The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-07-02
STORY OF HIND00 MAGIC
uxr NOTHING MORE THAN HFP-
xoTfsx AFTER ALL'
A Strange Performance on the doc. Oh
vesssI That Astopished All ""' '"""h
Child the Magician Had Overlooked

NJ a vessel lying at IT'S moorings peiore
Calcutta. had intended at first TO so out
A. c.rdon Roach while the Shawmut was
a,scharging and taking her new cargo
nm, illness in the family OF the irlena
,,,,, xbou IL was proposed that should
.,on had tnterfered. and decided at last
10 remain on board
WAS the more willing 10 do this. as
close beside us lay the vessel commanded
Nv friend O, mine. whose wife had also
x..,,.d % remain on board while In port.
tn Fox lay closely enough TOT US 10
III 90 each other from our decks, and
ne,ylv every day we spent together. IL
Ia not go 10 the Fox. Mrs. King
.n,,1d ,ake her little niece and come on
Nosyd tho Shawmut had my BABY boy
,~,,n me md little Nera. my ffiend
80. u,ho was about three years oia'
.,,o,Id snend hours swinging with nm IN
a.. ha,,nock which was hung from the
.n.nkcr boom beneath the awning tha'
a. bohv might get what little air was
s,,,r,ne during the heat OF the day Neid
,.o,,I8 lie there for hours and play WIN
h.hv ~ he was awake, or with her ooiI
II he slept. -. ,,s
can,atn King came aft 70 where his
wife and i were sitting and sala' ou.u
Won ladies like TO see one OF 'he
- Tho native iuggiers? ] have been tax
ing with the comprador about H. ana ne
saws he thinks he can get one 10 e"i'ie
on tomorrow II you would IKE 10 see
him. According 10 what he says inc lei-
low IA far beyond anything In the way
Of magical performances that you nave
ever seen" -..,.,.,,,
As neither OF US had ever seen anything
Of the sort, OF course we were eager 10
have the tuFgier come aboard, ana 'ne
CAPTAIN returned TO the haich"ay anu
made arrangements with the compfauoI
10 fetch him the next day. Mrs. King ana
] talked Of nothing else during the resi-
OF the afternoon. We rubbed up our III
lie knowledge OF jugglers tncks, recaheu
fhe stale stories OF seeds planted ana
grown into a tree within n few moments;
OF the boy packed into basket and the
haskell cut into ribbons. with an accom-
na,tment of smothered shrieks and groans
from the mutllated child within. who ar
forward, appeared IN the background,
safe and sound. and all the other ac-
counts Of the stock tricks Of the Indian
tugglers Of which we had often read.
We decided that this particular ma
rician would be al rather a disadvantage,
FOR ne would be working on a solid deck
instead OF in the sand, and In an en-
tirelv unknown place. where he could by
no possibility have made previous prepar-
atoms 10 deceive his audience.
Next morning the Captain told me that
the fuggier would come on board late Ia
the afternoon Mrs. King as usual.
came 10 spend the day with me. and we
sat on deck all day. We felt sure that as
we had been there on the day when the
performance was first proposed, and all
Of the following day there had been no
chance for any trick 10 be played before
hand, and that, therefore. we were 10
have n genuine performance, whatever u
should be. There could be no chance or
deception by hollow floors or easily moved
sand
Late in the afternoon, or rather, early
in the evening. we saw a small boat GID
Ing toward us in which sat tall. Slender
form. clothed in the white native robe.
with arms folded and head bowed upon
his breast. Beside him sat a slight form,
whether male or. female. we could not
at that distance distinguish, but we sup
posed It waB the boy. who. in all the
stories We have read. was one Of the most
important properties for the magical per
Torrance. There were no baskets In
sight. and but little else I'm the way Of
furniture for setting the stage for the
coming show The boat came alongside
and her passengers were standing In our
midst almost before the boat had touched
the foot NJ the ladder I think. The jug
gler was the flnest-looking man / ever
saw. He was considerably over six feet
tall, and was formed like a Greek god
His snowy robe wrapped about him, left
his arms and one shoulder bare. and his
long slim hands were as perfect az
bronze castings from an artists master
work. He had the brightest eyes ! ever
beheld, but In their depths shone light
which made me shudder with-not fear
but, well, / could not tell what the feel
Ing was, but knew ID was decidedly ui-
pleasant 10 meet his eye for more than
a moment. on comparing notes with my
companions afterwards. ] found that they
had all felt this same strange sensa-
tion. II was not fear, but none Of us
could give II a name. though III expe-
rienced the discomfort I'm greater or less
degree.
As the strangers reached the deck we
saw that the figure which had been sit
ting beside the man I'm the boat was that
OF a young girl. She was almost as fine
looking q specimen Of her sex as the man
was OF hts
They lost no time. but proceeded with
their preparations for our amusement.
The man dlsdained to speak TO us at all,
but gave his directions TO the girl. who
repeated whatever II was necessary for
us to hear in low. melOdious voice.
They asked for several things. among
others tall cane basket. at which Mrs.
King and ! smiled at each other; a slen-
der line, a pan Of ashes. and some other
little articles, which have forgotten now.
The line. which was handed the man.
was our spare signal ballard. ana after
swinging II around his head a moment,
he seemed satisfied and laid II down
beside the mat. which he had spread upon
the deck. This mat was OF woven grass.
like thousands of others we saw every
day.
The only thing which he had brought
with him was long slender sword aud
small crystal globe. which seemed
hled with some liquid clearer than wa
Ter, with sparkle aud simmer Ia us
depths even when nothing Jared the
globe to account for the motion.
After a short time the man sQuattcd
down upon his mat, and his strange eyes
gazed AT each one IN the circle surround
Ing him for n moment. As he looked
straight into my eyes | felt most nm
usual chill and shudder pass throueh
my veins. ! was not a nervous woman,
and this heart-chill was q new experience
10 me. His gaze passed slowly around
our little circle lingering for n moment
hs II met some eyes, and passing rapidly
over others. | thought he paused longer
as he eazed into my face than he did
any other. but that may have been I'm
agtnation. When he had completed the
circle. he raised the crystal globe. and
held Il poised upon one hand. and spoke
fome words TO his young companion In
khe strange musical tongue in which
he had carried on all his conversation
tincr coming On hnnr1 ehn t,,r..H frnrn