The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-04-04
EAST INDIAN JuGGLERY.


'sWhen was stationed in Putupjob,
in the Gil-Hooley district of India, " said
Major Botail, of H. M. 319th Fusileers,
II had little to do but lay off in my bung-
allow and drink shikkaree flush, which
you know is ar. uncommonly fine thug
for hot day."
We nodded assent as we lighted our
cheroots all around, and were all atten-
ton. 1t was hot in the club-roOm, the
Major had on his usual three-quarter
jag, and we knew story was coming.
We were all gay young bankrupt officers
of the line, and time was nothing to us.
s'With twenty or thirty shikkaree
Pushes and an occasional brandy pun
kah," continued the Major, 81 managed
to worry through the heat of the day.
and in the evening it was the cheese, as
the natives say, to visit each others
bungalows, have tiffin under the dowdy-
dow trees, play cricket with an mean
descent ball-(never told you about
that?-my invention-will some day.
and play whist for I. o. US.
"But our-or rather [ would say my
chief recreation was in watching the
performances of the native jugglerS.
Begad, gentlemen, l. value my reputa-
ton too highly to attempt to describe
some of their feats, and L will content
myself with the relation of few simple
tricks [ have witnessed. Cholmondeley,
| believe this round is on you? No,
Henry, no water in mine.
"Well, sirs; one dayvlish hot after
noon in January as l was going to sleep
over an exciting leader in the Times,
Tip-too my favorite rip-watty (grog-
miXer) came running to me and cried,
in Hlndoostanee: 'Sahib, much come
welly slundum catchee. No jumpee
row-dow.'
''By this, I understood that party of
expert jugglers were approaching, and
with my permission would give per.
:ormance on the panky-dan Qawn). |
ordered Tip-too to notify the ladies,
and just as they assembled on the ram
bah (porch), the jugglers came in sight.
''There were five of them, three men,
a woman, and boy aged about ten.
Each wore long white kitmurgi, con-
fined at the waist by belt made of
]
bare, and the men wore immense tur-
bans. The leader was wizened chap
of ninetyodd, who solemnly introduced
himself as Ram Bowlar.
"After going through few simple
tricks, such as growing q ten-foot tree
in a tomato can, and carving the boy
into bits (the old gentleman swallowing
the head at one gulp), the gang got
down to business.
Ram Bowlar asked me for an empty
whiskybottle, and after considerable
search. one was found and handed to
him. Taking out Inc cork, with the
single turn Of his wrist, he transformed
il into cricket-ball, while the bottle
slowly lengthene1 into bat
He tossed the ball to the boy, who
gave him a round arm slow. He hit it
into the air; up it went, almost out of
sight, and in ten seconds came down as
l1eg of pale ale, already tapped, with
revenue stamp on the bung.
81 was a little disappointed that it
wasn't brandy, but after assuring my
self that the ale was genuine, ordered
the ceremonies to proceed. The woman
then advanced, and, taking the boy by
the nose, held him out at arms length.
The two men then seized the boys legs
and stretched him until he was nineteen
or may be twenty feet long, AMI about
as thin as my wrist While they held
him in that position. Ram Bowlar
wound his turban around the lad, from
end to end, stood him upright, and, be-
CAD. gentlemen, it was a telegraph pole.
with cross-arms and inSulators complete.
Hardly had our applause died away be-
fore the old fal1ir picked up the pole and
passed it slowly down his throat, and as
the last inch disappeared, the boy sho t
up from the solid ground like Harlequin
in pantomime coming through stage
trap.
81 tossed the boy shilling, as token
of my approval, AMI drew ano Their pint
of al.
Has the sahib lambolly (gun)?'
asked the Ram.
II ordered a gun to be given him.
loaded to prevent accidents. To my
horror, he snapped it across his knee,
and. before [ could demonstrate, turned
the barrel into rabbit and the stock
into greyhound. and in two minutes
the dog had chased the rabbit out OF
sight in the jungle. He then unwound
his t1rban, gave it flip in the air, and
it curled back with my gun in it's folds,
not only intact, but with my name and
address etched on the barrel
''Has the sahib a hundred-pound note
about his clothes?' asked the Ram, be-
| no hoo cd
"'No, sir, replied, promptly, pass
on to the next trick
''He seemed disappointed, and gave
one of his followers back-handed swat
in his agitation. Then for about ten
minutes the iugglers went through the
ordinary round of tricks, such as eating
cobras, dividing each other with swords.
and so on, and then, by the CLEAN in
Rams eye, knew they were going to
give us their last and best trick.
'''If tho sahib pleases, said the Ram.
4 would like to have some bills
II was naturally amazed at the odd
IequeoU, "" ',.oo- :,
amazcment, and, going to my desk, ]
returned with bundle, about a foot
high, of beastly bills from tailors, gro
GERS, bakers, and so on, that had been
running for four or five years, to gether
with perhaps eighty or ninety miscel
laneous small ones.
The Ram drew acircle on the ground,
| placed the bundle in the middle, and
covered it with his turban, and then the
whole gang joined hands and waltzed
I around for three minutes, warbling a
native dudong (ditty).
AT the expiration of the time they
broke away, the Ram lifted his turban
handed me the bills, and, dash me, gen.