THE STORY-TELLER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3151, 3 September 1892, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE STORY-TELLER.

THE SWORDSMAN'S ASSISTANT. My opinion is, if a suicide does not kill himself outright, as soon as he realizes that his self-inflicted injuries are mortal he becomes possessed by a despairing wish that his rash deed were undone, and piteously longs to live. I feel that I understand what I am talking about, for I was once within an ace of taking my own life. When the silver fever began, I was unmarried and bent upon picking up a fortune somewhere around tbe globe. I had ill-luck so far, and the speculations in which I bad risked not only my own money, but some thousands belonging to my widowed mother, had turned out badly. Having just enough cash left to pay the expenses of the journey and buy a house, I went to the Nevada and joined a party of the boys bound for the mines. We started over the mountains, but I soon became mighty glum. After some days I was obliged to call halt. My old enemy, asthma, got a grip on me, and one night when he reached a straggling town on the trail, I said :—" Boys, you'll have to go on without me : I'm all broke up! " The next morning they reluctantly started off, charging me to catch up with them the following day at a point where they intended prospecting for ore. I was too ill to do so, and it was a week before I set out again, more low-spirited than ever. When I reached the place there was no trace of them. They had evidently been disappointed in their expectations and gone on, no doubt concluding that their silent comrade had abandoned the enterprise. At dusk, however, I came upon a camp. Around the fire was a group of men, who with rough cordiality welcomed me to their evening meal. The supper was washed down with plenty of strong drink, and under its influence the blue devils which had beset me departed. I grew genial, and when later a little game of poker was proposed I readily assented, for I prided myself upon my skill in Km a

Well, sir, I played as if the fiend was urging me on. The luck was dead against me, but I became reckless. I staked every dollar I owned, and saw all raked in by the sharpers. I put up my horse and my watch, and lost them, Convinced that I had nothing more of value, the gang stopped playing, and lett me to sleep off the the effects of the wretched liquor. When I awoke the sun had been up several hours, My head ached tremendously, and seemed to be swollen to twice its normal size. I had a confused notion that something had gone wrong, but what was it. Gradually, the events of ! the night before came back to me. 1 started up. Where were my jolly companions ? Gone! The camp was deserted. My horse had vanished, likesvise my monoy. The dreadful truth confronted me. The villains had left me alone in the wilderness, penniless and without the means of overtaking: my friends. I cast myself on the ground again, buried my face iu my hands, and gave vent to my despair. Long after the first paroxysm of rage and despondency had spent itself, I lay there. Finally, feeling the need of food, I got up and foraged about. Amid the debris near the place where the fire had been, I found some crusts of bread and a canteen half full of water. In my necessity, I was thankful for even this beggarly fare. As it would be foolhardy to continue the journey afoot, I decided to return by the way I had come. At nightfall I reached

the town I had left the afternoon , before. It was all astir. A travelling ebow was to give a performance that evening. By chance there remained in the depths of one of my pockets a Mexican . gold piece which I had carried for years as a hansel. This paid for my supper and lodging at the log house tavern. The landlord insisted upon my payment in advance, although I had expended a round sum upon all the extras at his command during my recenG sojourn there. He listened callously to the story of my misfortunes and made me understand that he could not accommodate me after next morning. " Such is the way of the world ! ! At least the next twelve hours are provided fox!" I soliloquized bitterly. " And to-morrow ? Well, to-morrow I will shoot myself!" I reached this determination quite calmly. I cursed myself for not having done so amid the wilds, instead of struggling back to the semi-civilisation of the miserable town. You say my troubles had begun to affect my brain, Very probably; no man can be in his right mind who seriously meditates suicide. I could not stay in my cheerless ' room alone with my gloomy thoughts. I went out and found myself f blowing the motley throng that made its way to the show. It was moonlight, and for some time I hung around the tent watching the people as they came up to the entrance. Suddenly I thought, " Why not go in ? I had half a dollar's chango from the Mexican piece. It was ai: I possessed in the world, but I reflected with a kind of savage triumph I should not need money to-morrow and why hot seek distraction during the intervening hours. I paid the admission of two bits and passed in. It was early, and

I selected a place not far from the curtain from behind which the performers were to enter the ring. Presently the curtain was pushed aside and a Mephistophleanloolung personage appeared. The man next to me said it was Senor Espada, the king of swordsmen, addin°- : "Its down ®n the bill that "he'll cut apples in two on the palm of a man's hand, and then on the fellow's head. It'll take a plucky devil to hold them for him. " His majesty seemed in a bad humour. He cast his eyes over the group of men nearest to him, and said with a Spanish accent :

" Friends, my assistant has, as you say, struck- I cannot perform the most interesting of the sword feats unless some one will volunteer to hold the apples. I will give 20 dols to whoever will do it."

