A MUTUAL RECOGNITION FOLLOWS BETWEEN TWO WONDERFUL VENTRILOQUISTS
AND AT ONCE THEY COMMENCE TOGETHER THEIR EXTRAORDINARY PRANKS.
Ike did not conclude to reveal his identity at once, and met the
question with a similar one:
"Say, young fellow, who are you?"
"I asked first."
"Did you?"
"I did."
"Well?"
"It's your place to answer."
"Do you want an answer?"
"I do."
"I'll tell you something: you asked the wrong person. Go and ask that
stuffed owl who I am."
The young man stared.
"You want an answer to your question?"
"Oh, come off," said the young stranger.
"That settles it," said Ike.
There came a smile upon the face of the youth and he caused a voice to
come like a halloo from away down the other end of the room, inquiring:
"Say, owl, who is this young chap?"
Ike was amazed, but the owl uttered its peculiar hoot and answered
seemingly: "He's the devil himself."
The halloo came again.
"I thought so, for he is not square; he don't keep his promises."
"Why not?" asked the owl.
"He promised you should tell who he was."
There came a hoot and an owlish sort of laugh, with the statement:
"His name is Isaac Andro."
"Nimble Ike?" came the halloo.
"Yes;" and the owl added: "Now it's your turn to keep your promise."
The halloo came in answer:
"I am Jack the Juggler."
Ike at once advanced, offering his hand and saying:
"Shake, old fellow, I am glad to meet you. I've heard about you."
"And I've heard about you. I am delighted to meet you."
"And I am delighted to meet you," answered Ike.
"We must be friends."
"Sure."
"We can have a heap of fun."
"We can."
"We are against the deck."
"We are."
"Will you visit me at my home?" said Ike. "Go with me now."
"I will be delighted."
"Do you live in the city?"
"I did live here, but I've broken up my home."
The two wonderful lads wandered off together--Ike the ventriloquist, and
Jack the juggler, also a ventriloquist and hypnotist.
The two soon arrived at Ike's house and the latter showed his guest all
through his place, exhibiting his contrivances. Ike ordered a meal sent
in and the two remarkable geniuses sat down in a very social
conversation.
Ike told his strange, weird story, all about the old necromancer and the
mysterious box. And Jack told all about himself, and finally Ike said:
"See here, we are two of a kind."
"We are."
"Let's become partners."
"I am agreed."
"Take up your abode with me."
"On one condition."
"Name your condition."
"I am to share the expense of living in this house."
"Agreed, as it don't cost much to live."
Neither of the lads had told their romance. They had only told the
simple story of their lives, and when the meal was over they commenced
by mutual consent to practice together, and so several days passed. Ike
with his unusual brightness invented a signal code so they could
converse with each other and no one else understand their talk. One
evening the two lads were playing a game of billiards together in a
well-known billiard room, when a very handsome young fellow entered,
whom Ike at once introduced to Jack as his friend, Henry Du Flore. Ike
and Du Flore held a few moments talk and then Du Flore departed. The
moment he was gone the ventriloquist said to his new comrade:
"That young man is a detective."
"He don't look like one."
"He is a splendid officer, brave, shrewd and persistent. I have several
detective friends, but I've taken quite a fancy to this young fellow and
I am aiding him all I can."
"Is he a Frenchman?" asked Jack.
"No, he is an American born. His father was an engineer on an ocean
steamer. He was drowned when Henry was quite a lad. Henry was left an
orphan at an early age, compelled to knock around and pick up a living
as best he could. He got appointed on the police force, won promotion
and is now a regular detective. I want him to make a great success, and
I am aiding him all I can."
"I took a fancy to him at the first glance," said Jack.
"I am glad of that."
"Yes, I am in with you and when we can do him a good turn we will."
"I am much obliged to you, and we can aid him right now. He has been
assigned to run down some burglars who are infesting a section of
country over in Jersey. The gang has become very daring. They are very
expert and the losses of the people have been heavy; they have raised a
fund which is offered as a reward for the capture of the thieves. The
chief in New York is anxious to aid the officials across the river and
has detailed my friend Henry on the case. It will be a big thing for the
young officer if he can run down those thieves."
