and the manager, not having a trumpeter of his own, engaged a German musician named Schenck to supply the music.  Schenck doesn’t understand the English language very well, and the manager put him behind the scenes on the left of the stage, while the manager stood in the wing at the right of the stage.  Then Schenck was instructed to toot his trumpet when the manager signaled with his hand.  Everything went along smoothly enough until King John (Mr. Hammer) came to the passage, “Ah, me! this tyrant fever burns me up!” Just as King John was about to utter this the manager brushed a fly off of his nose, and Schenck, mistaking the movement for the appointed signal, blew out a frightful blare upon his bugle.  The King was furious and the manager made wild gestures for Schenck to stop, but that estimable German musician imagined that the manager wanted him to play louder, and every time a fresh motion was made Schenck emitted a more terrific blast The result was something like the following: 

King John.  “Ah, me! this tyrant—­”

Schenck (with his cheeks distended and his eyes beaming through his spectacles).  “Ta-tarty; ta-ta-tarty, rat-tat tarty-tarty-tarty, ta-ta-ta, tanarty-arty, te-tarty.”

King John.  “Fever burns—­”

Schenck.  “Rat-tat-tarty, poopen-arty, oopen-arty, ta-tarty-arty-oopen-arty; ta-ta; ta-ta-ta-tarty poopen-arty, poopen a-a-a-arty-arty.”

King John.  “Ah, me! this—­”

Schenck (ejecting a hurricane from his lungs).  “Hoopen-oopen-oopen-arty, ta-tarty; tat-tat-ta-tarty-ti-ta-tarty; poopen-ta-poopen-ta-poopen-ta-a-a-a-tarty-whoop ta-ta.”

King John (quickly).  “Tyrant fever burns me up.”

Schenck (with perspiration standing out on his forehead).  “To-ta ta-ta.  Ta-ta ta-ta tatten-atten-atten arty te-tarty poopen oopen-oo-oo-oo-oo-oopen te-tarty ta-ta-ar-ar-ar-te tarty-to-ta-a-a-a-a-A-+A+-+_A!_+”

King John (to the audience).  “Ladies and gentlemen—­”

Schenck.  “Ta-ta, ta-ta, ta-ta, poopen-oopen, poopen-oopen, te-ta, tarty oo-hoo oo-hoo-te tarty arty, appen-arty.”

King John.  “There is a German idiot behind the scenes here who is—­”

Schenck.  “Whoopen-arty te-tarty-arty-arty-ta-ta-a-a-a tat-tarty.”

King John.  “Blowing infamously upon a horn, and—­”

Schenck.  “Poopen-arty.”

King John.  “If you will excuse me—­”

Schenck.  “Pen-arty-arty.”

King John.  “I will go behind the scenes and check him in his wild career.”

Schenck.  “Poopen-arty ta-tarty-arty poopen-a-a-a-arty tat-tat-ta-tarty.”

Then King John disappeared and a scuffle was heard, with some violent expressions in the German language.  Ten minutes later a gentleman from the Fatherland might have been seen standing on the pavement in front of the theatre with a bugle under his arm and a handkerchief to his bleeding nose, wondering what on earth was the matter.  In the mean time the King had returned to the stage, and the performance concluded without any music.  After this the manager will employ home talent when he wants airs on the bugle.