UP IN THE AIR.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2501, 21 July 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

UP IN THE AIR.

A THRILLING ACT.

" Don't Throw The Treble."

A few months ago, when I was attending in my professional capacity, as surgeon, on Senor Tornadoes, tho acrobat, who, despite his namo, was as true a Briton as ever lived, ho favoured mo with the following narrative : —

" I need not trouble you with the early part of my life," he said, " but will begin mv tale at a later period."

About seven years ago—l was just 23 J first met with James Rauford, who was also iu my lino ; and lie proposed that we should work together. I consented ; but we did very badly. Rauford had a wife and child. So it fell harder upon him. I was forced to lend him what I could spare ; for I could not see a young woman and a little baby go without while I had it, could I ? " Well, sir. things got from bad to worse \ aud my partner, being a man of violent temper, took to drink, find I am sorry to say used to beat his wife. The thought struck owe of us one day that we might do better if we performed under a foreign name, So we decided to call ourselves henceforth "The Two Foscari, The Spineless Siamese of Syria." "Well, sir, from that moment Ranford and I begau to do well; but lam sorry to say our good luck caused my partner tu drink the harder, and, in consequence, to behave more badly to his wife. At last we got an engagement at a garden near London, where there was a grand gala nijrht every week, on which occasion a balloon ascended. I scraped acquaintance with the aeronaut; and one evening I went up with him. As we were sailing over London he said to mo: " You couldn't do the slack ropo up here, Poseari, could you ?" " Why uot," I said ; and, as I spoke, tho idea flashed upon me what a splendid feature in the programme it would be ; " Perilous performance of the two Foscari Brothers, who will go through their inimitable evolutions on the slack wire suspended from a balloon floating thousands of yards above tho surface of the earth !"

As soon as I reached the ground I went to Rauford, who agreed to it. The proprietor of the asked us to namo our terms. We did so. Ho tried to boat us down, but at last consented ; and we went up, and did it. Our performance gave great)® satisfaction, and was favourably noticed in the daily and weekly papers. The act which thrilled the audience most was the last one we performed before descending. Rauford, who was a heavier man than I, hung from the rope with his head downwards ; then, taking hold of both his hands with mine, I swung by their support; and then, by way of climax, I let go with my left hand, and huug on only by my right. I never felt the least fear. We knew each other's grip, and it was all right. We were earning a great deal of money, but I noticed that Mrs Ranford looked paler anil more careworn every day ; and I knew how hor husband was conducting himself by that. She told me that she wished they were poor again, as he had been much kinder in those times. One night I was returning from tho gardens. As I passed the door of Ranford's lodgings, little Evelina's nurse ran out to me, and said: ' Sir, go in. Master and missus have had a dreadful quarrel, and missus is going to kill herself.' I ran into the house. I found the parlor door open. Mrs Ranford was in the room alone. Hor back was toward mo, but I could see her face iu the large mirror which stood over the ehiinneypioce. She had a razor iu her hand, and was about to use it on herself when she caught the reflection of my face in the glass. She stopped, turned round, and fell upon tho floor in a fit. I picked up the razor, put it in my pocket, and placed the woman on tho sofa. Ranford camo into the room, half drunk, half mad, and scowled at mo like a demon. I expostulated, and tried to reason with him ; but he only made me jeering replies such as, ' Oh, I understand better than you think for. lam not a fool !' and so on ; and I left the house with a heavy heart. Next day the nursegirl told me that Ranford was jealous, and that he and his wife had quarrelled about me. We ascended that night. Ho never spoke to me, nor Ito him. Our next ascent took place on the grand gala night of the United Order of Ancient Toxopholites. As I took my seat beside Ranford I knew that he had been drinking more than usual. We went through the performance, however, all but the last trick. As I was swinging from his two hands the thought came into my head, if he should not hold 011 ! As I let go with my left hand, and swung only by my right, I heard his voice above me. " Kerr," lie said, "are you guilty or not ?" I asked him what iie meant. "You know," ho answered. "Confess that you have wronged me; speak the truth ! They are your last words ! I have but to loose my grip, and down you go 1" I tried to seize his disengaged arm, but he held it above my reach, and put his other in such a position that I, could not catch at all. but swung entirely at his mercy. I leaped to reach the ropes with my feet, and so hang on by my heels, but I failed. I shut my eyes, and prayed to Heaven. Every act of my past lifa rushed through my brain. At the same time I was perfectly conscious of everything about me. I thought what a time I should be falling. What a long, long time I should be dying ere I reached the earth. I found strength to speak. "Ranford," I said, "you are mistaken." " I'm not," 110 answered. "If you let go my hand you are a murderer. There will be an inquest." " I don't care." "It is known that there was ill blood between us," I continued. " You may be hanged. Your wife will say how jealous—" " A wife cannot give evidence agaiust her husband." I knew that the next moment I should be falling through the air. A spasm shot to my heart. I fancied I saw the bottom of the car rising from me. I felt the grasp of his fingers loosen ! With the energy and strength of desperation I leaped up anil caught his wrist with my disengaged hand. I climbed up his body, I know not how, till I reached the perch, and thence into the car, where I lay panting for breath. He soon followed me. "I frightened you, didn't I he said. " You don't suppose I meant it, do you V I made no answer, but prepared for the descent.

Next morning I called 011 the proprietor of the gardens, threw up my engagement, and took another at Glasgow. I left without seeing Ranford or his wife. Two years passed away, during which I heard but little of my late partner. While I was performing at Manchester, I hoard of Coobie, an old friend of mine, being at a circus iu a neighbouring town. I took train, and went over to see him. We dined, and at 7 o'clock went together to the circus. Lounging near the entrance I saw Ranford. He was considerably altered—thinner, and, if possible, more evil-eyed than ever.

" I know that nvan," I said to Coobie. " I know you do," my friend replied. "He calls himself " The Excelsior, or Champion Somersault Thrower of the World," He is in the hills for a treble somersault to-night. In fact, his engagement depends upon it, for we are full in every other line. Eh ! ho sees yon." I turned round, and saw Ranford walking quickly from us. I entered the eir cup, and was accommodated with a seat in the orchestra. I had a strange nervousness upon me, as if something was about to happen. But the feeling wore off when Ranford came into the ring, although I saw that, he was not sober." Whilo the grooms were altering the position of the spring-board, he walked np to the orchestra, and, with the old smile upon his face, said to me. " You can't, keep away then, can't you? You will come !" " Ranford," I whispered, "you're not yourself to-night, Take my advice. Don't throw tho treblo." Ho hurst into a loud laugh. "You want me to fail, do yon?" he said. "Fail when you're hero! Hi! houp-la !" He ran up on tho spring-board, bowed, and kissed his hands. The music besran, He threw several single somersaults : then a double one ; tlien he stopped, crossed his arms, and looked at me. The audience was very enthusiastic ; and ho began again, repeated ',he performance, and stopped again. There was more applause. Then 110 turned toward me, smiling, as if he said, " Now !" and went to work a third time. He made some little preparation—turned over once or twice. The hou«e was so silent you might have heard a pin drop, Ho got the spring ; and over he went—once, twice. My heart roso in my mouth, for I saw that he had not room to turn a third time, Hi.s head caine dowu with a horrible thud among the tan and sawdust, and he lay in tho ring doubled up and dead ! A surgeon came out of the boxes, who said that his neck was broken, and that death must have been instantaneous, 1 faiutod away. When I came to J saw him being carried out of the ring.