The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-10-06
MAGIC IN THE EAST.

time.
had been journeying through Egypt
in company with my friend, Harry Kel-
lar, the magician. We were stopping at
the quaint old town of Boolal, which is
situated on the right bank of the Nile, at
the divergence of its Pelusiac branch.
one mile northwest of the historic city
of Cairo, of which it forms suburb.
Our host was an Egyptian grandee,
whose fine country place overlooked the
shipping from just outside the more
densely populated part of the town.
One day we were strolling down near
the landings when an old Egyptian
market woman besought us to purchase
some of her tamarinds, naming an ex-
orbitant price.
"Why, my good mother, do you sell
these tanarinds at that low 6gure?" ex-
claimed Kellar in mild surprise, adj
dressing her in her own tongue. "They
are worth much more than that. am
sure"
She looked surprised: so did our host.
"Yes, was sure of it," Kellar con-
tinued. and he broke one of those that
he had taken up and drew small cop
For n moment the woman was too
startled to do more than regard the coin
with wonder. Then, however. her nat
ural avarice asserted itself, and she
snatched the bit away from Kellar's un-
resisting hand.
'Ah! see you are fakir," our host
said smilingly as we moved on. 1T was
well done. Now 1 know that you and
my other esteemed friend here will more
than ordinarily enjoy the slight diver
sion have 10 offer for your entertain
ment after coffee today. Perhaps, too.
you may have the keenness-though it
is not in me to explain the performance
to divine how little Allli can survive
the marvellous act Abalani forces him
to do, and to discover how Abalani can
perform his part of the strange enter
tainment
But about the old market woman: A
servant told our host later that she had
hurried directly to her rude cot on our
departure, where she had carefully
opened every tamarind in her basket to
find the copper bit in its center. The
disappointment she suffered on not find
ing a single bit of money and the loss of
the spoiled fruit served her right for at
| tempting to impose upon the supposed
| ignorance of strangers. But Kellar was
| too large hearted to allow the lesson to
be one that should make her the poorer,
and the servant was dispatched directly
to the old peddler's home with more
| than twice the worth of the fruit in cop
| pers
That evening Abalani, the fakir, ar
rived ut our hosts house
| He was n small, wiry little man, whose
age was about 10, if You were to judge
| it from the dark, clear eyes with which
he quickly summed you up. They seemed
| to pierce me through and through as he
made deprccatory bow before NE, his
thin arms and palms extended toward
me i'll the attitude of benediction
His only garments were Il light breech-
| cloth of dark red shade and flowing
silk mantle, dark yellow in color. The
only ornament he wore was a dark cop
per ring hanging from his neck by a
greasy looking piece of leather or cord.
looked for Akli, the little boy with
whose assistance lie performed the tricks
we expected to witness.
But Abalani was alone.
l then looked for the coil of rope which
l had heard played part in the strange
| spectacle.
The fakir had brought none.
| said to myself that wo were to be dis
| appointed, and that the little weaZen
| lilnbed fakir had come to make excuses
for his inability to ainusc us this time,
and L could see that Kellar thought the
same.
| But our host retained his wonted good
nature as though nothing was wrong,
and it was not the place of either Kellar
| or myself to show disappointment
Meanwhile the little faliir led the way
to smooth bit of ground not far from
| the house.
Here we almost unconsciously formed
an eXpectant circle about him.
He spoke few words, and we MAIN
tanned perfect silence under the spell
the little fellow seemed to throw around
him. But this was not the sensation of
gazing upon II serpent that one expert
ences when witnessing the performances
of so many of his class.
"My masters, you wish to see Akli
climb" he said in cracking, restrained
tone.
"They do" our host answered for us.
The man clapped his thin palms to-
gether twice smartly.
AS he did so q small boy appeared by
his side like a flash where there had