when in Washington, let me tell you how to do it: First, go to the Senate, then walk right across to the House. Another good plan is to go to the House just as it is called to order. I tried the experiment last session. When the Speaker brought down his gavel, there was instantaneous silence. The members rose to their feet, and the chaplain offered a prayer. After that, the noise broke out. Then I tried to analyze it. I did not succeed very well; but there was in it a little of everything that makes a noise, from the little fly to the raging ocean. It was a buzzing, gurgling, and roaring, all combined in one general noise!

How far the title of "Cave of the Winds" is due to the acoustic properties of the hall, I do not know. But I know one thing: - the sound waves could not clash unless put in motion. Now, who puts them in motion? I shall tell you:

The galleries contribute somewhat to this noise, but the members are principally responsible for it. They gather around the desks or stand in the narrow aisles or in the area behind the outer row of seats, and discuss, in knots of from three to a dozen or more, some interesting question of politics, or possibly narrate funny anecdotes. And it is a very usual sight to see one of the representatives making a spread-eagle" speech, beating the air with his arms, and shouting away vehemently, and not one of his three hundred and twentyfour associates showing the least interest in what he is saying. Of course, everything that is said by such a speaker is taken down by the reporters, so that the other members do not lose anything by not listening. Frequently a Congressman does not go to the trouble of delivering a speech, but writes it out and then obtains leave of the House to have it printed in the Record, where it can be seen by those who may be sufficiently interested to read it. Sometimes, however, a member thinks that he would at least like the privilege of hearing himself talk, and becomes annoyed by the excessive confusion in the hall. Then the Speaker will command order and exert all the muscles of his good right arm in beating with his gavel. But often the other members persist in their conversation, notwithstanding the Speaker's cry of "order," each group of culprits feeling that it is not making much noise and ignoring the fact that every whisper adds to the objectionable disturbance. Under these circumstances, it often becomes necessary for the Speaker to take extreme measures; and the most effective way to secure quiet is for him to sus

pend the proceedings and direct the Sergeant-atarms to take the mace and force the members to take their seats. The mace is a sort of scepter, surmounted by a silver eagle, which, guarded by the Sergeant-at-arms, rests on a marble stand at the right of the Speaker.* This the Sergeant-atarms carries in front of him when so directed by the Speaker, and, as he walks about the room, every one retreats before this ensign of authority, and retires to his proper place. To face it would be to oppose the power of the House of Representatives. Silence being thus restored, the proceedings are resumed. It frequently happens, however, that before you can say "Jack Robinson " most of the members are "at it again," engaged as deeply as ever in conversation, and violating the injunction of their presiding officer. It is almost an impossibility to make three hundred men fold their arms like school-boys, and sometimes the Speaker can hardly do more than preserve sufficient order to enable the reporters to hear what is being said.

If an entertaining speaker obtains the floor, the members will cluster around his chair and clog the aisles and the area of freedom — only to be driven back to their seats by the Sergeant-at-arms. I have seen such a crowd dispersed by the Speaker half a dozen times in an hour - but back they were sure to come. They are as curious as boys, and fully as impetuous.

Even when it comes to the important question of voting, the members do not keep silence. If a "division" or "rising vote is ordered, you will hear them shout, "Up! up!" or "Down! down!" as the case may be, to warn their friends what to do; and on nearly every roll-call of the yeas and nays the Speaker is compelled to suspend proceedings and compel members to be seated, in order that the Clerk may hear the responses of the voters.

Such a state of affairs does not always exist. I have seen the House of Representatives almost as quiet as the Senate. But that was late at night, when most of the members were asleep, or when there was some august ceremony going on - such as the counting of the electoral votes, at which time the Senate and House met in joint convention.

But I will tell you more in regard to the differences between the two Houses anon. The design of this chapter was merely to point out one feature of dissimilarity- the noise and hubbub of the House of Representatives as compared with the quiet dignity of the Senate.

AVID and Roderick Kingsley were in training for the championship of the Flushington High School Gymnasium. That is to say, David was; but his cousin Roderick, confident of his superior prowess, was careless of his training, and exercised in the gymnasium hall so irregularly that his special partisans at last called him to account.

"If you don't look out, Rod, you'll miss the prize," said Jack Dinsmore. "Dave is in the Gym mornings and evenings, as regular as clock-work. He does n't like to be beaten even at leap-frog, you know, and I tell you, you'll have to practice if you mean to be captain. Is n't that so, boys?"

The boys thus appealed to echoed Jack's sentiments, and Dennis Moore added:

"What you need, Rod, is to learn some new tricks on the bars or the trapeze, so that Dave can't get ahead of you."

"And here comes the very fellow that can put you up to a thing or two in that line," said Nappy Scruggs, pointing in the direction of the village

street.

