The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-29


1t may be. l do not think was ever
fool. even in my youth, which is the
time for fOOlishness. My master. then,
chose me out to he his personal attend
ant. to travel with him instead Of stay
ing at Delhi poring over his account
books. and he used to speak to me of
many matters. Looking back now,
think he was training me according to
some system Of his own. for 1t was not
only of the secrets Of our trade that
he spoke. but the things of the
broader life. and how to know the mo-
tives of men and use them. He was
very wise.
1T happened at last that my master
fell sick when he and ] were alone upon
a journey. which we had undertaken
to settle a bargain of half lakh's
worth Of silk and gold brocade with a
great princess. We had disposed of the
goods and We're returning to Delhi.
alone, az l said before. except for the
escort. without which it was not safe
to travel In those times. I do not know
how the sickness came. Allah had
willed it, only that my master should
die. We halted in camping place by
the roadside. and he suffered for many
hours. during which time l tried many
remedies. without 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 fum-
bled in his cumberland. Esdaile bent
over to see what lay In his hand and
found only a small battered silver box.
of the size Of pill box. which the old
man was handling tenderly.
II don't see anything in that" he
said. impatiently. Explain"
The other stroked the box with his
finger as he replied:
Am I not explaining, sahib? ! Will
open the box now and you shall see"
As he spoke the lid flew up as though
he had touched hidden spring. and
ne 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 strange.
sweet odor. That was all. Valid Ali
shut the lid again with snap and re-
turned the box to it's hiding place.
Little enough, is it not?" he said.
"A pinch suffices, however, unless the
subject be at the point of death. Did
you ever hear of Hafiz. 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
conjure with even now"
Yes. though | think they are hut
vain things made to delude the credu-
lous. Hafiz was a cOnjurer and wiz
ard, and a knave for the most part.
and the things he did We're done only
for trickery and evil. Nevertheless, he
was thinker in his way. He spent
all his spare hours in trying to find out
the essence that 1t was said could be
made to prolong life-and he found it,
OF what it Is made l do not know.
They say that life is only given by the
taking away of life, except by God.
But. whether the means We're foul or
fair, Hafiz discovered 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. l am not child. to
be pleased with fairly tales. The thing
is impossible
TT is the truth before God" said
Valid Ali, solemnly. THAT powder
means freedom from all mortal sick
ness; 1t means life so long as man can
escape accident or violence. Hafiz died
by the hand of a woman, but not be-
fore he had handed on the powder to
his son. He became a soldier, and died
at last on the battlefield which is a fate
the powder cannot guard against. His
body lay where 1t fell and was stripped
by q peasant, who took the box for q
silver trinket and sold 1t to a camp fol-
lower as such. 1t passed through many
ignorant hands after that quite safely,
for there Is secret spring. 1t was re-
served for my master, who has studied
in many wise books and knew of Hafiz'
discovery, to trace its history and re-
cover 1t. 1t came to him after long
searching. and l cannot enter into the
details of its finding now. He admin
istered 1t to his son. but he would not
take II himself, for he feared to be left
alone. 1t was well for him that he did
SO, for his son, you know, was killed.
and after that it only remained for
him to die. But before he died ne hand
ed 1t to me. wherefore am here at this
moment. l did not tell anyone Of the
secret. neither did ] take the powder
myself until some time afterward. when
] had thought out the scheme that we
were discussing even now. For !
thought, rightly. that to give life be-
yOnd the allotted span to men who had
no reason but fear of death for living
were cruel kindness. What would
life be to Y man when all his people
had died. and he was left without end
or IMPOSE? All men have the terror of
death but ] think that the terror of
life, II substituted. would be a still
more fearful thing. So I bided my time
and kept silent and amassed money.
To bp Continued