Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-05-21
An Oriental Fakir.

"It occurred" said the amateur story
teller. "near Lomnock, in the East. /
| was younger then, and was travelling
| around the country with the idea in nv
head that the Office of Americans was to
teach the world, but got left, as the
Arabs say. On this occasion I went
ashore to spend the night at native
| village four or five miles inland, where
it was reported famous juggler lived.
| We were a jolly party, all besides my
self being sailors, and having O hard
| time riding on the native ponies thew
had provided us with; but after many
capsizes we managed to reach our des-
tination, where we found the fakir, and
| made up purse of about So, without
| which nothing could be done. Some
of his tricks beat anything ever came
across.
"He was a tall, thin, ol1ve-hued fell
low, with long black hair caught up be-
hind and tied with string. He was
extremely reticent, and all through the
performance neither smiled nor uttered
word. The first trick was to arrange
our party about him in circle of about
thirty feet in diameter, and we were so
close together that no one could pass
out without our knowing it. To pre-
vent such possibility he gave us cord
to hold. This being done he and a
smaller native with bundle of wood
took their placss in the center. The
young man arranged the wood in
pile and lighted it, and when it blazed
up the older man seized him, threw
him upon the flames, and held him
down. INN ediately there arose
dense, suffocating smoke that seemed
mixture of flesh and sandalwood. 1t
rose about their heads and spread about
until it completely hid them, and from
it came such groans and cries that sew
eral of the men called out that we had
better take O. hand, as the boy was be-
ing murdered. But reminded them
that it was only trick, no matter how
realistic. We waited perhaps five min.
utes, when the yells ceased and the
smoke gradually cleared away, and
there stood the old fakir alone. the
young man having to ali intents and
purposes been burned. He was SCOOP
ing something from the fre-evidently
ashes-into flask which was handed
to us and pressed around the cremated
remains Of the assistant"
Out" interrupted gentleman at
the foot of the table, ''didn't he slip out
in the smoker" 'sThere was no place to
go to-" was the reply 'sas we were in a
clearing away from trees or bushes.
But the strangest part is to come" he
continued. "After passing the flask
around he took 1t back, and placed il in
the center of the circle, and putting
some wood under it lighted it. Almost
Immediately the flask began to grow
before our eyes; the fire blazed, and
rich odor of sandalwood hoated about,
and in ten minutes the flask had ex-
banded until it was the size of large
keg. The fire was then put out, and we
were beckoned to come near and exam
inc. I touched il and it seemed O. lar
of earth made of plaster or mud; il had
seal ring, and to the hand was hot. Al |
ter looking it over we returned to our
places; the old fakir then took q ham
mer, waved his hands in the air. utter
ing some mystic words, and struck the
vessel blow that broke it in pieces.
when out stepped the boy we had seen
or thought we had seen-cremated. |
as bright as you please. L should be |
glad to have the trick solved, but have
never found anyone who could explain
it satisfactorily. Some aver that the |
old fakir concealed the young man
about his own person; but that was sim.
ply impossible, as / felt of the fakir
myself and he had nothing on but a
shirt, open in the back, and pair of
trousers"