A Clown's Trick.

Otago Witness, Issue 1581, 4 March 1882, Page 28

A Clown's Trick.

Auriol, the celebrated French down, whose death was recorded a few days ago in the columns of the Parisian press, was a man of remarkable courage, coolness, and ready wit. Daring one of his professional tours in Russia he got into a terrible scrape, from which, however, 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 reiident in the Basil Island. It was in the depth Of winter, and the Neva was frozen hard. Auriol 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, cat across the river. Probably tempted by Auriol's costly pelisse, the istvostchik, 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 likelihood, have cost Auriol his life, but he proved equal to the emergency. Throwing off his fura, and revealing hinaßeLE to his would-be assailant in the motley garb of his profession, he sprang out of the sledge and proceeded to execute some of his most amazing gambols on the ice. Paralysed with terror by so terrific an apparition, the istvostchik made one ineffectual attempt to cross himself, staggered forward, and with an agonised cry of ' The fiend himself II 11I 1 fell flat and motionless upon his face. Without farther loss of time Auriol slipped on his furs, picked up the reins, jumped into the sledge, and drove off, safe and sound, to fulfil hia engagement. Next morning the istvostchik's corpse was found stiff and stark, lying face downward on the frozen breast of the Neva. — London News.