Off To See The Wild West Show Part 1, Chapter 12 (7/7) By Frank Beill 1886: Hull, Yorkshire

(1/7), (2/7), (3/7), (4/7), (5/7), (6/7), (7/7). Part 1 Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Part 2 Prologue, Chapter 1, 2, 3.

Was I going to stay and be part of this wonderful world or go back to face Jolly Rodgers and Snelgrove? Should I join these people who welcomed me so readily as one of their own or go back to the orphanage, back to being an alien? The decision was mine. I decided it was time to become a man and leave little Sammy Smyle behind in the orphanage.

I followed Laughing Waters and joined the rest of my new tribe. A would-be Lakota Sioux warrior stood proud as part of the parade taking the applause of the people of Hull. Mind I placed myself in the middle of the group, hidden among others taller than myself. The safest place to hide is in the middle of a crowd. We marched into the arena and the glare of arc lamps. There wasn't a single recognisable face, only a pink blur that was the audience. I kept praying no one could identify me.

The familiar strains of God Save The Queen drifted into the evening sky and the whole audience: every man, woman and child rose to its feet as one. The whole cast came to halt and each one removed hat, sombrero or war bonnet before placing hand on heart. The final notes sounded from the band and the whole company bowed to the adoring crowd, which remained standing to give a seemingly unending ovation of stamping, cheering and clapping. The atmosphere was electric. This new word, electric, is the only one I can use to describe how it felt. This feeling made me realise I was making the right choice. My stage fright was gone. Now I was stage struck.

The lights dimmed and the performers slipped away from the football field fantasy. The crowd dispersed, to go back to the dull reality of a northern English town and away from the unforgettable experience that is the Wild West.

Copyright © Frank Beill 2005

Continued.. Part 1, Chapter 13

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