The true northerner., 1874-10-30

there, and, when this was done, he be-
gan to smile and shrug his shoulders.
"Ah Monsieur Robert Houdin," he
said, ironically, " L fear much for the
virtue of your magic staff" Then he
added, as he returned to the end of the
room where several servants were stand
ing. "Tell William to dig immediate
ly below the last tree at the end of the
avenue, and bring me carefully what he
finds there-if he does find anything"
The attendant proceeded to the orange
tree. The earth at the side of the tree
was carefully removed, and down
among the roots, after much cropping, a
small iron box eaten with rust was
found. It bore every appearance OF
having been i'll the ground for many
years. This csrious find was
cleansed from its mold and brought in
and placed by the side of the King.
The greatest excitement and impatience
prevailed on all sides Houdin brought,
perched on his finger, the dove to the
King, and around It's neck his Majesty
discovered little rusty key. At the
desire of the conjuror he unloosed it
and opened the box. The first object
that met his eye was time-dlscolored
piece of parchment, upon which he
read "This day, the 9th June, 1856,
this iron box, containing six handker-
chiefs, was placed among the roots of
an orange-tree by me, Balsamo, Count
of Cagliostro, to serve in performing an
act of magic, which will be executed on
the same day sixty years hence, before
Louis Philippe of Orleans and his
family" "There is certainly witchcraft
about this" cried the King, and then
he looked again, and found in the bot
tom of the box a parcel sealed with the
well known seal of the famous Cagh-
ostro. He broke it and opened the par
Gel, and there were the six handke rchiefs
which but five minutes before were ly-
ing on the conjurer's table. Was not
this trick as remarkable as the produc.
ing of Katie King from a dark
cabinet?
Houdin was employed by the French
government to go to Algeria on II novel
mission. The Marabout priests exer-
cised great influence over the natives,
because they were able to perform GER
tain feats of jugglery, which they pre-
tended proved their divine power.
These Marabouts were enemies of the
French, and encouraged turbulence
among the Arabs. The government
thought that it might be a good stroke
of policy to send Houdin through the
colony performing his miracles, and de-
monstrating to the natives that a
French sorcerer was greater than an
Arab sorcerer. Accordingly Houdin
appeared before large audiences, be-
ginning in the city of Algeria. At the
first OF these performances he intro
duced q box which. became heavy or
light at his order. This box was
brought by him to the footlights, and,
while holding it in his hands, he de-
clared 20 his hearers that he possessed
the power TO deprive the most powerful
man of his strength and restore it at
will. He invited any one who thought
himself strong enough to come on the
stage. An Arab of middle height, but
we'll built and muscular, came to his
side with great assurance. care you
strong?" asked Houdin, measuring him
from head to foot. "Oh, yes" he re-
piled, carelessly. care you sure that
you will always remain so ?" "Quite
| Sults Ot q lulSb bdANI3 bdli iiOu
din, for in an instant / will rob you
of your strength, and you shall become
as little child" The Arab smiled
disdainfully. Houdin told him to lift
the box. He stopped and lifted it
without any effort, and said, coldly, " Is
that alp" With an imposing gesture
Houdin solemnly pronounced the words,
" Behold, you are weaker than woman
now lift the box" The young Hercules
grabbed the box quite confidently, but,
to his amazement, it would not bulge.
He attacked it vigorously over and over
again, while his countrymen sat look
ing on in silent wonder, but it resisted.
He vainly expended on this box a
strength which would have raised an
enormous weight, until at length, pant
ing, exhausted, and red with anger, he
buried his face in his burnous and re-
tired from the stage. Houdin does not
explain the secret OF this strange trick
by which he made bodies heavy or light
at will, and without apparently touch
ing them, but it was favorite of his,
and often exhibited to his fashionable
Partisan audiences.
At the same exhibition in Algeria, Of
which we have written, Houdin invited
one of the audience to come on the
stage. A young Moor, about 20 years
of age, tall, well-bui(t, and richly
dressed, advanced. There was plain
table on the stage (the space between
the top and the floor being unmistak-
ably OPEN, which Houdin asked him to
mount. When he did so Houdin COW
cred him with an immense cloth cone,
and, instantly removing it, the Moor
was gone. This trick produced a panic
in the audience. Screaming, :" 1t is the
Evil One !" they clambered over the
benches in wild terror, and rushed out
the door into the street, where, in the
public place, rubbing his eyes in stupe-
faction and wondering how he got there,
they found the young Moor.
While in the interior, Houdin gave an
open-air exhibition to the wild sons of
the desert. He pretended that he was
invulnerable, and offered to let Mara
bout shoot at him. There was great
crowd, and vindictive. looking fellow
came out from it and claimed to have
the honor of killing the hated French
man. The pistols were handed to Hou-
din, who called attention to the fact
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