blood-thirsty audience, and the thought of the woman and child they would save, conspired to stimulate them. As they sprang from the bushes before the crowd a murmer of surprise and admiration came from the braves. For a moment the acrobats stood like marble statues, saving alone the embroidered shirt about their waist and the little bracelet which ornamented the wrist. In

the led man’s eye they looked like gods—like being from another world. Both men were models of physical beauty, and the light from the blazing flame-wreaths added to the glamcur. The half-audible expression of wondering approbation reached their ears, and nerved them for their task. Billy cast a fond look in the direction of his wife and child. A shiver ran through his heart as he asked: “Shall I ever see them again?” Hand in hand the brothers advanced until directlyjbeneath the trapeze. With a bow as graceful and profound as they would have bestowed on a Fifth avenue audience they took their places on the bar. Lucy and the child were seated in the shadow, not far distant, and in full view ofthetrapese The savages reclined on the ground between her and the fire. She was tortured between the salvation of her child and the desertion of her dearly loved husband. She could not decide the question. Strive as she would, she could not summon resolution sufficient to leave Billy to his fate. When she thought of that which was more cruel than death, she dare not stay. If she could but yield her own life, and save her husband and her child, how willingly, she thought, she would go to her death. The performances began. As the brothers passed from the simpler feats to those more astonishing the applause grew more and more vehement among the savages. A sensation the like of this they had never before known. Feats of activity and strength appeal with irre -istable foroe to the wils men, and create a respect and veneration, where the higher qualities of the mind would fail entirely. Most eagerly they watched the swift contortions of the agile acrobats,as their shapely white limbs flashed in and out among the ropes, now hanging from the bar or swinging in the air. The vocabulary of Indian gutturals was exhausted in vain effort to do justice to the performance. Conscious of the sensation they created, the brothers, during brief intervals of rest, were busily employed in devising some plan to take advantage of it. Billy hoped that Lucy and the boy, ere this, had found a propitious moment to steal unobserved from the camp; but it was impossible to be sure of it. He expected every minute to hear the shout which would follow the announcement of their escape. He knew they could not continue their exertions much longer. Already they felt the strain and fatigue which must soon be followed by utter exhaustion.

“Shall we cut and run for it, Billy? I can’t keep the mill going much longer, ’ whispered Dave. There was no answer to the question for the next instant the Indians were upon their feet, scrambling like mad toward their ponies, and giving vent to exclamations of fear. Heaven, it seemed, had interposed to rescue the prisoners. Lurid balls of green and red fire fell flying among the retreating host Was it some curious electrical phenomena, with special vengeance for their cruel foes? for the flaming bells followed them along. Several times they flashed quite near the dismayed braves, and succeeded in filling their souls with infinite terror, and the ir with agonizing yells. It seemed but an instant before the hoof-beats began to sound more like echoes than realities,telling how rapidly the discomfitted red men were putting grass between themselves and the haunted camp. The acrobats themselves were startled, and knew not what to make of it until a woman’s laugh was heard, and Mrs. Lucy sprang into her husband’s arms,and With a woman’s inconsistency exchanged the laugh for sobbing explanations. “I couldn’t leave you, Billy—l just

eouldfi! And when I happened to thmk ofthat package of webrought with us for one of our acts, I knew what to do. I found them, fortunately, without trouble, and fired them right among the crowd. I never jmw e house cleared so quick before, did you? ’ But it was not the time to discuss the subject In the flight and frenzy of the red foes’ retreat they stopped not to think or prisoners, hence the coach horses remained to carry the whilom prisoners to a small settlement, where they arrived the next afternoon.