LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1556, 13 February 1879, Page 3

LITERATURE.

THE RIVAL ACROBATS.

( Concluded.)

But even this was accomplished without mishap, and again she breathed more freely as her lover’s smiling face confronted her, and the crowd below resumed its roar only the more vigorously from the momentary suspense that had intervened. But at this ins’ant the Swiss slipped, or seemed to slip, in securing himself in his new foothold npm the rope, and plunged forward, striking bis rival with the force of a battering-ram full in the breavt with his forehead.

The spectator’s thought it an accident, and held their breath in mingled horror and suspense, while Victorine gave a suprressed shriek, for she alone had seen that it was no accident —that the slip was intentional.

The result was as unlooked-for as it was fortunate. Francois, who had of course made his calculations beforehand quickly caught himself upon his hands and knees, and regained his feet with surprising agility, hardly suppressing a shout of triumph as he did so, for he fully expected to see his rival dashed tp pieces upon the caps and spires of of the massive fount below. But he was disappointed. Though momentarily thrown off his guard, Achille, had had a wary eye upon his rival s movements from the very outset, and his fall from the assault he had received was fortunate; that is, he was prostrated flat upon his back his entire length upon the rope, and though his balancing-pole went flying from his grip, and rattled down with a hollow clang upon the flagstones far below, he was not so stunned but that his iegs twined themselves half consciously upon the cord, and but two or three convulsive efforts with practised hand and foot were required to place him once again upon his foothold, with his strong hands free, and his breast heaving with indignation and resentment. • Villain ! traitor ! ’ he cried ; if thou wouldst murder me, it shall be here, openly, and in the eyes of all the world—not under the mask of an accident! ’

‘ Be it so ! ’ yell cl Obermann, whom the sight of hia would-be victim, alive and unharmed, seemed to inspire with sudden and desperate fury ; and. flinging his own pole into the abyss, he; drew a short, delicate poignard from the silken folds of his breeches, and advanced steadily and menacingly upon his foe. The wildest excitement arose in the thrones below as soon as the deadly nature of the affair became apparent, and a number of soldiers and policemen at once rushed forward to make their way to the extremities of the rope on either side, though the majority of the multitude were either paralysed or otherwise rendered incapable of concerted thought or action, if, indeed, either would have been of any avail under the peculiar c rcumatanccs. They could only move wildly about, or gaze in speechless, horrible anticipation of that strange, mid-air tragedy, the like of which they had never conceived of before Viotorine alone seemed to preserve her presence of mind, though her face was hueless as she leaned out over the coping of the cupola, with one hand pressed upon her heart and the other clutching at the quiver ing cord, and there was a st’ange metallic ring in her voice as she cried out— ‘ Retreat. Aohille, retreat! There is still time to foil him I’

But Achille knew better, as she also would have known under less excitement ; for a tight rope performer can always move much faster forward than backward, and the adversaries were about equal in strength and skill.

Indeed, Achille did endeavour to run back out of harm’s way, but his rival gained upon him so swiftly, with the uplifted knife in one hand, while preserving his balance with the other, that he quickly changed his tactics, and suddenly dropping astride the rope, he stretched a hand to trip Francois from his foothold. But the ■'•'wiss was too quick for him. He also dropped astride the rope, ju t in time to save himself, and at the same time lunged out fiercely with the poignard. Achille, by a lightning like movement, thrust bis whole b dv forward, so that the blade intended for his heart only penetrated the knotted muscles at the shoulder blade of his right a m, when, with another swift, twisting movement, he broke it short off at the hilt He was grievously wounded, the short blade remained buried in his shoulder, and the blood was streaming from the gash- But the contest was now more equal. Obermann Hung away the broken hilt with a frightful curse, and then, without another word, they flew at each other’s throats-

For a moment they remained in that position upright. Then they slowly turned upon the rope and hung each by one leg over the awful abyss, and each tightening his grip upon the other’s throat with desperate tenacity. The effect upon the enwd be l ow baffles description. Yictorine remained at her post, white ami motionless, though there were now a dozen horrified men at her side ; and at the opposite extremity stood old Radeski, gazing upon the mid air struggle a- if fccina'crl, but appearing singularly cool and collected for the spectator of such a S ‘CII i.

It was evidently a question of pure strength and endurance between the athletes, as they were of almost equal power, and hanging h ad downward, while both were ra idly g-owing black in the face. In a moment, however, it became obvious that Achille w r as the superior The Swiss sud dcnly disengaged one hand to grasp his rival by the wrist. The movement was fatal to him.

Achilla retained his throttling clutch with j both hands until finally Obermau’s other hand fainted from its hold. Then his leg quivered and loosened, and the next instant he was falling, falling only to strike the ancient fountain and to bound ofl flags, where his body lay, a motionless, broken, mutilated mass At the same moment Achilla reached up and got the rope under one armpit, where he hung, bleeding, almost fainting, but with some strength still remaining. Victorine seemed to bo electrified into sudden life and energy by the issue of the fray, and, after screaming some scarcely intelligible injunctions to the people thronging the windows and balconies of the opposite facade, among whom were old Marie and nearly all the members of Eadeski’s company, as she had advised and provided beforehand with wonderful provision, she called oat to her lover :

1 Achille ! can you remain as you are for two minutes ? If you can, you are saved!’ He responded by a nod of the head and a tightening of his convulsive grip upon the cord, though the scarlet flush had now left hie face, and be was as whbe as she I tit now from every window and balcony on the opposite side mattresses, pallets, and heavy robes were being thrust and hung, until presently almost the entire front of the house directly in a line with the rope was draped and cushioned from the view. Then, and then only, did Victorine snatch a sabre from one of the soldiers at her side, and, first crossing herself, severed the rope before her, with closed eyes and a prayer in her heart.

Achille was about midway upon the rope when the one end was cut, and he swung down with great force But his body lightly rebounded against the padded house-front, just above the first story, and a hundred strong hands were uplift'd to receive him as he fell, fainting, from his grasp upon the severed rope. His wound was found to be of a painful but not serious nature, and he was saved.

Francois Obermann never moved or spoke after striking the earth. There were those of the company to which he had belonged uncharitable enough to hint that, had it hern otherwise, he might have made disclosures that would have made it bad f'r both the reputation and safety of old Radeski; in other words, that he had secretly instigated the Swiss acrobat’s assault, or at least, been aware of its intention before the performance took place, and hoped to rid himself of both rivals at the same time, and thus preserve the valuable professional services of his daughter in his own interest.

But this seems too horrible for belief, and it only remains to be t dd that Victorine and Achille were shortly afterwards happily married, and that they forsook their dangerous calling from that time forth.