Louis. "Don't try to see them all at once, but watch that fellow on
the right."
The one indicated grasped a horizontal branch with his hands, his arms
looking like the ropes of a swing. He was swaying to and fro with great
rapidity, apparently trying to see how fast he could go, for he put a
tremendous amount of vigor into his efforts. In an exhibition hall he
would have "brought down the house," and would certainly have received
an "_encore_."
Suddenly, while he was swinging at a dizzy speed, he let go his hold
upon the branch, and seemed to be flying through the air; but with his
fingered feet he seized another branch, not less than forty feet from
the first, and, with his long arms extended to the utmost, continued to
swing in this inverted position. The observers were so delighted with
this skilful performance that they applauded lustily by clapping their
hands. The noise did not disturb the performers, and the actor that had
so distinguished himself appeared to put even greater vigor into his
movements.
Possibly he was getting up a momentum; for he soon released the hold of
his feet on the branch, went flying through the air with his long arms
extended ahead of him in the direction of another favorable limb of a
tree, and grasped it with his hands. After swinging for a moment, he
drew himself up on the branch, and proceeded to walk up to a greater
height, using his hands to assist in keeping his equilibrium. This was a
fair specimen of the performance of every member of the troupe.
One of the company appeared to see something on the ground that
attracted his attention; and he made a flying leap to a lower branch,
and then dropped himself upon the soil. Looking about him for a moment,
he apparently discovered a bush with some sort of fruit on it, for he
immediately began to walk towards it. As a walkist he was far from being
a success, and his awkward movements excited the laughter of the
interested spectators. In his present _role_ he would have made an
excellent clown in a circus ring.
His short legs seemed to be incapable of fully supporting his body, and
he behaved like an inexperienced athlete walking on a tight rope without
a balancing-pole. His long arms served as this implement, and with a
bend at the elbows and the hands dropped down, he waddled along very
slowly.
"It's heavy sea for that fellow, and he looks like a landlubber trying
to walk the deck in a rough sea," said Captain Scott. "But I
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