The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1889-08-10

kEICHUM, AIIURAS
with the air of man who know
too much to be cheated BY any o
these Zip circus folks:
That's all-seventeen 7
"But the fakir is q little doubtful
80 he says, as though wishing t
make sure
"sJust let me count it. please
"Serene in the belief that he ha.
cornered his man, the buyer hand.
it over, and the fakir takes the bills
in his left hand, with the $40 bill
underneath, straightens them ou,
and then bends the whole bunch
back over his left thumb. Then he
turns them over one by one and
they lie straight out-full length.
When he reaches the last one he
says, quite cheerfully:
you're right-my mistake and
your treat, or some such amiable
chestnut, hands the bills back to the
man, still at full length, goes down
in his trousers pocket with his right
hand and gets a silver dollar, which
he shoves into the strangers hand,
laughs, says something about mis-
takes will happen,' claps the man
on the shoulder with a laugh and is
gone with the crowd, while the
ticket buyer jams his money into
his pocket and hurries into the tent
where the elephants are believing.
"But the fakir has got the ten
dollar bill because when he doubled
that over in counting the seventeen
he Tipped it clear over and his agile
little finger crushed it into a very
small wad and held it there unno-
ticed while the other fingers were
free to use. And inasmuch as the
sucker has himself twice counted
the bills and has seen the fakir
count them he will swear that he
has got all that belongs to him when
he has compelled the fakir to go
down into his pocket and fork out
The silver dollar. He doubles up
the bills without further examina-
ton and is gone.
s'But the fine work doesn't end
here. When the fakir laughingly
claps his man on the back he puts q
chalk mark on him which keeps all
the other fakirs away from him.
He may try to buy red lemonade or
peanuts or prize packages or con-
cert tickets, but he can't do it. The
men he halls refuse to see him and
pass him by. The reason is this:
If they sell him something they
might cause him to bring forth the
roll of bills, in which case he might
notice that the ten dollars is miss
ng and would be apt to raise a row.
But if one of them should overlook
he signal and be instrumental in
lpprising the man of his loss he is
compelled by rule among the ia
kirs to stand the loss and restore
he ten dollars or whatever sum it
nay be. In case man gives up a
en- instead Of q twenty the fakir
'nly makes five, and if it's a i've he
probably only gets one. You see
here must be enough bills left in
he wad so that the absence of one
Won't be noticed"
That's q good scheme" said,
but suppose when the robbery is
the purchaser of tickets
hould take a notion to count his
money again?"
"There isn't one man in a thou
and who will do it," he replied.
You see he has counted it twice
nd seen the other man verify his
ount."
Eyes, I know" persisted, "but
uppose he should count it; would
ot the fakir be in a pretty bad
oat?"'
"Not in the least" he replied.
If such a crank should happen
long, and they do occasionally, the
1stant he starts into count the
1oney the fakir drops the big bill
.om his left hand to the ground
nd catches the buyer by the arm
'ith some such exclamation as:
"Look out there! You're losing
omething. You'll get the worst Of
if you're not careful"
"As he says this he either picks
D the money and hands it to the
ian or points it out to him and
loves away in the crowd. Maybe
1e man suspects that the fellow
led to rob him, but he has his
,oney and can make no kick be-
des the fakir is gone. Oh, there's
0 way of catching him. But, as /
lid, there isn't one man in thou
md who will count his money that
ne last time. Chicago Mail.
The Rochester Herald gives the
blowing graphic history of the
annel shirt, which will be appre-