A CLEVER TRICK.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1028, 26 January 1882, Page 3

A CLEVER TRICK.

Aubiol, the celebrated French clown, whose death was recorded some weeks ago in the columns of the Parisian Press, was a man of remarkable eourage, coolness, and ready wit. During one of his professional tours in Russia . r . he got into a scrape, from which, how- ’ over, his presence of mind enabled him to extricate himself triumphantly. He had been engaged, while at St. Petersburg, to perform at a private entertainment given by a wealthy nobleman resident in the Basil Island. It was in the depth of winter, a..dthe Neva Was frozen hard. A uriol dressed himself in his clown’s costume at his lodgings, wrapped himself up in furs, hired a sledge, and started for his destination, instructing his driver to take the short cut across the river. Probably tempted by Auriol’s costly pelisse, the istyostehik, a tall powerful fellow pulled up suddenly when about half-way across, jumped down from his perch, and, letting fall the reins, turned towards his fare with menacing gestures. A moment’s hesitation would in all likehood have cost Auriol his life, but he proved equal to the emergency. Throwing off his furs and revealing himself to his would-be assailant in the motley garb of his profession, he sprang out of the sledge and proceed to execute some of his most amazing gambols on the ice. Paralysed with terror by so terrific an apparation, the istvoschik made one ineffectual attempt to cross himself, staggered forwards, and with an agonised cry of “ The fiend himrself 1” fell flat and motionless on his face . Without further loss of time Auriol slipped on his furs, picked up up the reins, jumped into the sledge, and drove off, safe and sound, to fulfil his engagement. Next morning the istvostchik’s corpse was found, stiff and stark, lying face downwards on the frozen breast of the Neva.