The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1893-10-28
MAGIC IN THE EAST.

have intended TO tell the story of lit
tie Akh 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 iourneying 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 q 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 sx-
orbitant price.
"Why, my good mother, do you sell
these tamarinds at that low fgureT 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, was sure of it," Kellar con-
tinued, and he broke one of those that
he had taken up and drew a 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
matched the bit away from Kellar's un-
resisting hand.
"Ahi see you are fakir," our host
said smilingly as we moved on. ut was
we'll done, Now | know that you and
my other esteemed friend here will more
than ordinarily enjoy the slight diver
sion 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 Abslani 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 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 peddlers home with more
than twice the worth Of the fruit in cop
Pers.
That evening Ahalani, the fakiF, ar
rived at our hosts house.
he was a small, wiry little man, whose
age was about 40, 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 h'
made q deprecatory bow before me, hi
thin arms and palms extended toward
me in the attitude of benediction,
His only garments We're light breech
cloth of dark red shade and flowing
silk mantle, dark yellow in color. Tn,
only ornament he wore was dark cop
per ring hanging from his neck by
greasy looking piece OF leather or cord.
] looked for Akli, the little boy Will
whose assistance he performed the trick
we expected to witness,
But Abslani was alone,
then looked for the coil OF rope whicl
/ had heard played part in the strang
spectacle.
The faixir had brought none.
! said to myself that we We're 20 DO dis
appointed, aud that the little weszs
iimbed fakir had come 10 make excuse
} for his inability TO amuse us this time
and l could see that kellar thought tn
same.
But our host retained his WonIed goo
patura as though nothing WAS wrOnl
and it was not the place Of either Kella
or myself to show disappointment
I Meanwhile the little fslir led the wa
to a smooth bit Of ground not far froi
= the house.
Here we almost uuconsciously forme
! an expectant circle about him,
He spoke few wurdh, and we mali
y | kAAANA q H9AANNN aAANANN AAAANA AAAN eHN
the little fellow seemed TO throw arou1
: him. But this was not the sensation
D gazing upon a serpent that one e1peI
! ences when witnessing the performGnc
r Of so many Of his class.
, my masters, you wish 10 see Al
. climby" he said in a cracking restrain,
5 tone.
o "They do our host answered for U
: The man clappei his thin palms
g gether twice smartly,
, As he did so q small bay appeared
y his side like fash where theTg M
& been no one t.t a i
II started forward On .., .4 Iyy
clamation on his lips ], too, was gre
" startled The fazir had thrown asi
his silk mantle and stood before
clothed only in his breechcloth, I
boy, q handsome lad ot apparently
ar or 10. was similarly clothed. At my
"a quest be took my hand and gave II
cd friendly PRESSURE
a. II must have a rope-must have
of roper exclaimed Abalani nervously, q
60 he gesticulated in the air quickly "
~ his right arm, his actions seeming
NJ NJ fasoinate me,
~ "Ahw
AZ. He ceased the action, and lower
!