Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1893-12-01
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They do" our host answered for us
The man clapped HE thin palms 10.
gether twice smartly
AZ he did so small boy appeared By
bis side like fash where there had
been no ono the moment before Kellar
started forward with an involuntary ex-
clamation on his lips. |, too, was greatly
startled The fakir had thrown aside
his silk mantle and stood before US
clothed only in his breechcloth. The
boy, handsome lad of apparently 10 or
IL, was similarly clothed. At nv re-
quest he took my hand aud gave il a
friendly pressure,
81 must have a rope--must have q
ropew exclaimed Abalani nervously.
and he gesticulated in the air quickly
with his right arm, actions seeming TO
fascinate me ~
"Ah" ass
He ceased the action, and lowering
his arm displayed large coil of native
rope IN his hand that it would have been
impossible for him to have concealed
about bis person Then, with a quick
motion, he pitched one end of the coil
straight up into the air, keeping the
other end in his grasp.
The line seemed'to catch up there in
the atmosphere 1t staid there dang
ling down between us. i, 80,
Abalaui ordered Akli to climb up, hur-
rying him with word Of Impotence
and stamp Of his foot is '.a, ..,t
Akli shook the rope with one hand.
as il to sec If il we're quite secure, aud
then did as be was requested. 4.rs,
Up, up, up, he clambered, higher and
higher, gradually growing smaller an a
smaller as he assembled until he actually
disappeared from view Yet we could
tell that he was still climbing away up
there, for the rope before us trcmbled
with the motion that be made. Abalaui
did bis best to steady it.
Then suddenly the fakir clapped his
hands and sprang to one side. We heard
the rushing sound of body falling
through the air, and then the form Of
Akli landed upon his feet before us un-
hurt and smiling Another clapping OF
Abalani's bands, and rope and boy both
disappeared. 1i
The fakir stood alone before US. KEEL
lar and we're mystifcd He asked that
Abalani perform the trick again. When
1t had been done second time, Abalani
left us as perplexed as before.
For my part, | gave the whole riddle
up. | had seen many a strange feat Of
jugglery, but this. one completely nom
plused me. Kellar was determined not
to leave Boolak until he had satisfied
himself as 70 how the trick, or feat, had
been performed.
A week passed. Our host enjoyed
Kellar's quandary keenly as boy, and
joked him about il, However, kellar
Joined us on the porch one afternoon
with q certain amused expression upon
his face that made me feel reason ably
sure that something interesting was up.
II should like to see little Akli climb
just once more this afternoon" be said,
dropping into n low steamer chair with
more satisfaction than Ihad noticed him
evince for the past week. "Con and
should be leaving tomorrow or the next
day at the latest
To make known wish there was 10
havo il gratided. After coffee that af-
ternoon Abalani came walking gravely
up the shaded path, his slight figure
clothed as before---in the flowing mantle
and seanty breschcloth dark cop
per ring. shade lighter 10 color than
the breast IL hung against, his only dsc-
Grafton. As before. he was alone.
There were the same low salaams, bis
dry, hard palms that were of almost the
whiteness Of mine being stretched over
Us Few words we're spoken. The man
could not have been more deferentiai
But at the same time thought that |
detected CLEAN Of egotstical challenge
in bis dark eyes that made me hope Kel-
lar would succeed in detecting his trick
and increased my desire to know how il
was performed.
We moved down to the place in the
garden where we had witnessed the act
before, Kellar slipping into tho house a
moment first Little Akli appeared rs
bright aud smiling as when We hal first
seen him. The rope appeared, Akli had
climbed IL. when I heard a slight, sharp
"click !" on the side where Kellar was
standing When little Akli had clam
bered out Of sight, Abalan clapped his
hands twice. We shuddered rs we heard
the sound Of Axis falling body. The
rope had disappeared, and the little fell
low stood there bowling before US. The
next moment he was gone.
Kellar hurried me into tho house and
10 our room. The room had dark
closet, and soon Kellar was holding up g
dripping 4 by 5 plate from his camera
for me to view by the dim light Of our
ruby lantern.
could SOC our host, arms akimbo,
looking up wonderingly. could see
Administering up white in the mega
tiye---his thin arms raised above his
head, bis feet braced widely apart, as
they bad been when steadying the rope
for little Akli TO climb when Ihad heard
the, shutter Of the camera snap. But
there was no little Akl TO DO seen any
where, nor any rope, for that matter.
Abalani had mesmerized our host,
Kellar and myself, but it was beyond
bis fakir skill 10 mesmerize our detec-
tive camera.
what il | we're one Of those hus-