"We will secure the big thing for him," said Jack. "I've had a little
experience in detective work."
"So I've heard."
"When does he start in?"
"I am to hear from him later."
The two ventriloquists finished their game and walked over to a table
where two experts were playing a great game in presence of quite a crowd
of witnesses. Ike and Jack were both very fond of the game, although
neither of them could play an expert game, with all their talents; their
genius did not run in this direction. It is remarkable that a great many
men who are expert in one direction are singularly deficient in others.
There was a party of young smart Alecs watching the game. They were very
boisterous and demonstrative--really interfered with the players--and
they were very unmannerly in several ways, pushing forward and crowding
quieter people in a very rude manner. Ike and Jack fixed their eyes on
the dudes and then exchanged glances; and that exchange of glances meant
a little fun for the tricksters and discomfiture for the boisterous
dudes, the sons of rich men who because of their social position were
permitted to cut up their capers where better youths would have been
kicked out of the place. The dudes every few moments would break through
the crowd and go to the bar, and upon their return they would push
through to the front, shoving others aside as though the balance of the
beholders were mere serfs; and in pushing through upon one of their
returns, Ike became their victim. The young ventriloquist did not submit
to be pushed so rudely and said:
"See here, Mister Man, you should wear better clothes. You are such a
pusher you should have gotten ahead in the world."
The youth stared and the bystanders laughed. The joke was a good one.
Many times it could be applied in a crowd, for there are so many rude
people who appear to think there is no one in the world besides
themselves.
"Don't you like it?" demanded the pusher.
"Oh, yes, I like it," answered Ike with a laugh. "It's quite an honor to
be knocked around by a thing like you."
"I'll punch you in the head if you say much."
"Oh, I won't say much. I'll be as quiet as a lamb. I won't even bleat.
It's all right; excuse me for being in your way. I am proud--very
proud--to be knocked aside, certainly."
At that moment there came a voice asking:
"Why don't you rap that dude on the head?"
The dude looked around to learn who had offered the bold suggestion, and
then demanded:
"Who spoke then?"
"I did," came a voice, but no one appeared to know just who the "I did"
was. But there came the suggestion:
"Don't look so fierce. You're around to swipe pocketbooks, you are. I
advise these gentlemen to be on the lookout."
The three dudes all closed in close to each other. Their faces were
white with rage and they had just liquor enough in them to be anxious
for a brawl, and one of them said:
"I'll give a hundred dollars to know who spoke."
"What will you give?" came the voice.
Ike stood still and apparently as mute as a sexton at a funeral.
"You haven't got a hundred cents; you just hung your last drink at the
bar."
"You're a liar," came the declaration from one of the dudes.
"And you're a thief, or let's see your money."
The dude went down in his pockets, drew forth a roll and exclaimed, as
he waved it aloft:
"Here's my money. A hundred to ten you are a liar, and a hundred to one
you dare not show your face."
"Here I am."
The voice sounded as though the speaker stood directly in the midst of
the trio of dudes. The "chappies" looked at each other in amazement.
"Send for an officer," came a voice. "I've lost my pocketbook."
It appeared as though the voice came from the opposite side of the crowd
to where the dudes were standing.
The dudes were dumfounded; indeed, the game was stopped and the owner of
the billiard hall walked over to learn what the row was. Very well, at
this point the row commenced. One of the youths, calling the proprietor
of the hall by name, said, or seemed to say:
"You go away from here, you duffer. We own this place and don't want any
of your interference."
The declaration took the proprietor's breath away for a moment. He just
stood and gazed, when another of the youths appeared to say:
"Charley, why don't you smash Decker in the jaw? What business has he to
come around here and interfere with our fun?"
"Who are you talking to?" demanded the proprietor, his face white with
rage.
"_You_," seemingly came the answer from the dude.
