Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-08-29
Only seventeen

dollar short here. Only seventeen
dollars here
THAT'S beautiful. and just as the
fakir wants it. So he says:
'''Sure of that? just count it
again. please
$50 he counts again, while the
fakir watches. and when he has turned
over the last bill he says. with the air
of a man who knows too much to be
cheated by these flip circus folks:
That's all-seventeen.'
''But the fakir is little doubtful,
so he says, as though wishing to make
sure:
'''Just let me count it, pleased
Serene in the belief that he has
cornered his man. the buyer hands it
over. and the fakir takes the bills in
his left hand. with the ten dollar bill
underneath, straightens them out. 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. 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 slaps the man on
the shoulder with a laugh, and is gone
in the crowd, while the ticket buyer
jams his money into his pocket and
hurries into the tent where the ele-
pants 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 lit
tie finger crushed it into very small
wad and held it there unnoticed, while
And inasmuch as the sucker has him
self 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 examine
ton and is gone.
s.But the fine work doesn't END
there. When the fakir laughingly
claps his man on the back he puts a
chalk mark on him which keeps all
other fakirs away from him. He may
try to buy red lemonade or peanuts or
prize packages, or concert tickets, but
he can't do it. The men he halls and
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 would notice that the
ten dollars was missing, and would be
apt to raise a row. Buff one of them
should overlook the signal and be in
strumental in apprising the man of his
loss he is compelled by a rule among
the fakirs to stand the loss and restore
the ten dollars or whatever sum it
may be. In case a man gives up a
ten instead of twenty the fakir only
makes five. and if it's a five he prob
ably only makes one. You see there
must be enough bills left in the wad
so that the absence of one won't be no
ticed.'
That's good scheme" I re-
marked, ''but suppose when the rob-
berry is complete the purchaser of the
ticket should take a notion to count
his money again?"
''There isn't one man in a thousand
who will do it. You see he has counted
it twice and has seen the other man
verify his count"
Eyes, 1 know" I persisted, ''but
suppose he should count it; wouldn't
the fakir be in a pretty bad boat?"
Not in the least" he replied. 81
such a crank should happen along
and they do occasionally, the instant
he starts in to count the money the
fakir drops the big bill from his lief
hand to the ground and catches thu
buyer by the arm with some exclama
ton as:
"'Look out there! You're losing
something. You'll get the worst of il
if you're not careful!
LAS he says this he either picks VI
the money and hands it to the man o
points it out to him, and moves ava
in the crowd. May be the man sus
poets that the fellow tried to rob him
but he has his money and can make n
kick, and besides the fakir is gone
Oh, there's no way of catching him
But, as / said. there isn't one man in
thousand who will count his none
that one last time. Chicago Mail.
Carving Zulu Babies.