Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-05-25

bout with brutal frankness. ."Ah,
indeed Do YOU see This five franc
piece? Well, l suppose you think |
couldn't command sa this to PAS PASS Into into
out your hand tightly closed and
watch me WELL" and Houdin held up the
coin, the Arab meanwhile stretching out
his closed fist with an incredulous grim.
"One, two, three" counted the conjuror,
and made the pass" The Arab grlnned
with shrng of the shoulders. Il am not
surprised" quietly remarked HUudin,
drawing by his remark, it is to be not
iced, the attention of the marabout from
his sash. Il threw it a little too hard
II went into your sash" A movement of
the mans hand in that direction was
stayed by the quickly added remark and
gesture, "but | was afraid it might break
your watch, so called that to me first
See Here it is - and he held it out. The
flve franc piece was OF course found IN the
sash, and the audience were all stupefied
and the marabout enraged. hope have
told this little story SO As to bring ont the
points began by insisting upon. 1t was
simple matter TO steal mans watch
and slip five france piece into his girdle,
a simpler still to pass" Il coin while pre-
tending to throw it, but the use made of
these acts betokeued dramatic and inven
tive genius, for the denouement was as
ShWOck in The Merchant of Venice"
The marabout was still not happy, and
eventually tackled the French conjurer
once more. 81 hear" said he "you let
men shoot at you in Algers" (Houdin had
been performing there his famous gun
trick "Now here are two pistols. Choose
one. We will load 1t. and will fire at
you " Houdin was staggered. for his gun
trick needed certain apparatus which was
100 miles Away, but he soon recovered his
presence of mind, that chief confederate of
the successful conjurer. and answered"Wil-
lingly; but you know need talisman to
be invunerable, and | have left mine at
Algiers." The sceptic smiled and Houdid
continued Still, by spending the night
in prayer and fasting, | can resist your
bullets even without talisman, and if you
will be here at to morrow morning you
may fire at me in the presence of your
friends" The marabOut agreed to the
proposition and withdrew. Houdin did
not spend the night IN prayer, and GER
tainly did not fast, but all the same he
was on hand at the hour agreed upon,
and so was the marabout, with his muir
demonstrating old tlint-lock weapons,
which he handed to the conjurer Atten-
ton was called by the latter to their I'M
tempered with condition, and the Arab
put in each a charge of powder. on top of
which bullet taken by Houdin from
platefull was placed and the wads driven
well home by the marabout himself. Hou-
din then stood up about 10 PAGES from the
evil-loOkiug old marabout who held one
of the pistols ia his hand. stop" said
Houdn." you know the pistol is loaded,
and that the printing is good. Do you feel
no scruplc in firing at me even at my own
bidding?" NO" was the startling re
Spouse II Dant TO kill YOU" Then fire
AT my heart" said HouGin in a steady
voice. A flash, a report and when the
smoke lifted the conjurer was standing
there with the bullet between his teeth.
Mad with disappointed rage the mara
bout ran forward aud attempted to seize
the other pistol, but wa prevented by the
conjurer, who took it himself with the re
mark, mo. You could not injure me,
but you will see that | can aim better"
and he fired the weapon point-blank at a
white washed wall near by. The white
ness was seen to be married by large red
patch near the spot aimed at. The mara
bout approached it, and touched it with
his foretinger, which he then raised to his
mouth. 1t was human blood. The Arab
said not word, his arms fell to his side,
his lead dropped on to his breast and he
went forth n saddened man.
Here again we have a little drama in
which Houdin was the intelligent, the