The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-12-29

uStQ 10 SPEAK 10 me OF many HldIcSi >.
Looking back now, think he was train
ing me according TO some system of his
own, for it was not only of the secrets
of our trade that he spoke, but of the
things Of the broader life, and how to
know the motives of men and use them.
lie was very wise.
"It happened at last that my master
fell sick when he and were alone upon
journey, which we had undertaken
TO settle bargain of half lalSh's worth
of silk and gold brocade with a great
princess. We had disposed of the goods
and were returning to Delhi, alone, as
1 said before, except for the escort,
without which 10 was not safe to travel
in those times. / do not know how the
sickness came; Allah had willed it, only
that my master should die. We halted
in a camping place by the roadside, and
he suffered for many hours, during
which time i tried many remedies, with
out avail. And then, just before he
died, he called me close to him and bade
me unwrap the folds of his turban and
gave me this"
Valid Ali stopped again and fumbled
TN his cumberland. Esdaile bent over
to see what lay in his hand and found
only 4 small battered silver box, of the
size of pill box. which the old man
was handling tenderly.
81 don't see anything in THAT" he
said, impatiently. Explain"
The other stroked the box with his
finger as he replied:
"Am not explaining, sahib? will
open the box now and you shall see."
AS he spoke the lid flew up us though
he had touched hidden spring, and he
held the thing out so that Esdaile could
see the contents. A red-gray powder,
Of the consistency of salt, and smelling
ever so family Of a strange, sweet odor.
That was all. Whjid Ali shut the lid
again with a snap and returned the box
to its hiding place.
"Little enough, is IL not?" he said.
"a pinch sufiices, however, unless the
subject be at the point of death. Did
you ever hear of Hafz, the sorcerer,
sahib?"
"a man that lived in the time of
Shah Jehan. you mean? Yes. Some of
his spells are used by old women to
sonjure with even now"
"Yes, though / think they are but
rain things. made to delude the credu-
ious. Itafiz was conjurer and a wiz
ard. and knave for the most part, and
the things he did were done only for
trickery and evil. Nevertheless, he was
thinker in his way. lie spent all his
spare hours in trying to find out the
essence that it was said coSd be made
to prolong lfe-and he nd it. OF
what II is made / do not know. They
say that life is only given by the taking
away of life, except by God. Bu.,wheth-
sr the means were foul or fair Hafz dis
covered the secret. and the fruit of his
labors lies in that little box"
Esdaile looked sharply at the old man.
"That is a difficult word to believe,
Valid Ali sahib. am not n child. to
be pleased with fairy tales. The thing
Is impossible"
cit Is the truth before God," said
Valid Ali. solemnly. THAT powder
means freedom from all mortal sick
ness; il means life so lone rs a man can
escape accident or violence. Hafz died
tore he had handed ON the powder to
sis son. He became a soldier, and died
it last on the battlefield, which is fate
the powder cannot guard against. His
body lay where it fell and was stripped
by a peasant, who took the box for
silver trinket and sold il to camp fol-
lower as such. 1t passed through many
ignorant hands after that quite safely,
for there is secret spring. It was re-
served for my master, who had studied
h many wise books and knew OF Hafiz'
discovery, TO trace its history end re-
.over it, II came TO him after long
searching, and I cannot enter into the
Details of it's finding now. He admins
tered IL 10 his son. butihe would not take
II himself. for he feared to be left alone.
II was well for him that he did So for
his son, you know. was killed, and after
that IL only remained for him TO die.
But before he died he handed il TO me,
wherefore I am here at this moment.
I did not tell anyone OF the secret,
neither did I take the powder myself
until some time afterward. when had
thought out the scheme that we were
even now. For / thought,
rightly. that 20 give life beyond the al
Iotted span 20 men who had no reason
but fear OF death for living were cruel
kindness. What would life bs TO
man when all his people had died, and
nc was left without end or rpurpose? All
men have the terror Of death, but I
think that the terror Of life. IL subsu-
lutcd. would lie n still more fearful
thing. So | bided my time and kept
silent and nmasscd monsv.
Continued Tomorrow.