The proprietor could stand no more. He made a rush. He did not care at
that instant if the dudes were the scions of the governor of the state.
He grasped the chap who it appeared had given him the insolence by the
loose part of his trousers and the collar of his coat, and he walked him
French fashion toward the door. The youth made a vigorous protest. His
friends also joined in, when the bartender rushed from behind the
counter and seized another of the "chappies," and a guest who was a
vigorous fellow seized the third one; and then commenced a grand march
toward the street door, and each one of the dudes was thrown into the
street and a kick was administered to each as he was thrust out. Poor
dudes! they had not been guilty of the particular sin for which they
suffered, but they deserved all they got, just the same, for they had
made nuisances of themselves.
Jack and Ike left the place. They were delighted with the rebuke they
had administered, but the fun was not over. The three dudes were
standing at the corner of the street talking over their grievances. They
espied Ike and Jack and one of them said:
"There are the fellows who drew us into this trouble."
"Let's hammer them."
Neither Ike nor Jack were formidable-looking chaps, and the dudes sailed
for them. Well, a lively scene followed. The two ventriloquists were
both lithe, active athletes, and the way they polished off the
"chappies" was a sight to behold, and they were having a heap of fun
when suddenly both were seized by the collars of their coats and found
themselves in the grasp of two stalwart policemen.
Neither lad was scared. They did not mind their arrest on such a trivial
charge at all, and they were led off. Ike asked by signal:
"What shall we do?"
"What do you think?" came the answer.
"Shall we be locked up and raise old Cain in the station house, or shall
we make these officers dance right here?"
"Let's make them dance," came the answer.
The lads struck a good chance even as the word was passed. They were
passing a tenement house and a man had just raised a window to close the
shutters or something, when there came as though from the man a mad cry
of "fire!" The officers stopped short, and again there came several
cries, seemingly from different parts of the house. The officers let go
their hold upon their prisoners. A fire in a tenement house was a far
more serious matter than the arrest of two youths for fighting in the
street. As stated, the lads were released, and they darted away to
secure hiding places from which they could witness the fun and
excitement, and there was excitement. One of the officers rapped for
assistance and the second one ran to the fire-alarm box to give the
signal, and officer number one made a rush to the house. He found the
door open and he ran up the stairs shouting "fire! fire! fire!" The
tenants rushed from their apartments and there followed a scene of wild
confusion, and while the yelling and screaming were at their height two
engines arrived, also a platoon of police, and the firemen of the engine
company entered the house, but still there was no sign of either fire or
smoke. A thorough examination followed. No signs of a fire could be
discovered. The sergeant in charge of the platoon of police asked the
two officers who had given the alarm where they had seen the fire. They
protested they had not seen any fire, but that a man had raised the
window of one of the front rooms and had shouted "fire!" The firemen
meantime were thoroughly convinced that there was no fire, and they were
mad at being called out on a fake alarm. They commenced to abuse the
police, who protested that the cry had come from the house. The tenants
had all returned to their rooms and they also had been loud in their
protests and threatened to make a complaint at headquarters.
"From what room did the cry come?" asked the sergeant.
The two policemen pointed out the room. The sergeant, accompanied by the
two officers, went up to the room. There were several very respectable
men in the room and they all protested that they had given no alarm. All
declared that they were prepared to swear that they had not. The
sergeant was bothered, and said to the two patrolmen:
"This matter must be explained."
"We did hear a cry of fire."
"No one else appears to have heard it."
"We heard it."
"Where is your proof?"
One of the officers said:
"I wish we could find those two lads. They heard it."
"We can't find them."
The two men were ordered to report at the station house to answer
charges for their lark, as the sergeant termed it. Other men were put on
the beat and our two ventriloquists crawled forth from their
hiding-places and Ike said:
"That was a pretty severe joke."
"Yes, it was very amusing."
"We must do something to save those men or they may be broke."
"How can we do it?"
"We can."
"How?"
"We'll rattle the sergeant on the same scheme," came the answer.