Part 15 (1/2)
”It's the devil,” said John, squirming ecstatically on his hard chair.
”There he is, in one corner where Punch can't see him.”
Punch lifted a victim from one side of the stage to the other.
”That's one,” he counted.
The red-faced, lively little imp returned the corpse to its original resting place. Some minutes of this comedy followed.
”Twenty-six,” squawked the unsuspecting Punch in surprise, while the audience roared appreciatively. ”Did I kill so many? h.e.l.lo, who are you?”
”I,” came the preternaturally deep voice as Louise quaked at the make-belief reality of the scene, ”am the devil!”
”Now they'll fight,” breathed John, watching intently. ”It'll be the bulliest fight of all, and they'll throw each other down and hit each other over the head forty-'leven times. Then the devil'll win.”
But a puritanical mother had, on the tour preceding, written Professor O'Reilley, objecting to the devil's conquest of the unrepentant old reprobate, so that master of ventriloquism introduced a new character into the ancient tale, and the devil went the way of Punch's other victims.
”H-m-m,” puzzled John with wrinkled brow. ”This isn't the same--What's that?”
”Open,” ordered Punch of the long, flat object which appeared beside the body of the devil.
”It's an aggilator,” shrilled Louise as the mystery disclosed two terrific rows of teeth and a long, red throat.
”Shut,” ordered Punch. The jaws closed with a snap.
”Isn't it peachy?” whispered John.
”Open,” ordered Punch once more. Again the jaws swung slowly and impressively apart.
”Close,” repeated Punch, as he stooped dangerously near the yawning cavern.
The jaws snapped within a thirty-second of an inch of the arch-villain's nose. Angered, Punch hit the beast with his little club, while the audience screamed in delight. Ensued a fight which changed rapidly to a pursuit back and forth over the bodies of Judy, the policeman, and the rest of the company. At last Punch tripped and the animal seized upon him and bore him, shrieking, below.
”Is that all?” asked Louise, as the little curtain descended.
”All?” John answered, as he glanced over the other delights promised by the blue advertis.e.m.e.nt. ”All? Why it isn't but a third over!”
Two a.s.sistants turned impromptu stage hands and s.h.i.+fted the Punch and Judy cabinet to the rear of the stage. The professor stooped over a battered trunk at the side, and brought out two life-sized dolls with huge, staring eyes, and swinging arms and legs. He sat down on a chair at the center of the platform.
”These,” he said as he balanced the manikins on his knees, ”are my two little boys. They're usually very nice little fellows, but I'm afraid they've been shut up so long in that dark trunk that they're feeling a little angry. I'll have to see. Now [to the sandy-haired caricature on his right], tell the people what your name is. No? Then we'll have to ask your friend here. What's your name?”
”Sambo,” mouthed the black-faced marionette.
”Gee!” whispered John, as he watched the professor's lips closely.
”How's he do it?”
”Now, tell all these nice little girls and boys how old you are.”
”T-ten.”
”Did you ever go to school?”