St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-24

Jurer, tnen SQuatted down at the Otner
end of the bench. and presently, the
acorns, laid in row-along the seat
board, began to turn in a circle. faster
and faster, till they appeared to spin
around like whipped tops, not stimuli
taneOusly. but in succession, as if con-
tagious vertigo was spreading along the
line.
One of the British officers, professed
c0nnOiSSeur in legerdemaln, here
stepped up, and, with the wizards per-
miSSlGl, examined one of the revolving
objects. 1t seemed an acorn of some
variety of live oak. light for its size. but
evidently not hollow. He then tapped
the bench from below, but only sue
sssdqf2 IN So asng q A9 th sSSFq ls5 s o +
altogether and dropped on the floor.
when the wizards assistant picked
them up and handed them around, to
give the spectators an opportunity to
examine them at leisure. With those
remaining on the bench the chief con-
jurer then repeated his trick, amidst
considerable applause.
Three pet cats that had been playing
about the portico about this time began
to manifest strange interest in the
person of one of the foreigners. They
would rub against his boots and climb
chased them away, and the victim of
their attention then remembered that
the ola juggler had approached him on
his return from the parade ground and
apparently touched his clothes for some
purpose of his own. Seeing a chance for
some Infinite fun in the possession of
the trick secret, the officer dur
ing a pause of the performance
took the old wizard aside. but the inter-
prefers eloquence proved in vain. The
presence OF his assistant probably
sealed the conjuror's lips. and, though
indirectly admitting the correctness of
the foreigners surmise, he positively
declined to divulge his recipe.
The English officers put their heads
together. and their amateur conjuIer at
last tried to discOnccrt the eQuanimIty
of the HindoO magicans by exhibiting
certain slight-Of-hand tricks of his own
and then appealing to the audience to
award the prize of mastery without fear
or favor.
Can you beat that, Sahib?" the doc
tor finally asked the duSky adept, who
had watched his rivals feats with re-
Spectful attention; ''what do you say
shall we take notes OH the question:
Yes. do" said the wizard, but first,
please, stop that noise" at the same
time lifting his hand and calling atten-
ton to series of incompreheasibl
clicks that seemed to come from all sides
at once. The sounds somewhat re-
sembled the chirp of cricket, but were
generally louder and more metallic, now
ringing out at the feet of the juggler,
and then at an apparent distance of
twenty yards, left or right. till the wit
nesses stood spellbound with surprise,
for in no mode of its manifestation could
n 10 hn frna nIf <,o l,l.
cause. The amateur then resigned.
The "buria1 trick of Hindoo fakirs
has been repeated till its substratum of
reality can no longer be doubted, and
there are two facts which seem to make
an exploit of that sort less impossible
than the reglmental surgeons of the
Delhi garrison deemed it TWENTY-FIVE
years ago. One of those corroborative
circumstances is the success Of the Tan
ner experiment. The other is the more
and more evident possibility of sustain
ing life, under certain conditions, OH
minimum of air as we'll as food. In cool,
dry locality, person whose vital func-
tons have previously been lowered by
a protracted fast, may be kept alive I'M
der a blanket, or, like IL homme Gals
son." the professional box traveller. in a
chest constructed just loose enough not
to be absolutely alright. How far the
FISK OF sutfocatlOn under such circum-
stances has been oyer-rated may be as
certained in any town where specimens
of our Darwinan cousins can be bought
or hired at moderate expense.
In cold weather a japanese macaque-
monkey, or Brazilian ring-tail, is very
quick to ascertain the advantages of ar
tlhclal cover, and in frosty nights will
bury himself with pleasure under ten
fold stratum of heavy quilts and blank
cts, tucked down all around, and rest
ing on pile of pressed hay in a stout
box. A single one of those quilts,
wrapped over the head of household
pet in the presence of inexperienced
witnesses would draw forth exclama-
tions of prompt protest: Don't smoth-
er the poor thing! Don't forget a
creature needs air to breathe!" Yet
the next morning the self-entombed SINH
an Will emerge from his retreat warm
and lively and in far better humor than
if he had passed the night in a chilly
wire cage. Burial in North American
cemetery fashion would, of course, pre-
clude the chance of survival, but the
fasting fakirs of Hindostan were nearly
always deposited in airy vaults, just
deep enough to he both cool and dry.
The beast-charming feats of Oriental
JugglerS admit of similar explanation.
The dread of man i'll beasts and birds is
apt to be considerably overrated by
Northland critics. In India, where the
law of mercy has for ages been OBJ
served, both by Brahmins and Budd-
hists, their humble fellow creatures
have no reason to fear man as the .'vice
regent of the Noah fiend." and the al
most ridiculous tameness of Bengal
apes, birds and even reptiles Qike the
sacred GRO cOdileS of BenareS) facilitates
a close study of their habits, and en-
ables shrewd observers to master them
as they master their fellow men, viz:
by taking advantage of their beSetting
foibles.