There was a commotion around me, but so thrilling had been the descriptions of the danger attending the feat and such the reports of the diabolical temper of the swordsman that no one respoded: His glance fastened on to me. I suppose it would be said nowadays that he hypnotized me. Why shouldn't I do it, I thought. I was on the point of taking my own life, and if Senor Espada ?hould save me# the trouble, so much the better. What matter to me if the sword should go an eight of an inch too far! "I'm your man, pard? I cried starting up. "Ah, very good!" he exclaimed with a bow of thanks and an insinuating smile. " I will call you up when I come

The show began. It was a sort of country circus, dime museum and Buffalo Bill performance on a small scale. I waited the advent of the swordman with the utmost imperturability. At last he appeared and summoned me. I advanced and nonchalantly faced the spectators. He glant-ed at me approvingly and a little curiously as he told me to extend m y right arm and open my hand I did so. He set the apple upon it. His sword was a beautiful weapon, with jewelled hilt and a glittering blade inscribed with Arabic characters. He made a few rapid passes with it. 'Twas as if forked lightning played about me. Involuntarily I shivered, but I persuaded myself that the shudder was caused by the chilliness of the air, since I did not care what the result of the adventure might be. Then the lightning seemed to strike me. My arm fell to my side, a darkness came before my eyes, but, by the applause, I knew the apple had been cut in twain. The senor beamed upon me. " Bravo !" he whispered. * " Now kneel." I did so, and bent my head. He put another apple on the nape of my neck. My situation was terribly perilous, for if his hand should slip or tremble in the least degree, or if I shrink i or stir I could hardly escape decapiI tation.

At that moment my insane despair left me. I saw how precious life is. I became possessed with a

fierce desire to live; to live even if abandoned by all the world, if bereft of everything but the blessed sunshine and the sweet air of Heaven. A fearful conviction forced itself upon me that the swordman's . dariug experiment would prove my death. Only the dread of being branded a coward prevented me from crying out., from springing up and declaring he should not proceed. The effort to remain motionless was a frightful strain upon my nerves. N9ver shall I forget the ordeal. A few seconds passed. They seemed an eternity to me. Then, I felt a thin, cold line touch my neck—there was a tumult of cheers. The swordsman put his hand upon my shoulder and bade me rise. I did so mechanically. I wuld hardly see, but I was dimly consciaus that a crowd of excited people were calling and stamping and waving bandana handkerchiefs. Halfdazed I followed the senor behind the curtain. My neck was wet, I put up my hand expecting to find blood. I was sure it must be cut, so plainly had I felt the keen blade. No, the moisture was but the clammy sweat caused by the mental anguish through which I had passed. A cracked mirror in the dressingroom assured me there was not even a scratch. An attendant poured something from a flask and handed it to me in a small glass. I drank it down. It was a strange liquor, but it revived the palsied pulses of my heart. The sonor put a twenty dollar gold piece into my hand. My impulse was to toss it back to him. I had not thought of the paltry bribe when I agreed to help him, and I would not go through the experience a (rain for a thousand such. On second thought, however, I pocketed the coin. I got back to the tavern. Having reached my room, I fell on my knees, as I had been wont to do in childhood and earlv youth. "My God " I cried, " how wicked I have been to think of lightly casting away the priceless boon of existence which Thou dost grant me!" I prayed as I had not prayed for years. Then I flung myself upon the bed and sank into a deep sleep. The draught which the senor had ordered for me must have contained a sedative, for I did not awake till late in the morning.

I sprang up with a new energy. Had I not youth and strength and the world before me? All day I strove to devise a plan for going on to the mines. The landlord was obsequious again. I had the where with to pay for my present entertainment, and the fame of my exploit had made a hero of me.

It seemed the swordsman seldom actually performed that last feat, sinceonly at rare intervals could be found a dare devil like myself willing to run the risk of being beheaded. The story of the insubordinate assistant was a fiction.

The morning following that which I had rashly determined should be my last, an express rider got in. To my surprise he brought a package for me. It contained a letter and 300dols in bank notes. One of ray investments had turned out well after all, and my attorneys forwarded my share of the dividend. It was fortunate, therefore that I had returned to town. Otherwise the package might have laid there waiting for me for months.

Well, I went on, had a lucky find, and have prospered ever since.

And to think I had nearly done away with myself just when relief was at hand! How often it happens so. A man blows his brains out just at the hour which brings the turn of fortune's tide.