"Quelipeg? That's so!" said Tommy Hicks, as the boys glanced at the gaunt figure approaching them, and Roderick recalled the injunction of his father to have nothing whatever to do with Quelipeg.

But the criticisms of the boys had roused Roderick's determination, and as the objectionable Quelipeg, with his sharp-ribbed terrier, was slouching by, he called out: "Hey, Quelipeg, show us your flying leap and somersault on our trapeze,- wont you?"

The new-comer, nothing loath, swaggered into the school gymnasium with the crowd of boys, and was soon whirling and turning in what he called the "Giant's Spring."

For Quelipeg was a helper and hanger-on of the circus company which had gone into winterquarters on the outskirts of the village, and he had gained notoriety not only as a scape-grace, but as a daring and excellent gymnast.

So the boys admired and applauded his agility,

and then, just in the midst of his remarkable "Giant's Spring," the door opened and David Kingsley entered.

"How did that fellow happen to come in here?" he asked of Roderick.

"We asked him in, that's how he came," curtly replied his cousin.

"Don't you think Uncle Roderick might object to his being here?" said David, calmly. "You know what he told us about him."

"Well, I don't think he 's likely to know anything about it," replied Roderick; "unless

David finished the sentence. "Unless I tell tales out of school, I suppose you mean.

Roderick flushed, but said, laughingly, "I say, Dave, if one of the fellows should take lessons from Quelipeg, you and I might give up all hopes of the championship, eh?"

"Likely enough," answered David; "but I'd give up my chance of being captain if I had to owe it to his teaching."

"Well, I'm glad I 'm not so particular as all that," said Roderick, with a contemptuous curl of the lip.

66

Why, you don't mean to say you 're going to take lessons from him, Rod?" asked David, quickly. "If you 've any respect for yourself, you'll keep clear of him. You know that such a scamp is not a fit companion for you."

Low as the words were spoken, Quelipeg heard them. He was at David's elbow in an instant.

"Take that back," he said, threateningly, "or I'll make ye"; and he threw himself into the regulation boxing attitude.

David faced him quietly. "Thank you," he said, coolly, "I do not care to box this afternoon." "Ho, you 're afraid, I see!" said Quelipeg.

There was not a Flushingtonian who did not understand the forbearance of David Kingsley as he straightened himself and eying Quelipeg, said: "You heard me say that I did not care to box with you."

Quelipeg caught up a piece of chalk from the scoring-board and drew a glistening white circle around the calm-faced lad.

"Ef you 'll jest step across that line," he said, "I'll show you who 's who."

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David Kingsley took one step forward. In another instant he was across the chalk line and grappling with his foe.

The Flushingtonians were quite as much sur

For

prised at the onslaught as was Quelipeg. David Kingsley was not reckoned among the school fighters, though he was known to be absolutely fearless.

The struggle was brief, but determined. David's course of training for the championship stood him in good stead, and almost before the boys could form a ring about the combatants, Quelipeg was flat on his back.

The spectators set up a ringing cheer over the victory of their comrade, but David, staggering to his feet, gave his cousin a look full of meaning and passed out of the hall.

Roderick, however, paid no heed to his cousin's glance, and, indeed, as if David's exhibition of prowess had but roused him to deeper determination, that very evening he arranged with Quelipeg, who was still chafing over his defeat, to meet him at the circus encampment on the following afternoon to take acrobatic lessons in the great trapeze in the practice hall.

Punctually at the time appointed, Roderick arrived at the encampment. But he found Quelipeg in a high state of excitement. Things had gone wrong because of his absence at feeding-time the day before, as many of the company were away giving winter evening exhibitions on their own account, and the force was short-handed. The elephant and the big Bengal tiger, thus delayed in their customary meal, had come in collision; the elephant had charged on the tiger's cage and overturned it; the tiger, in return, had given a savage scratch to the elephant's trunk, and was vicious, red-eyed, and ferocious. Since then the tiger had grown calmer, but was still sullen, and Quelipeg fed it with trepidation, hoping all the while that the cage was tight. The men had gone to town after feeding the animals, and Quelipeg was left in charge, with strict orders to see that nothing was disturbed.

"Hey, Quelipeg," said Roderick, as he entered the practice hall; "I hope you 're out of the sulks now."

entered the tiger's division as noiselessly as possible. But the beast heard them and was on the alert at once. As they approached, it raised its great head and showed its teeth, growling. Roderick laughed and moved closer. The tiger leaped to its feet, and as the foolish youth flirted his handkerchief at it, the great brute sprang forward, with a savage roar, and shook the iron bars furiously. Quelipeg caught Roderick's arm. "Come away!" he shouted. "If he smashes those bars, we 're lost!"

Terrified for once, Roderick obeyed, but when Quelipeg had drawn him into the practice hall, and barred the door, the fool-hardiness returned. He insisted on unbarring the door and taking another peep at his tigership. Quelipeg, who was putting on his gymnasium suit, begged him to

come away.

