The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-02-20
THE SNAKE CHARMER.


der OF pieces Of scented wood, wicker
baskets and other Oriental trifies, had
been knocked down and run over by a
butchers cart, in the shafts OF which, as
Is the butcherly custom, swift trotting
pony was driven by n reckless, bare
headed youncster The old mans wrist
only WAS broken, III The shock 10 his
system seemed like, TO prove fatal Mt his
advanced age, whi-A rumor fixed Mt con
siderably over 100 years.
From the moment that the old fellow
vas put 10 bed, MascGrenhas, a Hind0o
attendant, was unremitting IN his atten-
ton TO him. He could converse with him
in his own language; lie spent hour after
hour by his bedside and exhausted the re
sources of the hospital in making him as
comfortable as might be- One disciple Of
Esculapius ventured To ask him in the
chatting style current at st. Dots, if he
had found his long lost grandfather.
Tho fire that blaZed from the young
darkey's eyes at this was enough 20 warn
his quest.oner that there was danger in
pressing The point, and he dropped the
subject like a hot potato
The old heather had only one visitor
during his four days lingering in the
ward-a young Hindoo cadger, who had
roamed the streets in his company, beat
ing "a tom-tOm aud chanting some sort of
gibberi.h to melancholy tune. He
claimed to be distantly related to him,
but the patient received him with such
undisguiscd dislike that lie was requested
after a second call not to repeat his visits,
which seemed 10 agitate the old man eX
CeSsiNely.
ION the morning Of the fourth day the
old Hindoo gave up the ghost more from
old ago than anything, and the customary
white screen was placed around his bed,
while the nurses prepared his body for
the visit Of the parish undertaken a
hurried inquest had been held, in which
the old mans body figured as one Of
batch submitted 10 the grumbling dozen
Of shOpkeepers, who did duty as a jury.
The cOrOner's order had been made out
for burial, and had fairly forgotten all
about the case, when Il note from Mascar-
onhas, delivered al my lodgings, brought
me down 10 the hospital III eager curios
ity.
1T was midnight when / reached the
house surgeons room az St Dot 5, to find
Mascareuhas in state Of wild excite
ment, surrounded by q knot Of physicians
and students, whose faces wore an air Of
curiosity, mixed with incredulity. The
Eurasian was talking volubly as | en-
tered In his hand he held what APP
pe9red to be dead snake, Of some non
venemOus species, fangless and hoodless,
but marked along the back with scales Of
a peculiar green luster which glittered in
the gaslight as he turned it about with
eager gesticulatiOns. Among the men he
was addressing were some of the most
learned and earnest Of the faculty at
tached 10 the hospital men open 10 con-
victiCn, but not likely TO be victims of de-
CeptiOn even il il had been his wish To
deceive them
d" / tell you, gentlemen, he said, in the
peculiar screechinC tone he always used
when highly excited. i tell that you are
about 10 witness Il vindlcatlOn Of that
eastern science for whose reality have
50 often contended. The old man who
lies in the operating theatre yonder is a
Prahmin Of the highest caste, as YOU may
see by the sacred cord lac wears, from
which, once assumed, his compeers never
part In life and death He has been
the master OF mighty secrets. serpent
charmer of the most advanced order and
ia his time a high priest Of Mariatele. All
that is involved In that description | will
moi attempt 10 tel You, lest should con
vert ygM disbelief into ridlcule. But /
declare that Zee has proved To Inc his
knowledge OF the dread mysteries OF life
and death Of the power attributed in
fancy 10 the fabled Frankenstein. | have
promised You that within an hour you
shall see the dead brought back to life
And for this boon conferred upon him by
my weak hands, he has sworn by his
goodness and the sacred Vedas TO make
Us partners in his knowledge. Is this
mighty secret worth ali hours experiment
OF no,'
"'Will You kindly explain the treat
ment you intend to adopt" asked D.
Mop, a grim old Scotchman who re-
garded the enthusiast with the plying
expression of one who hears the yagaries
OF a hopeless lunatic
The talisman is here said Masca-
renhas, holding the limp body of the rep
tile aloft. This creature, lying appar-
emily lifeless on my palm, has existed in
this state for unnumbered ages. The
VI ilo lOAhi JuIONo
strains the process Of decay and imparts
10 IL n magnetic power of the highest pos
sible order II has been preserved in the
Brahmins family for countless genera
tious, and used, as we shall use it to-
night, 10 give vitality 10 the dead in days
before your western civilization was
dreamed Of Ii is the sacred snake of
Vishnu; il others Of its tribe are yet TO be
found they are In the possession of the
members of her priesthood, aud their eX
istence is guarded from the vulgar as a
dread and unattainable secret Yet its
images are worshiped TO this day in count
less shrines, from Calcutta TO Kurrachee,
from the llindoo Koosh TO Mysore.'
" Clean mad muttered the old doctor.
If properly applied within twenty
four hours Of death 10 a body in which
no vital organic leison has taken place
continued Mascarcnhas, republication is
as certain rs that steel strikes fire from
flint. But follow me, gentlemen, and let
me convince the most skeptical among
you. You shall see the dead man live,
move and possess his being again in re-
newed vigor, and the dread secret of ages,
OH which all the visions of the ROsicru
clans and other Sects Of dreamers have
been based, shall be mine and yours.
IF unconvinced our curiosity was
powerfully excited With rapid footsteps
we followed the young mystls through the