, 1888-10-02
ASTONISHING FEATS.
TRICKS PERFORMED BY AN OLD JUG7s
GLER IN INDIA.

Ut anu ANhIpolos ilN bOu1 NdnJ OIlG
day informed me hat ii great juggler and
snake charmer wished to have the honor
of showing me something of his skill.
My servant withdrew and presently re-
turned with a small. withered old man,
about whom saw nothing remarkable
except the eyes, which were small. black
and piercing and seemed to have light
ming Imprisoned in them. ! do not know
whether the man could see me in the dark
like a cat, but there was at times that
peculiar fiery appearance of the balls
which Is SO often observable in night
providing animals
He wore a white vest, Turkish trousers,
a kind of crimson petticoat worked with
strange device, a turban of many colors
and morocco shoes pointed and turned up
at the toes His arms and neck were bare,
and with the exception of a couple of heavy
gold rings in his ears. he displayed no ex-
traneous ornaments His age | judge to
be 60 and his short mustache was almost
white He made a slow salam and then
suddenly produced-from where | did not
see and canno tell-a large ball of Irvine,
which he appeared to toss in my lap,
keeping hold of one end so that it I'M
rolled the whole distance between him
and meat least ten feet-saying as he
did -
VIII your exceIlency please examine
What Won seer
Now honestly aver that ! saw that
ball OF twlne when he threw it as plainly
rs i ever saw anything in my life-saw it
some toward me. saw 1t unroll and mp
R4~ently drop into my lap, so that |
brought my knees quickly together to
catc! II and yet when put my hand
down to take 1t and looked down for it. it
wn~ not there nothing was there. and at
the SAME instant | perceived the juggler
dau.inp II nm fhp pnI Of his Gnpar
4 WONDERFUL TRANSFORMATION
Does your excellency think | have it,"
he said
And before | could answer ! saw in
place OF the ball a beautiful large red
rose. which he was balancing by the stem
and yet he had not altered his position
in the least. nor scarcely stirred a finger
While yet looked saw in his right
hand a cup and in his left a rose He
stepped forward a few feet. laid the rose
down on the ground. and placed the cup
over it
Here. it will be observed. there was no
machinery TO assist him-no table with
it's false top concealed compartments and
confederate perhaps, to effect n change,
as we see similar tricks performed in :
place fitted 10y II magician iol the purpose
but only my own quarters. in the full
light of day with myself closely watching
every movement. within Eve feet of him,
and my attendants grouped around almost
rs near.
Ilaving covered the rose with q cup-as
! would be willing to take my oath, for
saw the rose as distinctly as the hollow
vessel held by the top went slowly down
over 1.-THE conjurer resumed his former
place. and said
VIII your excellency be kind enough
to lift the cup and see what is under it?"
OF course. would AVE wagered q
heavy sum TINT the rose was still there
for one thing. because. expecting some
trick. | had kept my eye on it to the last
moment and was certain there was no
possibility Of its being remuved after a
hand had let 20 of the cup nj the top.
! complied with the request, stepped
forward and raised the cup, but instantly
dropped it with IA cry of terror-for there,
instead of the rose. was one of the little,
deadly green serpents of India. coiled up
and ready to spring, with it's small
glistening eyes fxed 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 en-
larged the circle very rapidly, for they
knew its bite to be fatal.
1T is perfectly harmless, your excel
lency." grinned the old man, walking up
to it. lifting it by the neck, putting its
head in his mouth and allowing it to run
down his throat.
II TUBE AND TwINE.
He next produced u tube that looked
like brass. about two feet long and half
an inch in diameter. and next the ball of
Irvine again Where these things came
from or went to | 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
appeared or disappeared When | looked
for the cup that | had lifted from the
snake it was gone. int yet neither myself
nor any of my attendants had seen this
wonderful man pick it up. 1t was indeed
jugglery. If not magic. of the most I'M
questionable kind.
Through the brass tube the conjurer
passed one end of the Irvine, which he put
between his teeth. He then put the tube
between his lips. threw back his head and
held it perpendicularly, with the ball of
Irvine at the upper end. Then suddenly
the ball began to turn, and urn rapidly,
and gradually grow smaller, till it entirely
disappeared. as If the Irvine had run off on
II reel What turned it or where it went
to no one could see. The juggler then
set the other end up. and a new ball began
to form on the top, but apparently rib
bon of half an inch in width and different
colors These rolled up as If on n bobbin,
till 1t formed a wheel two or three inches
in diameter, when the performer seemed
TO toss ribbon and tube over his shoulder.
and that was the last | saw of either.
He next produced hat appe9 : 10 BE-
the same cup | had lifted from ia nike,
showing something that appc,-,, be
an egg advanced The same as ',r q, md
placed the latter on the ground ana mo
former over it. and again requested me to
open II which declined to do. fearing |
should see another serpent or something
equally terrifying
Al this he took up the cup himself and
appeared To throw it in the air. and there
sat in It's place y beautiful dove, which
flew up AMI alghted ON his shoulder He
took ii Ltn his hand and muttered over
some uruutelligible words. seemed to cram
1t into his mouth and that was the last l
saw of thai also ST Iouis Sayinps