Then “Mlle. Montgomery” capered out into the ring to perform her “Daring Horsemanship Act.” We did our best to strike the fair rider squarely on the head with paper hoops—not so much because we wished to charm the audience with our skill as to escape the words of scorn that “mademoiselle” flung back at us when we blundered.
Away with hoops and ribbons! We rushed to get the place ready for the clown act. After the clowns came an act to show “The Wonderful Power of Man Over Ferocious Beasts,” during which a thin and moth-eaten tiger, crouched on a horse, rode twice around the ring with a sad and hen-pecked expression on his face.
Then came ten minutes’ recess that was no recess for us: for we had to bring on more hoops and rings of fire, tables and chairs, performing dogs that had to be held in leash, and at last to set up the elephant’s bicycle and drive the lion out for a spin on the huge animal’s back. How we did work! We must have left streams of sweat behind us. Although our tasks were not finished by the time the last stragglers left the tent, we lost no time in tearing off the heavy uniforms the boss had provided for us.
When everything had been put away, we made our beds by setting several chairs side by side, and turned in. Although we were disturbed in the night by prowling natives, we slept part of the time.
The circus had been nearly a week in Colombo when I was unexpectedly advanced to a position of importance. It was in an idle hour late one afternoon. The four of us were showing what tricks we could perform in the empty ring, when the ring-master and the manager walked in upon us and caught me in the act of “doing a hand-stand.” I quickly righted myself.
The ring-master looked me over from my shaved head to my bare feet, turned to scowl at the manager a moment, and then began talking to me in a voice that sounded as if it came from a phonograph:
“Know any other stunts?”
“One or two,” I answered.
“Where’d ye learn ’em?” snapped the ring-master.
I told him I had been a member of a gymnasium for a few years.