The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-11-11
Magic in the East.
conyers c. Converse in New York Herald.

/
done so, unless it has been because But
1 will tell the story this time.
l had been journeying through Egypt
in company with my friend, Harry Kellar,
the magician. We were stopping at the
quaint old town of Boolak, which is stu
ated 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 strolliug down near
the landings when an old Egyptian market
woman besought us to purchase some of her
tamarinds, naming an exorbitant price.
aWhy, my good mother, do you sell
these tamarinds at that low figure?" ex-
claimed Kellar in mild surprise, addressing
her in her own tongue. "They are worth
much more than that, | am sure"
She looked surprised; so did our host
ayes, | was sure of it, Kelar continu-
ed, and he broke one of those that he had
taken up and drew small copper coin of
the country from its center.
For moment the woman was too startl-
ed to do more than regard the coin with
wonder. Then, however, her natural ava
rice asserted itself, and she snatched the
bit away from Kellar's unresisting hand.
"Ah! 1 see you are fakir, our host
said smilingly as we moved on. at was
well done. Now l know that you and my
other esteemed friend here will more than
ordinarily enjoy the slight diversion | have
to offer for your entertainment after coffee
today. Perhaps, too, you may have the
keenness-though it is not in me to eX-
plain the performance to divine how little
Akli can survive the marvellous act Abala-
nj forces him to do and to discover how
Abalani can perform his part of the strange
entertainment.
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 disappoint-
ment she suffered on not finding single
bit of money and the loss of the spoiled
fruit served her right for attempting to i'm
pose upon the supposed ignorance of
strangers. But Kellar was too large heart
ed 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 coppers.
That evening Abalani, the fakir, arrived
at our hosts house.
He was small, wiry little man, whose
age was about 45, if you were to judge it
from the dark, clear eyes with which he
quickly summed you up. They seemed to
pierce me through aud through as he made
deprecatory bow before me, his thin arms
and palms extended toward ME in the at
titude 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 copper
ring hanging from his neck by greasy
looking piece of leather or cord
l 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 fakir had brought none
I said to myself that we were to be dis
appointed, and that the little weazen limb
ed fakir had come to make excuses for his
inability to amuse us this time, and could
see that Kellar thought the same.
But our host retained his wonted good
nature as though nothing was wrong, and
it was not the place of either Kellar or
myself to show disappointment Mean
while the little fakir led the way to
smooth bit of ground not far from the
house.
Here we almost unconsiously formed an
expectant circle about him.
He spoke few words, and we maintained
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 experiences when wit
Messing 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 clapped his thin palms together
twice smartly.
As he did so a small boy appeared by
his side like flash where there had been
no one the moment before Kellar started
forward with an involuntary exclamation
on his lips. l, 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 II, was similarly clothed.
AT my request he took my hand and gave
it a friendly pressure.
II must have rope-must have
rope = exclaimed Abalani nervously, and
he srast,o,,Iotod ~, tha o;r rt,,soI II, with b;c