The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-10-06


clamation on his lips 1, too, was great
~ 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 12. was similarly clothed. AT NV re-
quest he took my hand and gave it q
friendly pressure.
II must have rope-must have n
roper exclaimed Abalani nervously, and
he gesticulated in the air quickly will,
his right arm, his actions seeming to
fascinate me.
''Ah!'
He ceased the action, and lowering
his arm displayed n large coil of native
rope in his hand that it would have been
impossible for him to have concealed
about his person. Then, with a quick
motion, he pitched one end of the coil
straight up into the air, keeping the 9th
er end in his grasp.
The line seemed to catch up there in
the atmosphere. 1t staid there dangling
down between us.
Abalani ordered AkE to climb up, hur-
rying him with word of Impotence
and stamp of his foot.
Alili shook the rope with one hand. as
If to see if it We're quite secure, and then
did as he was requested.
Up, up, up, he clambered, higher and
higher, gradually growing smaller and
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 trembled
with the motion that he made. Abalani
did his best to study 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 I'M
hurt and smiling Another clapping of
Abalani's hands, and rope and boy both
disappeared.
The fakir stood alone before us. Kellar
and L were mystified. He asked that
Abalani perform the trick again. When
it had been done a second time, Abalani
left us as perplexed as before.
For my part gave the whole riddle
up. had seen many n strange feat of
jugglery, but this one completely nom
plused me. Kellar was determined not
to leave Boolal1 until he had satisfied
himself as to how the trick, or feat, had
been performed.
A week passed. Our host enjoyed
Kellars quandary keenly as q boy, and
joked him about it. However, Kellar
| Joined us on the porch one afternoon
with certain amused expression upon
his face that made me feel reasonably
sure that something interesting was up.
81 should like to see little Akli climb
just once more this afternoon he said.
dropping into Il low steamer chair with
| more satisfaction than had 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 to
have it gratified. After coffee that aft
ernoon Abalani came walking gravely
up the shaded path, his slight figure
clothed as before-in the flowing mantle
and scanty observation-disclosures dark COP
per ring, shade lighter III color than
the breast it hung against, his only dec
Grafton. AS before, he was alone.
There were the same low salaams, his
dry, hard palms that were of almost tho
whiteness of mine being stretched over
us. Few words were spoken. The man
| could not have been more deferential
| But at the same time thought that l
! detected n CLEAN of egotistical challenge
i'll his dark eyes that made me hope Kel-
lar would succeed in detecting his trick
and increased my desire to know how it
was performed.
We moved down to the place in the
garden where we had witnessed the act
before, Kellar slipping into the house a
moment first. Little Akli appeared as
bright and smiling as when we had first
seen him. The rope appeared, Akli had
climbed it, when heard Il slight, sharp
"click!' on the side where Kellar was
standing. When little Akli had clam
bered out of sight, Abalani clapped his;
hands twice. We shuddered as 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 the house and
to our room. The room had dark
closet, and soon Kellar was hold up IL
dripping by plate from his camera
for Inc to view by the dim light of our
ruby lantern.
l could see our host, arms akimbo.
looking up wonderingly could see Aba
lani-showing up white i'll the negative
his thin arms raised above his head, his
feet braccd widely apart, as they had
been when steadying the rope for little
Aki to climb when l had heard the
shutter of the camera snap. But there
was no little Akli to be seen anywhere,
nor any rope, for that matter.
Abalani had mesmeriZed our host,
| Kellar and myself hut II 1yns hevnnd