The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-10-25

/ cool, anu turning 10 MIN, salu.
"You are angry with me-
81 am,'' said the Marabout.
land would be avengedp''
| "Yes,n he replied. regarding Houdin
with eyes cleaning with ferocity.
+" 1t is very easy
"Show me the way"
II will show you,n said Houdin,
quietly, while the Arab was all atten-
ton.
"Take pistol; load ityourself. Here
are bullets. Put one in the barrel. But
stop
.sFor what?" said the Arab.
| Mark the bullet with your knife,
that you may know it" The Arab did as
he was told.
"You are quite certain now," said
Houdin, +" that the pistol is properly
loaded
| "Yes."
"Ten me, do you feel no remorse in
killing me thus, even though l con-
sent?"
| Nor'-and the eyes of the savage
grew darker with an expression OF
cruelty.
1T is strange said Houdin, almost
| sadly.
"You are my enemy, and l will kill
you," he replied.
"Wait but a moment
Houdin then stuck an apple on the
point of knife, and calmly gave the
word, as he held the fruit raised in one
hand, "Fire''
The pistol was discharged, the apple
flew far away, and there appeared in
its place, stuck on the point of the
knife, the bullet which the Marabout
aroused to intense excitement of feeling,
remained mute with stupefaction, while
the Marabout bowed before his superior,
saying:
"God is great. l am vanquished. :"
Great was the triumph of the French
wizard
Houdin then called for an empty
bowl which he kept constantly full of
boiling coffee, though but few of the
Arabs would taste of it, for they were
sure that it was the Evil Ones coffee
pot from whence it came. He told
them that it was within his power to
deprive them of all strength and to re-
store it to them at will, and he pro-
duced in illustration small box so
light that child could lift it with the
fingers.
And now came their astonishment.
This box suddenly became SO heavy
that the strongest man could not raise
it, and the Arabs, who priced physical
strength above everything, looked with
terror upon the magician, who, they
doubted not, could annihilate them by
the mere eXertiOn of his will.
The people expressed this belief, in
which the wizard, of course, confirmed
them, and promised that, at a day APP
pointed, he would convert one of them
into smoke. The day came and the
throng was prodigious. A fanatical
Marabout had agreed to give himself
up to the French sorcerer for the eX-
pertinent.
The preparations were on a grand
scale. The Marabout was made to
stand upon table, and was covered
with transparent gauze. Then Houdin
and another person lifted the table by
the ends, when the Arab disappeared
in a prOfuse cloud of smoke III"
ror OF the spectators was indescrlbable.
They rushed out of the place and ran
long distance before the boldest could
make up their minds to return and look
for the Marabout. They found him
near the spot where he had so mysteri-
ously disappeared, but he could not an
swer their questions; he could tell them
nothing at all, and only gazed wildly
at them like one bereft of his senses.
He was entirely ignorant of what had
happened to him.
This was Houdin's closing exhibition
in Arabia. The minds of the people
had been filed with wonder, and he
was venerated by all, while the preten-
tious Marabouts were in utter disgrace.
Boston Times.