"Pshaw, Quelipeg," said Roderick, dropping the bar, "I thought you were braver."

"I know it's best not to anger that beast," said Quelipeg, climbing into a trapeze. "So you 'd better let him alone and come and 'tend to business." "All right,” said Roderick, leaving the door, and proceeding to don his practice suit.

"Shall I

In a moment or two he was ready. come up there where you are?" he asked. Quelipeg made no reply. The face that was looking down upon Roderick suddenly grew white and ashen. His staring eyes were fixed on the door leading to the tiger's cage.

"The tiger! The tiger!" he cried. Roderick gave one terrified look toward the door. He thought he had latched it, but it was ajar now, and through the crack a pair of fiery eyeballs were blazing. The latch had only partly caught, and was but feebly resisting the tiger's weight.

hold.

Roderick knew that it could not long

A cold sweat started from all his pores, as, blinded and sick, he heavily drew himself up until he grasped Quelipeg's trapeze. This touch roused Quelipeg, who, as if spell-bound, had been watching

he glared at Roderick, as though he would thrust him off to meet his fate. Then a sinister smile distorted his face.

"Well," he said in a harsh whisper, "you may have this trapeze. I'll take the one above; only don't you come up there, or I 'll ———— '

The threat was cut short, and his movement upward accelerated by the crashing in of the door. The tiger was in the room! Roderick drew himself up into the deserted trapeze, and clung there, watching the beast, as it advanced leisurely along the hall, lashing its sides. eyes were lifted to him.

All too soon the blazing The creeping, sinuous

feeling itself borne upward by the impetus of its weight and bound, doubled about the bar, and clutched it with the grasp of desperation.

Roderick had a keen sense of the ludicrous, and even in the midst of his danger he had an hysterical inclination to laugh at this sight of the royal beast transformed into a swinging gymnast!

But he was conscious of his continued peril, and he was conscious, moreover, that his cousin, David Kingsley, was bravely periling his own life to save him. To induce Roderick to withdraw from his association with Quelipeg, David had followed him to the encampment. A glance through the window had shown him the imminent danger of his cousin. It was his voice that had saved him from the tiger's claw. Seizing his opportunity, when the beast was hanging to the trapeze, he darted into the hall, and passed swiftly through it, springing upon the step of an empty cage that stood in an alcove. The tiger was attracted by the slender figure speeding past him, and as the oscillations of the swing slackened, the big cat dropped from the bar, and noiselessly crept toward David. The boy stood still, keeping his brave eye on the brute as it drew closer and closer.

Presently the creature crouched for a spring. David turned swiftly, and with a bound passed through the entrance into the lion's cage, on the step of which he had been standing. It was the work of a second for the furious beast of prey to leap through the still-open door, in pursuit !

Suspended from his trapeze, Roderick saw David enter and bound out of sight. Then an awful silence followed. Oh, could nothing be done to save the noble life whose sacrifice would lie at the door of his own willfulness and disobedience! Animated by a faint hope, Roderick descended from the trapeze and courageously advanced toward the alcove.

After a step or two, he stopped, transfixed. "Roderick!" at the same instant called a ringing voice that had a note of triumph in it, "can't

you help me out of this? I've captured the tiger! But I've captured myself, too! "

Tremulous with joy, Roderick hurried to the cage, through the bars of which, almost alongside of the protruding paw of the baffled tiger, David's brave hands were stretched out to him. For his cousin was captured, in truth. The prison-house in which he and the Bengal were captives together, had been constructed for the purpose of taming a lion and lioness. In the cage were sliding bars, acting on springs, intended to divide the cage into three compartments. Two of these divisions the lion-tamer had used for the purpose of separating and separately subduing the animals in his care. In the third and smaller chamber, he found security for himself when his beasts proved refractory. Hither David had retreated, sliding the panel between himself and his insatiate pursuer. The beast had followed in hot pursuit, but only to hurl itself with baffled rage against the stout bars, shutting it from its prey, and while it was vainly tearing and scratching at the barrier protecting David, the youth had touched the spring controlling the first division panel, as he had more than once seen the lion-tamer do, and the panel had sprung into place, effectually imprisoning the great brute. A door led out from the compartment in which David was confined; but it was locked, and the lion-tamer, Quelipeg said, had the key. Nothing remained, therefore, but for the boys to exercise patience, while Quelipeg, now thoroughly frightened but greatly relieved, made sure that the other animals were safe, and then ran for the lion-tamer.

In the meantime, the cousins had a long and confidential talk together, whilst those fiery eyes watched them ceaselessly.

There was no contest for the captaincy in the Flushington gymnasium that year; but Roderick Kingsley never forgot the lesson he had learned in the contest with that terrible gymnast the Bengal tiger.