ve, rather than intended, movements of his jaws,
assisted by nervous contractions and expansions of his throat and chest,
forced out the notes. When he finished the encore he was loudly
applauded, and a repetition was insisted upon. Hunch was obliging, and
played on his larynx the ever-popular "Bessie, the Maid of Dundee."

The next thing on the programme was a series of magical tricks performed
by Bill, who claimed to have been a pupil of Signor Blitz. These pleased
the audience, and they cried for more. He executed all he knew, and then
treated them to some ventriloquism, which was not good, but delighted
them nevertheless.

The musicians remained in Barberry another night, and the school-house
would not hold the crowd that came to hear the demon-driven fiddler, his
blind second, and the human bagpipes.

The circus agent was again in attendance, and concluded that it would be
wise to compromise with the opposition show. So he made the musicians a
liberal offer, which they accepted, thus becoming a part of Barkup's
Colossal Aggregation. With it they wandered from town to town,
exhibiting twice a day, but doing none of the drudgery attendant upon
the pitching and striking of the tents.

They gave their performances in a side-show, and during the exhibition
in the big tent played with the band. Only here Blind Benner handled the
bow, playing second to Bill, who was leading violin.

The season was almost over, and the circus was working towards the
Eastern city whence it started. One dismal night the flickering fires of
pine-knots in the iron crates on the posts in front of the tents shot
long quivering lances into the darkness without seeming to illuminate
it. The glib ticket-seller stood before the side-show, active and
picturesque in the ruddy gleams. One minute he was half in shadow, at
the next in bold relief, as the blaze of the fires bent toward him as
though giving him its undivided attention, while he cried the list of
curiosities, phenomena, and attractions to be seen inside the tent for
the small sum of a dime.

Just as the words "human bagpipes" fell from his lips, three men emerged
from the darkness and stopped a few paces from the tent. They were tall,
muscular, and seemed to be listening to his fluent and wordy narrative
of the annex-show. He noticed them and, beginning anew, he directed his
harangue to them. Amused smiles spread over their faces when they
realized to whom his descriptions applied, an