The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-18
A STORY OF lIINDOO MAGIC.
rs IT NOTHING MORE THiY HYPNo-
7ISM AFTER All?
A Strange Performances the Deck OF q
Vessel That Astonished All but Young
Child the Naaicinu Had Overlooked.

Years ago sat ono day on the dock ot n yes
sci lying ut Its moorings before Calcutta. ! had
intended at first to go out to Garden Reach
while the Shawmut was disrhargng and TAX
ing horncw cargo. but illnoss in the family oil
the friend with whom 1t was proposed should
stop had n;er'crcd. and decided at last to
remain on board
was the moro willing to do this. ms close he-
sidc us lay tho vessel commanded 10y q friend
OF mine. whose wife had also decided to re-
main on board while in port. Tho Fox lay
closely enough for US TO call TO each other from
our decks. and nearly every day wc spent to-
gcthcr. II coud not 80 to the Fox. Mrs King
would take her little niece an come on board
tho Shawmut. 1 had my baby boy with me.
and little Nora. my friends niece, who was
about years old. would snend hours swin:-
ing with him in his hammock. which was hung
from tho spanRcr boom beneath tho awning.
that tho ,aby migut get what little air was
stirring during the hcat OF the day. Nera
would lie there for hours and r,ay, with baby
II he was awake, or with her doll II he slept;
were sitting. aud said: Would you lhlios
gerst have hcen talking with the conpra-
dor about 1t AMI he says he thinks he can got
see III SoS S m n 70" w ssHs hs &
low is far leyond anything in III" way OF mag
ical performances that you lave ever seen"
As neither OF us had ever seen anything OF
the sort of course We were eager to have tho
juggcr come aboard, and the Captain TO-
mcnts with the conprador to fetch him tho
next day. Mrs; King and talGcd OF nothing
elsG during the rest Of the afternoon. W.:
tricks. recall u the stale stories ~ seeds plant
cd and grown mt ntree within fey ,nomeni =.
OF thu boy PACKED intOa basket and the basket
cut into rihl "ns with an accompaniment OF
smo hered hiieks, and Eroans from tho mutt
the background sefe and sound, and Ill tho
other accounts D!the stock tricks OF the Ind an
juEE-lcTs Of which we had often red.
would tie at rather disadvantage tor he
would be working on II solid deck instead Of
in The sand and in an entirely unknown place.
where he could by no possibility have made
previous preparations To deceive his audience.
Next morning the Captain told mo that tho
jugsler would come on louri late in the after
noon. Mrs. King. as usual. came to spend the
day with me, aud We sat on deck all day. We
felt sure that aswe had been there on the day
when tho Performance wa ilrst PROPOSED. and
all II the following day. there had been no
and that. therefore. wewere TO nave genuine
Ier{ormnnc"' whatever it. should be: n Iher"
floors or easily moved sand.
evening we saw small boat gliding toward
tho white native robe. with arms folded and
head bowed upon his breast. beside him sat
posed ii was tho boy who in all the stories we
had read WA one Of thH most imnortant prop,
We're no baskets in sight. and but little else in
the way of furniture. for setting the stage for
and her passengers were standing in our midst
almost before the boat had touched tho foot uf
the ladder; | think. The jusg!or was
was consilsi.bly over six feet tall. and
was formed like Greek god His snowy
and one shoulder bear. and his long. slim hands
were as perfect as bronze ,ca,tinfs from an an
baG Sut in hSr E
which made me shudder Withhold fear.but.
well. IconlI nyttell what the feeling was. but
eye Tor more tnan moment. On comparing
notes with my COMPANIONS afterward | found
that they had all felt this same strange SrnSa-
ton 1t was not fear; but more of US could Eivo
it name though all experienced the discpm-
fort n Grc!ter"r less dy.rIIs ,;, ,,,,,. ,,,.
the figure which we had seen sitting beside tho
MANN the boat IVA was that ;, OF y9anE girl Shs
sex as the man was OF his.
They lost otime. but proceeded with their
fos our M hut raye man bs
it was necessary for us to bear in a low , meo-
among others a tall cane basket. at which
Mrs, King and smiled at each other, sIsp-
articles whiSh have forgotten now.
The line which was handed the man nan was, was
isle! and ai, it down beside the mat which
he had spread unon the deck; This mat was
Of woven grass. Ike thousands or others We
saw every day.
The only thing which he had brought with
him was u long slender sword and small
crystal Clobo. which seemed filled with some
liquid clearer than water. with n sparkle and
simmer in is denths e even en- when nothing
After short timc the man spuattcd down
upon his mat and his strange eyes sazed at each
A. he look cd straight into my eyes felt IA most
unusual chill and shuddcr pass through my
T"inc was not AN nervous W@ma H. ana NE
ga2" passed slowly around our little circle. lin
g"rinG fora moment as L met some eyes. and
paused longer as he snzed into my face than he
did ut an, other; hut that may have been lmaFi-
raised i the crystal ei"Ho and held it poised upon
one hand and spoke some words t. his young
companion in the strange musical tongue in
sine" coming on board. She turned from him
and repeated to US, his words: Tell the
own far-nlf land andtolook deep int" the magic
cy!st',l il he would learn what that loved onci
doing 1T this instant
We each fined our attention uron tho globe:
and wondered what my sister would think II
sh" could see mo sting here Letore this
strange Indian looking into the DEPTHS OF n
glass Of water ~ water the globe contained.
and wishing that could really zee her for but
1nS @ raIed otey at the LOBE
novel by some wind which We .elt not.
which grew RAPIDLY more and more opaque.
Then suddenly | SAW n corner OF tho old
familiar doorynrl in my far of home. The
b.g maple tree grow into form h"f"rc my eyes:
its leaves iiuttcred and swayra in m un let
breeze. Tho green grass beneath Its branches
waved and tossed as ii it felt tn" !rosh MIR Of
morning passing across its Vordant lhco. ;,
slender form came swiftly out Of the d m
haze which filled in the background to the n e.
turc. 1t was my sister. and n look 0fs wonder
shono in her haze eyes as 81 seemed look 'ng
straight across the Thousand miles OF water
which divided us started up HnL the picture
faded away. | saw nothing but the iiindoo
suuattug before mo. holding his crystal globe
aluit and wat hing the faces before him with q
keen ntentncsS.
He sat silent Tor n moment then rose. to his
feet and began his PERFORMANCE" by giving us
some ui the loss important trickS If the Juggler.
all the time his eyes rowing from face to face as
il he would read each heart IL its depths. and
fpr one felt sure that he con Id so read mine. for
/ could fc"l his I;nzo sink deep into my brain.
was half afraid him. but wholly determined
t. d. nothing 10 break NJ the sitting.
After some minor tri cks OF sIeight Of hand
and of the romm"ner lass Of legertemain, he
spoke 30 tho girI in harsh. quick tone She
brou- hi out from under her voluinin Gus robe
n small, hrt silver saver which noticed was
inc