The Milk Can was death-defying. Now, having done it myself, I can tell you that it is a terrifying experience to lower yourself into a galvanized steel can that can barely hold your body, put your head underneath the water, have them fill it after that point level with the top, and put a steel lid on top and lock it on with padlocks. The thought has to go through your mind (I know it did, every time that he did it): "What am I doing? I could be making shoes or driving a streetcar or something. What am I doing, sealed in a can full of water, in front of an audience? I’m going to die." But then a moment later, as the curtain falls, and you master the trick, and you’ve managed to escape once more, the feeling comes back: "Oh yeah. This is what I was born to do."
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