Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1882-11-04

| 40 DShfs
Having covered the rose with tn
cup, us l would be willing to max,
oath, for saw the rose distinctly a
the hollow vessel, held by the top
went slowly down over if, the con
lurer resumed his former place. ant
said 4:
"Willyour excellency be kind enough
to lift the cup and see what is .nder it p
OF course I would have wagered {
heavy sum that the rose was still there
for one thing, because expecting some
trick, I had kept my eye on it to the
last moment, and was certain there was
no possibility of it's being removed afte,
the hand had let 60 of the cup at the
top.
complied with the request, stepped
forward, and raised the cup; but in.
stantly dropped it, and bounded back
with cry of terror-for there, instead
OF the rose, was one of the little, green,
deadly serpents of India, coiled up and
ready for spring, with its small, glis-
enipg eyes fixed intently on mine.
Snakes of any kind are my horror; and
this one not only Mortified me, but all
my attendants, who, with cries of alarm,
enlarged the circle very rapidly, for
they knew its bite to be fatal.
"No more such tricks as these, con-
iurer!" said I, sternly.
ut is perfectly harmless, your excel.
lency." grinned the old man, walking
up to it, lifting it by the neck, putting
its head into his mouth, and allowing
it to run down his throat.
I shuddered, and half.believed the
juRgler possessed of a devil, if not a
devil himself.
He next produced a tube that looked
like brass, about two feet long and half
an inch in diameter, and next, the ball
of twine again.
Where these things came from, or
went to, l could not tell. They seemed
to be in his hands when he wanted them:
but never observed his hands passing
near his dress, either when they ap.
peared or disappeared. When I looked
Tor the cup that I had lifted from the
snake. it was gone; and yet neither my
self nor any of my attendants had seen
his wonderful man pick it up! 1t was
indeed jugglery, if not magic, of the
most unquestionable kind
Through the brass tube the conjurer
low passed one end of the twine,
which he put between his teeth. He
hen placed the tube between his LIPS,
brew back his head, and held it per.
'endicularly, with the ball of twine on
he upper end. Then suddenly this
'all began to turn, and turn rapidly,
nd gradually grow smaller, till it en-.
irely disappeared, as if the twine had
een run off on reel. What turned
), or where it went to, no one could
ee. The juggler then set the other
nd up, and a new ball began to form
n the top. but apparently ribbon, of
alf an inch in width, and of different
olors. These rolled up, as if on a
obhin, till it formed wheel of two or
lree inches in diameter. when the per-
'rmer seemed to toss ribbon and the
lbe over his shoulder, and that was the
st saw of either.
He next produced what appeared to
3 the same cup l had lifted from the
lake, showing something that looked
ke an egg, advanced the same as be-
re, and placed the latter on the ground
Id the former over it, and again re.
Tested me to raise it, which I declined
do, fearing 1 should see another SER
'nt, or something equally horrifying.
"Will any one lift the cup?" he said,
rning to the others.
No one volunteered to do so, but all
ther drew back.
AT THIS ne took up the cup himself
I'd appeared to throw it into the air.
d there sat in it's place beautiful
we. which flew up and alighted on his
oulder. He took it in his hand, NUT.
red over some unintelligible words,
emed to cram it into his mouth, and G
at was the last 1 saw of that also. r
He performed some other tricks SINH. 8
to these, and concluded with the a
1sterious bag. This bag-which some. a
W came into his hands, as did all the il
Ter things he used, in q manner un- 9
own to us-was from two to three G
It long, and about foot wide It n
'ked as if it had been used to hold 81
ne kind of flour; and certainly saw s'
nething like the dust OF -four fiy l
m it when he turned it inside out Ia
beat it across his hands. He turned
'ack again, and tied it to the mouth -
b string, muttering low in ~
tation. h'
his done, he threw it on the ground 90