The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-28
Printed BY Special arrangement. copyrighted 1885,
E d G. ED TOOLS.
A TALE IN TWO CHAPTERS.
BY Brander Matthews and Walter Herries Pollock.
CHAPTER III.

Monsieur Blitzini, from whom they had hardly
taken their eyes during the brief minute of the
huge serpent's existence. They saw him give
one gasp before he recovered himself sufficiently
to take fne abundant applause which followed
an effect as novel, and as surprising, and as in
applicable as this. He snatched up the hat from
the floor and rushed upon the rundown. Then
he paused and drew long breath. In a moment
he had turned out upon plate, with which he
had previously provided one of the spectators,
the smoking omelet, of which the appetizing
| odors had been perceived before the appearing
| of the snake, and he had returned the hat unim-
paired to Wyoming.
HE works neatly" said Cameron.
"But he is powerful scared Wyoming an
swered. "These new variations on the old tricks
surprise him as much as they do US"
Perhaps our joke is coming true-the spirits
! have taken umbrage at his unauthorized
use OF their names and they are playing tricks on
| him."
"Do you think that his familiar spook has
gone back on himl7 asked Wyoming.
"What else can l Think" returned Cameron.
1.-THE Hufy spook theory is the only tenable
| ouer
least" Wyoming assented. "But why is it that
all goes well while he is down here among the
audience, and that everything goes wrong when
he is up there on the stagel Have you noticed
| itP
YES" Cameron answered, II see it, and it Is
queer"
Of the next two items on the programme there
| is no need to speak in detail. The tricks were
commonplace enough in themselves, but they
| proved to be quite uncommon in their execution.
There was nothing as surprising startling
| as the serpent which rose from the hat and dis
appeared by inches, with sharp line as though
it had been cut off with knife, but they were
| astonished enough
Wyoming kept close watch of the magcian's
| face, and he noted all his movements; and he
that Monsieur Bitzini, in so far as possible,
kept among the spectators and away from the
| stage. He was confirmed in his idea that it was
| only on the further side of the footlights that
the indignant spirits were able to take advan-
tage OF the conjurer's weakness. Monsieur
Blitzini had full control of his resources so long
as he was In the midst of the audience. and both
| tricks went we'll enough until the exgencies of
| the performance forced the magician to return
| to the stage.
gramme, which was called LIE Tireur des Caftes,
| but which Wyoming and Cameron soon recog
nized as the familiar illusion known as the
| rising cards, and justly popular among all mod
ern magicans, it is almost the only card trick
which Is snowy enough for large hall.
Monsieur Blitzini took pack of cards in his
| hand and came down among the audience and
| performed a series of most ingenious tricks He
| passed cards into a gentlemans pockets, and he
| drew cards from ladys fan. He gave one spec
tator black card to hold and then touched it with
| his wand, and, 10! 1t was red card. He babe an
other spectator think of card and he then
| asked him IL he would prefer to And it at the
| top or the bottom OF the pack, and when the
| spectator chose the top, he turned over the up
pernost card and it was the one thought Of At
last he got six different persons in different parts
of the hall to draw cards and return them to the
pack, which was then thoroughly shuf1ed,
Monsieur Blitzni went back to the stage and
placed the pack in a glass goblet, and with this
in his hand he advanced towards the footlights
Turning to the gentleman who had drawn the
first of the six cards, he said, "Will YOU please
| ask your card to rise from the packP
Before the gentleman could make this request
a card jumped from the pack and flew to the side
of the stage and fixed itself to the scene.
Monsieur Blitzinis voice Quivered as he asked
us that your card sirR"
''No" was the uncompromising ans wer
A second card rose from the pack and skinned
through the air and fastened itself on the scene
on the other side of the stage
is that your cards" asked Monsieur Blitzni
doubtfully.
NO" answered the gentleman again.
A third card, fourth and fifth came from
the pack in rapid succession, and danced about
the stage. and affixed themselves here and there
on the scenery. They were followed by a dozen
more, which rose in bunch and scattered
through the air, and attached themselves to
every salient object on the stage,
"Do you see your card, sir?" Monsieur Blitzini
inquired again with obvious uneasiness in his
tone
Again the gentleman answered:
mo"
to ask this question and he now stepped out
upon the rundown with the glass containing the
remaining cards in his right hand
What was your cards" he asked, with dis
heartened smile.
''The king of diamonds" the gentleman re-
Piled and as he spoke the king of diamonds
rose from the pack and bowed gracefully.
The spell of ill luck was broken, and the five
other cards rose in turn from the top of the
pack. Monster Blltzini was again able to bow
acknowledgements to the round of applause
which always greets this favorite feat when it is
properly performed. Wyoming, who was a close
observer-he was an excellent poker player
noticed that although the magicians lips smiled,
his eyes did not.
The final number of the first part of the pro
gramme purported to be LA Pluto de Danae"
which Wyoming and Cameron had guessed to be
fantastic title for familiar and effective trick
generally known the "Shower of Money" In
this surmise they were right. With admirable
dexterity Monsieur Blitzni seemed to catch SOW
ereigns out of the circumambent air; he found
them in the bonnets of the ladies and in the
boards of the men; he discovered them here,
there and everywhere: he borrowed hat and he
threw into it enough gold apparently to suffice to
fill it to the brim. He gave pretty touch to the
trick by making an ever-increasing arc Of gold
pieces stretch from one hand to the other, and
then from hand into the hat-''like a bar
tender mixing drinks and pouring cocktail
from glass in his right hand 20 a glass in his
Left" as Wyoming described it.
While performing this ingenious variation on
an old trick, Monsieur Blitzini backed slowly up
the run down, with the shower of gold apparent.
ly increasing in volume From hasty glance
be cast behind him, Cameron and Wyoming
guessed that he meant to carry the trick right
back to the extreme limit of the shallow stage