The morning call., 1893-07-09

1t was the high-bred face Of q high-easte
Hindoo. The finely cut features, unchanged
by the long burial, lay eyposed &c tie rays
of the sun blazing above Us, noted every
particular OF the scene; the bending forms
of the cr0uchiDg HindOos surrounding Tie
platform were too low to o6strucrmg view.
The face bore an expression OF calm Dig
! nifty. The broad brow was unfurrowed. The
softly closed eyeids lay on the pale cheek
over unsunken eyes. which looked as il
| they had just closed in sumber a moment
| before. The soft. gray TIM. which is the
pallor OF the dusky-skinned races, was the
only thing which showed that the man was
in deeper slumber than ordinarily over
takes one at midday.
The face was full as 10 life; the lips
were slightly pinched. but net noticeably
so; the breast, above which the long. elm
hands were folded, might still be heaving
with breath, so far as any outward indica-
ton went. 1t was a strange sight, that
dead man. for dead he must be after lying
buried for three months. even if still living
when lowered into his bed of earth-a
strange sight to witness. All stood awed
by the majesty Of that form.
The Hlndoo priest arose from his position
at the foot of the low bench upon which
lay the silent form, and advanced to the
edge of the platform. He raised lis
hands high above his head and broke into
a low, wailng chant, aud one voice after
another again joined until the chant
swelled high and clear as before.
Then the priest turned to the form on
which all interest was centered. He laid
one hand upon the peaceful brow and
pressed the other upon the still breast
Still chanting he raised the head from its
place and tried to raise the form to an
erect position. but in vain. He then
knelt with upstretched hands for
and clear. and sounding as if he
besousht aid from his gods above.
The encircling throng threw themselves
upon their faces as he arose from his knees.
Again he stopped over the silent form.
Gany ,o opening the , lips he he pressed upon
open. He thrust his finger into the
mouth and seemed to draw the tongue
forward. AS he did so shudder shook
the form of the seemingly dead, and the
eyelids trembled as if about to open. The
priest sgnaled with his hand and the
Rugged the ground still closer and the
strange music rose even higher than be-
fore.
1t now was almost ear-piercing in its
shrll. agonized pleading Again the
priest laid his hand upon the brow of the
faklr and again he strove to raise the form
to its feet. and this time not in vain.
Slowly the man was raised to his full
height, but it was as one dead who was
raised by other than his own will.
For moment they stood, the two. sway
ing to and fro, while the chanting sank
lower and lower until scarcely audible
even in the awestruck silence which had
fallen upon the throng of spectators.
Suddenly the tottering form was steady,
the bowed head was slowly raised, the long
closed eyes opened, and the light of life
and reason shone bright In their depths.
a flush OF life grew on the pallid cheek,
and the man who but now lay. still and
dead in the grave. watched and guarded
night and day that there might be 40 chance
for fraud aud deceit, stood living. breathing
before US. The chant was silenced, not a
sound broke the deathly stiffness as the
priest withdrew his supporting arm and
the fakir stepped slowly and weakly down
from the platform and mingled with the
thrOng which rose around MIN as he
reached the ground.
Then the silence was broken. Shouts of
joy filled the snltry air. as the throng
rushed away to spread the tidings of tho
triumph of the fakir over his enemies far
and wide through ali the region.
And we Of the foreign races stood awe
struck and wondering at what our own eyes
had seen.
What the explanation of the strange oc-
curence we had witnessed l know not. I
was assured by the most responsible
people. by the Governor and by other
officers. also, that the grave had surely
been closed upon that apparently dead
man three months before; that it had been
securely closed, and had been guarded
both night and day by reliable sentries;
that there was not the slightest chance
that the body had been removed at once to
be replaced at the last for the purpose of a
sham resurrection.
It was fact that the fakir had lain
dead for three months. and / can tes-