The Portland daily press., 1889-01-14

It would be easier to hypnotic large assem-
blage than one individual, and the Eastern
1ugglers seem to do it You have heard of
the famous Indian basket trick, as it is
calledP There an audience of any number
OF persons severally and collectively witness
a transaction that their eyesight conyinces
them it takes place. What is the explana-
tlonp Simply that they are all hypnotized
before the trick is performed, and then. of
course, the trick is reduced to merely induc-
ing them to believe that something is done
which is really not done at ALL"
After my experience of last night don't
Ieel IKE dlsputlng anything you say. doctor"
observed Roger Mowbray "but should like
TO know how a man can hypnotic a crowd of
people, ana also how they can recover from
been in it."
II the conditions be favorable. nothing is
more easily performed than hypnotism," the
doctor replied; simply to fix the attention
Tor few moments is often sufficient, and
that any iuggler can do. hypnotized you
last night only by inducing you to look in
tently at me for sixty seconds. Then, as to
your second point, the trance may be of
various degrees, from light to profound. The
light trance Is sufficient for complete self-ds-
ception, and the transition from that to wax
ing so easy as not to be perceived"
Il certainly believe saw you jump over
the cliff, !" said Roger; land after / came to
still could hardly persuade myself that you
had not done it. Rachel, here, says she
spoke to me; but didn't know her. But is
it not rather alarming that such power as
you possess should eXistp"
Indeed, If didn't know the doctor was a
good man, shouldn't feel safe for a mo-
ment," Rachel said.
Luckily, / am harmless" remarked he,
with peculiar smile; "but there's truth In
your suggestion Mr.. Mowbray. Hypnotism
might give terrible powers. If l had told
you, last night, to jump over the bluff, you
would have done 1t, or If, while you were
still In the trance, had commanded you to
do, or to see, or not to see. a certain thing at
a certain future time-say, at O'Clock this
afternoon-you would have obeyed punctu-
ally at the appointed hour, without any
| further action on my part"
Dear me!' said Rachel, with a nervous
laugh, II remember you whispered some
thing to Roger last night before you woke
him up. What did you tell him to do?"
"You said person could be ordered mot
to see anything" broke in Roger; do you
mean that concrete object could be rem
dered actually invisible to one in the hyp-
motto trance?'
Certainly p replied the doctor; anything
that is told to the patient he is bound to be-
lieve. Ii were to tell you that the big tree
yonder had been dug up and carried away,
1t would Immediately become invi,ible to
you; and neither your sense of touch nor
any other means could persuade you that
there was anything there. But / see this
conversation Is distressing Mrs. Moworay
| let us change it. Do you know, Mr.. Now
bray, that you bear a strong resemblance to
| your late father?"
81 have been sometimes told so. But was
not aware that you knew him."
Eyes, knew him well, many years ago,
| when we were both about your age. After
| ward circumstances separated us. When /
| met you the other day in London the like
| ness startled me; it was as if buried gener.
alton had come to life again. Your fathers
| wife was Miss Clayton, think?"
Eyes, that was my mothers name"
"Ah! / was not thinking of her as your
| mother. do not trace her features in you.
However, that is neither here nor there.
thinking over those old days has recalled
| another person to mind-one JohnFelbrigge.
fancy that you never heard of him."
Il think remember the name, said Roger
but never saw him. Unless I'm mistaken
my father and he were not good friends"
They We're friends until, for some reason
| they had bitter quarrel, and parted. 1t was
the general opinion that Felbrigge was in
| fault. He was certainly cross-grained fell
| low, whereas your tather was always very
suave and engaging. The quarrel occurred
before your fathers marriage, and the coca
heart. Naturally, Felbrigge would get
| worsted therev
What became of this Mr.. Felbrigg PIE in
qrired Rachel.
HE was student, and after the quarrel
/ lC ucfUlCu uliuotil W dUolIuS6 IeStdIcHtS
and lived on the continent and afterward in
India. He ought to have died long since, /
suppose"
mother, was it?" asked Roger.
"She was not the lady your father married.
l think" the doctor replied lit was probably
some earlier affair; he was dangerous man,
he added laughing. 'Now that / recollect,
the other woman's name was Mercy-yes,
Mercy Holland. You never knew of her?''
rl.xwr 11l~h L. 4, H. n. -
not!' said the doctor; land what interest
have these old stories for you young people
Come, have something to PROPOSED What
do you say to our taking our lancheon with
US and spending the day down on the rocks
There are some curious caves | want you to
see; and there is romantic legend about one
of them. Shall we go?"
The others willingly consented, and they
made their preparations and set out. In
stead OF climbing to the top of Slyne Head,
as on the previous evening, they descended
to the shore, above which the stupendous
crags hung as If about to t0pple over In a
crevice of the rocks, just above high-water
mark, the doctor picked up a fragment OF
chain with handcuff attached to it. 1t was
but slightly rusted and evidently could have
been left there but short time b, fore
Mowbray and his wife were much interested
in the discovery, and speculated as to how II
could have got there.
us there Jail anywhere in this neighbor-
None nearer than Galway that know OF, !"
replied the doctor; "but believe there have
been some eyictions going on in this neigh
borh00d, and this handcuff may have been
put on prisoner who escaped; He must
have had assistance in freeing himself from
his letters, however. This handcutf, as you
see, shuts by spring and can be opened only
by taking two hands to it. The person to
whom 1t was attached could not unfasten it
unaided. 1t is certainly odd that the fugitive
cholild hayQ ehanQd his in this diraa-
ton. In these thinly settled regions conceal
ment is more difficult than in cities"
what strange feeling it must be to be
fastened to chain. and know that you can't
get away" observed Rachel, examining the
steel manacle with curiosity.
People get used to even that" rejoined the
doctor: "and, after all, we are all fettered in
some way, though the links may be invis-
lDle " lie put the relic in his pocket and
they continued their journey along the beach
The way was rough and tortuous, the bowld-
els lying irregularly, and the pebbles of
which the beach was composed offering a
slippery and wearisome fOothold. They
were nearly an hour in going no more than a
mile; but they were rewarded at the eud of
their Journey by coming to large cave, h0l-
lowed out in the seward extremity of a
promontOry that formed one of the natural
divisions of the beach. Its mouth was only
about seven or eight feet in diameter; but
inside it expanded into chamber of fair size
and height, dTaped with seaweed and per-
vaded by the sweet salt smell of the sea. The
day had been somewhat close and oppressive
aud the GOODNESS OF the cave was grateful
after their arduous walk. The interior was
lighted up by the rays of the declining sun,
for it was already afternoon.
Using large fiat stone as table, they un-
packed their basket and lunched at their
leisure. The doctor was in capital spirits,
and made himself highly agreeable. lie re-
lated many stories of his own past life and
adventures; he had travelled in all parts of
the world, and had lived several years in
Northern India, where he had seen strange
sights. Finally, the conversation got round
To the snnt there they then were and the