The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1889-10-03
dollar short herr. Only seventeen

dollar short here. Only seventeen
dollars here. e - -
That's beautiful. and JUS. a. the
fakir wants It. So he says:
Sure OF thata Just count II
again, please
so he counts again, while the
iakir watches. and when he has turned
over the last bill he says. with the air
Of q man who knows too much 70 be
cheated by these flip circus folks;
That's all--seventeen.'
"But the fakir Is 4 littie doubtful
80 ne says, az though wishing to make
sure: s. : -
y Just let me count It, pleased
+ Serene in the belief that he has
cornered his man. the buyer hands 1t
over, and the fakir takes the bills in
hissieft hand, with the ten dollar Ell
underneath, straightens them out, and
then bends the whole bunch back over
his left thumb. Then he turns them
over, one by7one, 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 laugh, and is gone
in the crowd. while the ticket buyer
jams his money into his pocket and
hurries into the tent where the ole
pants are believing.
But the fakir has got the ten-dellar
bill, because when he doubled that
over in counting the seventeen he
Ripped 1t clear over, and his agile lit
tie finger crushed 1t into very small
wad and held it there unnoticed, while
the other fingers were free to use.
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
btion and is gone.
''But the fire 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 falkirs 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
beckons 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 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 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 Ave, and If it's five he prob
ably only makes one. Youssee there
must be enough bills left in the wad
so that the absence of one won't be no
ticed."
That's a good. scheme,m re-
MARKED .but suppose when the rob-
berry is complete the purchased OF the
ticket should take notion to count
his money AGAIN."
There isn't one man in thousand
who will do it. You see he has counted
it twice and has seen the other man
verify his count
yes. I know" persisted, "but
suppose he should count it; wouldn't
the fakir be in pretty bad boatp''
mot in the least" he replied. III
such crank should happen along,
and they do occasionally, the instant
he starts in to count the money 4taa
ifakir drops the big bill from his left
hand to the ground and catches the
buyer by the arm with some exclama-
ton as:
Look out there! You're losing
something. You'll getthe worst 81 it
if you're not careful!
''As he says this he either picIa ap
the money and handsit to the mar or
points it out to him. and moves away
in the crowd. May be the man ,sus-
poets that the fellow tried to rob him,
but he has his money and can make no
kick, and besides the falir- is gone.
Oh. there's no way Of catching him.
But. as ! said. there isn't one man in a
Thousand who will count his money
that one last time. Chicago Mail.