Continuation of the Gymnast’s Reminiscences—Circus Men in Difficulties—Heavy Security for a small Debt—The Sheriff’s Officer and the Elephant—Taking Refuge with the Lions—Another Provincial Tour—With a Circus in Dublin—A Joke in the wrong place—A Fenian Hoax—A Case of Pikes—Return to England—At the Kentish Watering-places—Off to the North. ‘Several weeks elapsed before I got another engagement. Two gymnasts can do so much more showy and sensational a performance than one can, that a single slang doesn’t go near so well as a double one, and it is, in consequence, only those who produce something novel, such as Jean Price’s long flight and Avolo’s performance on two bars, who can procure single-handed engagements. Knowing this to be the case, I looked about for a new partner, and found that the Brothers Athos had separated, and that one of them was in just the same fix as myself. When we met, and talked the matter over, however, a difficulty arose in the fact that we had both worked as bearers,—that is, we ‘Newsome’s circus had moved, in the mean time, from Scarborough to Middlesborough, where some changes were made in the company. Burgess and two or three more left, and my late partner was among them. I heard afterwards one of the many stories that are current in circuses of the devices resorted to by circus men in difficulties to evade arrest. A friend of one of the parties who had ceased to belong to Newsome’s company called at the house where he had lodged, and found that he had left, and that his landlady didn’t know where he had gone to. ‘“But I am sure to see him again,” said she, “for he has left a large box, so heavy that I can’t move it.” ‘“Well, yes,” rejoined the woman, “he does owe me something for board and lodging.” ‘Her lodger never returned, however, and his friend meeting him some time afterwards in York, alluded to the manner in which he had “mysteriously dried up,” as his friend called it. ‘“Ah, I was under a heavy cloud!” observed the defaulter. “What did the old lady say about me?” ‘“That she was sure to see you again, because you had left a heavy box in the room you occupied,” replied his friend. ‘“I should think it was heavy,” said the other. “Couldn’t move it, could she?” ‘His friend replied in the negative, and he laughed so heartily that he spilled some of the ale he was drinking. ‘“What is the joke?” inquired his friend. ‘“Why, you see, the box was once full of togs,” replied the mysterious lodger, “but when I left Middlesborough such of them as were not adorning the person of this swell were hypothecated.” ‘“What is the meaning of that hard word?” inquired a third circus man who was present. ‘“Then what made the box so heavy?” inquired his friend. ‘“A score of bricks,” suggested the third party. ‘“Wrong, cully,” said the Artful Dodger. “I couldn’t have smuggled bricks into the room without being observed; but a big screw went through the bottom of the box, and held it fast to the floor.” ‘Another of the stories I have alluded to relates to a man that used to look after an elephant in a circus, and put him through his performance. He got pretty deeply in debt—the man I mean—in a midland town where the circus had been staying some time, and his creditor, not being able to obtain payment, and finding that the company were about to remove to another town, determined to arrest him. ‘The cavalcade of horses, performing mules, camels, and other quadrupeds was just ready to start from the circus when the sheriff’s officer appeared on the scene, and tapped his man on the shoulder. He was recognized at a glance, and the man ran into the stables, with the sheriff’s officer after him. Running to the elephant, the debtor dived under its belly, and took up a safe position on the other side of the beast. The officer attempted a passage in the rear, but was cut off by a sudden movement of the ‘“I’ll have you, if I wait here all day,” said he, as he drew back hastily. ‘“You had better not wait till I unfasten this chain,” says the elephant keeper, pretending to do what he threatened. ‘The officer growled, and went off to find the proprietor; but he didn’t succeed, and when he returned to the stables, his man was gone. That was as good a dodge as the lion-tamer’s, who, when the officers went to the circus to arrest him, took refuge in the cage containing the lions. They looked through the grating, and saw him in the midst of a group of lions and lionesses. They were philosophic enough to console themselves with the reflection that their man would come out when he wanted his dinner; but they had not waited long when the lions began to roar. ‘“The lions are getting hungry,” says the keeper. “If he lets them out of the cage, you will have to run.” ‘The officers exchanged frightened glances, and were out of the show in two minutes. ‘To return to my story; my late partner found ‘Our next engagement was with a circus in Dublin, to which city we crossed from Liverpool. The company and stud of this concern were very different in strength and quality to Newsome’s, and they were doing very poor business. It is very ‘This was the time, you must know, when the Fenian plot was in everybody’s mouth, and when the wildest rumours were in circulation of an intended rising in Ireland, and the coming of Americans, or rather Americanized Irishmen, to support it. One day, while we were in Dublin, a superintendent of constabulary received an anonymous ‘Before leaving Dublin, we arranged for a twelve nights’ engagement at the Alexandra music-hall, at Ramsgate, which, as you perhaps know, is under the same management as the Raglan, in London. The Sisters Bullen, and Miss Lucette, and the Brothers Keeling were at the Alexandra at the same time; and, as music-hall professionals are, as a rule, disposed to fraternize with each other, we had a very pleasant time. From Ramsgate we went to Dover, for twelve nights at the Clarence music-hall, and then back to Ramsgate for another twelve nights at the Alexandra. ‘Among the professionals engaged for the following week at the Clarence was a versatile lady bearing the name of Cora Woski, and the town, during the second week of our engagement, was ‘“What do you know of Cora?” he demanded, his face reddening as he frowned upon the questioner. ‘“Why, she is coming here,” returned the amused querist, who saw at once the cause of the young fellow’s confusion. ‘“How do you know?” was the next question of the bewildered artiste. ‘“How do I know? Why, it’s all over the town,” was the reply. ‘A nudge from a friend drew the other’s attention from his tormentor for a moment, and, following the direction of his friend’s glance, he saw upon the wall one of the placards bearing the question with which he had been greeted on entering the bar. ‘Engagements now followed each other pretty close. Returning to London after our second engagement |