Part 37 (2/2)
His face was no longer pale; some of Diana's spirit seemed to have entered into his soul.
The signal came for the pair to stand upon the bare, backs of their horses. Little Orion scrambled as quickly and nimbly to his feet as Diana herself. He caught the reins; crack again went the whip; the horses flew round and round. Now and then Diana said a soft word to Greased Lightning; now and then she stamped her small foot on Pole Star's neck. Each movement, each glance of the child, seemed to thrill through the willing beast. Incomprehensible as it may seem, both these wild, half-tamed creatures loved her. They kept straight, veering neither to left nor right, for her sake.
The first part of the performance went safely through, but now came the more difficult and dangerous time. The children were now not only to ride the horses standing, but they were obliged to ride holding one foot in the air, then to keep on their steeds standing on tiptoe, and finally they had to spring through great rings made of tissue paper, and leap again upon the horses as they galloped through. Diana performed her task with unfailing exactness, always reaching the horse's back at the right moment, springing up, sitting down, standing first on one foot, then on the other, being apparently on wires, afraid of nothing, triumphant through all. Orion made a gallant effort to follow her example. In two minutes now the whole thing would be over.
”Don't be fwightened, Orion; time's nearly up,” whispered the gay, brave little voice in his ear.
The horses flew, the children moved as if they were puppets, and all might now have been well if at that moment Diana herself--Diana the fearless, the brave, the unconquerable--had not slipped, slipped at the very moment when she was springing through one of the rings. The horse galloped on without her, and she lay p.r.o.ne upon the floor of the circus. Uncle Ben rushed madly to the rescue, and before Orion's horse had reached the spot he had caught the child in his arms. She was stunned by the fall, and lay white as death in his embrace. The house thought the fall had killed her, and there was a horrified murmur; but Diana was only stunned. In a moment she raised her cheery little voice.
”I's awfu' sossy; I's all wight now,” she said. ”Where's Pole Star?”
”Nay, little gal,” said Uncle Ben, knowing well the temper of the house, ”you must do no more to-night. The company, I know, will excuse you.”
Seating the child on his shoulder, and patting her hand affectionately, as if he were her father, he brought little Diana to the front.
”I hope, ladies and gentlemen,” he called out, ”that you will excuse this great lady huntress to-night. But if you wish her to take another turn round on the back of the great Pole Star, she is willing to comply.”
”No!” shouted voice after voice in the gallery; ”let little missy off.
We'll come to see little missy another night. Three cheers for little missy!”
The next moment Diana and Orion found themselves at the back of the stage.
”Is it true, Di?” gasped Orion. ”Is it all over?”
”Yes; it's all over,” answered little Diana. She leaned against the wall. ”I's a bit giddy,” she said; ”but I'll be all wight by and by.”
Aunt Sarah, with tears in her eyes, brought the child a restorative.
”Drink this, little love,” she said; ”you'll soon be much better, I'm sure.”
The curtain had fallen on the first half of the performance, and Uncle Ben came up in a huge good humor.
”Missy, I hope you aint hurt,” he said.
”Hurt?” answered Diana. ”What do a fall matter? I's as wight as wain.
Didn't Orion do well, Uncle Ben?”
”Yes, all things considerin',” said Uncle Ben. ”We has a full house, missy, and I'm very much obliged to you. Now you had best go straight to bed. Sarah, take the kids off and give them a good supper, for they has earned it.”
Aunt Sarah took Diana's hand and led her to their bedroom.
”But aren't we going away now?” said Orion.
Aunt Sarah sat down at the foot of one of the beds with a white face.
”Come to me, little missy,” she said to Diana.
The child went to her.
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