The herald., 1893-10-24
MAGIC IN THE EAST.

have intended to tell the story of lit
tie Akli before. l don't know why !
haven't done SO, unless it has been be-
cause But will tell the story this
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 Boolak, 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 a 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 tamarinds at that low figure?" ex-
claimed Kellar in mild surprise, ad-
dressing her in her own tongue. ''They
are worth much more than that, am
sure"
She looked surprised: so did our host.
Eyes, 1 was sure of it," Kellar con-
tinued, and he broke one Of those that
he had taken up and drew small cop
per coin of the country from its center.
| For a 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
we'll done. Now 1 know that you and
my other esteemed friend here will more
than ordinarily enjoy the slight diver
sion l have to 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 Akli 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
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 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 at our hosts house.
| He was u small, wiry little man, whose
age was about 45, if you were to Judge
it from the dark, clear eyes with which
hequickly summed you up. They seemed
to pierce me through and through as he
made deprecatory bow before me, his
thin arms and palms extended toward
me in the attitude of benediction.
His only garments were light breech-
cloth of dark red shade and a flowing
silk mantle, dark yellow in color. The
only ornament he wore was dark cop
per ring hanging from his neck by
greasy looking piece of leather OF cord.
looked for Akli, the little boy with
whose assistance he performed the tricks
we expected to witness.
But Abalani was alone.
then looked for the coil of rope which
had heard played part in the strange
spectacle.
The fal1ir had brought none.
said to myself that we were to be dis
appointed, and that the little weazen
limbed fakir had come to make excuses
for his inability to amuse 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 tho place of either Kellar
or myself to show disappointment
Meanwhile the little fakir 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 a 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 clappei his thin palms to-
gether twice smartly.
AS he did SO a small boy appeared by |
his side like flash where there had
been no one the moment before. zellar
started forward with an involuntary ex-
clamation on his lips. l, too, was great
ly startled The falir had thrown aside
his silk mantle and stood before US
clothed only in his breechcloth. The |
boy, handsome lad of apparently 10
or 10, was similarly clothed. At my re-
quest he took my hand and gave it |
tricndly pressure.