Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-08-14
TIE FATAL CANE.
Belgravia.

| SUoIi I'LL uHCIVudUeO VOlumo treating
Of occult matters. 1t interested me
because l had come across a variety
of strange beliefs connected with the
magic art, in the course of my naval
life, and had witnessed things that
gave my European notions more
than one rude shock.
1t is all very well to say that
magic and belief in the supernatural
lurking behind natural objects of q
simple nature, such as crystals, am
bers, opals and SO forth, were the
first ignorant approach to science;
but l would very much like to be
acquainted with the science that
would throw satisfactory light upon
certain curious doings and extra
ordinary occurrences which have
made part of my tropical experiences.
The most interesting to me, being
the most personal of these, am now
going to relate, and it has the only
one l did not 60 in the least bit out
of my way to meet.
In these days we are told of a SYM
pathetic fluid, gas or current that
pervades the whole earth from pole
to pole, and includes all that apper-
tains to earth in it's onward flow.
Very reliable people, Miss Nightin-
gale for one discovered that nervous
restlessness was controlled and sleep
induced by the head of the sufferer
being "polled," not as Absalom was
polled, but with regard to north and
south. This current, then. is believ-
ed by the learned in occult matters
to be the sympathetic medium be-
tween the higher and lower crea-
lures, all, chemically speaking,
wrought out of the same identi-
cal elements.
Suppose all this and then add to it
your knowledge of the mysterious
power of evil working above, below
and around; note how inexplicable
many events are; how impossible,
with all our experience, to forecast
the least of them. Observe the enor-
nous power of pure good, and the
hideous power of determined evil,
and then, if you please, tell me that
theirs 10 really nothing in my tory
but a chain of condolences.
Twas stroling through Plymuoth
one day, according to my usual hab-
1t, keeping an eye open for anything
interesting and curious, when | was
attracted by shop of that hetero-
geneous description only to be seen
in the seaports. Every port in the
known world seemed to have contri-
buted toward examining the dirty
windows with objects. Parrots in
cages hung at the door, loves bird
nestled together on the counter in a
cage too small for even tiny forms,
sea-shells, beads, weapons, bits O
uniform-all that Jack fancies, buys
for his mother and sweetheal and
sells for drink rs soon as the port
cormorants seize him-was there.
Embroideries on leather, linen and
silk, tobacco pouches. and opium
pouches, black wood carvings, ivory
trifies, elephant toothpaper weights,
clay figures, brazen idols, slippers.
fans, baskets, chessmen, "charms''
in punches, coral sponges, q chip of
the great pyramid, Arab Burnouses
all these and hundred more monde
script articles were there. Popped
up in one corner l espied a Malacca
cane in company with q green silk
umbrella, withits sly, battered, cost
ly, wicked air, but the cane that ur-
rested my notice. Firstly, because it
was not like the others of it's kind,
being a white Malacca, and nearly
three inches longer between the Joints
than any other had seen; secondly,
because was rather on the lookout
for present for an elderly
gentleman. and l fancied that,
we'll mounted, it would be the very
thing to give him. l had made up
my mind to buy it, and had taken
step toward the dark doorway crowd
ed with bundles of stuffs, and shad-
owed by q handsome tiger skin, when
the owner shutfied out | suppose, to
hook me in as a likely customer. He
was an odd looking little fellow, grimy
and unpleasant enough, whose age
and nationality no man could guess
AZ felt sure of two things only
that his character was the shadiest,
and that he lived in mole-like fashion,
only coming to the surface to grind
and cheat his fellow-creatures. He
would have been ut home, moreover
in any quarter of the globe, along
shore, where blue jackets and beach.
combers were to be found.
"Hullo! it's you, isit?" remarked,
for l must mention that We had met
before, when l happened to haul him
out of a little mob of Lascars and
Cinnamon, who seemed to be putting
nm end to him. He was one against
many, and an old man; knives were
out, SO ! brought him off, for which
service fnr from onnearin,s Urotetul