The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-03
A DIVERSION OF FATE

At the upper end of the village, near
| where the road stretched away in an end
less white spiral to the far line of the great
mountains, the village folk were crowd
ing together before a little open space.
Apart from them on the broad veranda
near by Dinsmore Sahib and his two
guests loungcd easily In their chairs A
swarthy, @ foot Indian servant moved soft
ly about with a tray of cooling drinks.
Before them, naked save for the loin cloth
and looking like shining bronze statue,
was one of thcse travelling conjurers whose
art is tho despair of occidentals. He was
about to conclude remarkable perform
ance with the time honored basket trick,
which may be as old as India itself.
"Yes. It's an old trick, but good
one" Dinsmore was saying "I can never
holp the chill In my bones while the
things going on, though it always turns
out oil right"
"Why. where's the danger? It's done
with false bottom to the basket. isn't it?'
"It Is often done In that way" Dins-
more admitted, "but In this case tho wom-
an IL trained to throw herself quickly from
side to side To avoid tho sword thrusts,
which are made In regular order"
"Whew! Hot work. isn't it?' said the
first guest while the other asked curiously,
"How can you tellp"
"Oh, got 1t from my servant, and he
from the woman there, I" returned Dins-
moro with a significant look.
A woman now came forward from be-
meath a olump of fig trees Sho was
scarcely moro clothed than tho man, and
her plump brown body, tho arms and an
kles heavy with bangles, her red lips and
the scarlet flowers In her hair, with tho
bit of soft blue drapery about her. made
picture good to look on. AS she moved
quietly to the mans side her Dyes caught
those of the native on the veranda, and for
q moment warmth and light flashed into
her impassive face but at the conjurer's
words she turned away.
"Sahib,' he said, addressing Dinsmore
as he drew the light basket into position,
"you shall SEQ how one Furnishes the wom-
an who gives him cause for anger" He
bent a fierce gaze on his assistant, and her
violent trembling scarcely seemed as
sumed.
This was tho conventional patter of the
trick, but one of the Englishmen stirred
uneasily in his chair. "Gad, how COM
pletely the woman is at his mercy! Just
by a slip of the memory he might slice her
into ribbons before he'could stop himself. i"
At gesture from the conjurer, who
stood leaning on his long, keen sword, the
woman removed her many bangles and
stood with downcast eyes before him.
"Now, thou unhappy one," he said
slowly. The woman WINGED, but stepped
submissively into the basket, the lid Of
which closed on her moment later.
The conjurer drew a few PAGES away,
then painting, with fierce cries to enhance
the effect of his harmless assault, made
mad rush toward the basket, thrusting
his sword through the sides, up and down,
with great rapidity. Each thrust was
greeted with piteous cries from within,
and the sword appeared to drip with blood.
1t was truly a nerve shaking perform
ance. The audience hardly breathed, de-
spite the full faith In the swordsman's
dexterity Even the servant Of Dinsmore
Sahib turned queer ash color as he stood
In the doorway with the forgotten drinks.
At last the conjurer stopped for breath,
the sweat streaming down his shining
sides. He caught the eye Of Dinsmore
Sahib's servant as he stood there. and in
the instant the fire which had smoldered
at his heart all day broke into sudden
fame.
Since they had come into the hill coun-
try the woman had been like one possessed.
Since she had seen, four days ago, tho
sahib's green turbaned, monkey faced
Mohammedan yonder, she had spared but
look to her rightful lord. One careless
thrust with this keen edged weapon would
end the jealous tortures he had endured
since they left the plains.
Her discarded bracelets Knocked him,
and he swore no man should feel those soft
brown arms around the neck but he.
She must be lying on the left side. In
stead OF moving to the right he would
pierce the basket on ths left from cover to
bottom. 1t would be but an accident they
would all aeree-all except the Mohamme-
dan. He balanced the sword carefully In
his hands, and blood danced before his
eyes as he took a step forward.
On sudden he fell to trembling SO that
he dared not trust his hand to strike He
thought again of the warm brown arms
that slid about his neck, of the soft red
lips that wero laid against his, of the eyes
that had followed him even before he
bought her. This hill country bewitched
one. He would take her back to the
plains again. An accident could happen
Vnoro as well as mere III necessary.
But to finish the trick.
Ah, was she on tho left, after alp What
had been his last thrust? His heated brain
could only turn the moves over confused
ly. Ho could arrive at no decision. 1t
was surely the left or the right
He prayed for a miracle to clear his
muddlod brain. He swore by all his gods
he had not meant to hurt hair of the
woman's head. In thought he already felt
the sword slipping hideously through her
flesh.
The spectators moved impatiently, forc-
ing the conjurer to action. Left-rtgh0
1t should rest with fate.
"Sahibs, this shall end It." he said in
husky tones, and made q terrible lunge
A series of heart rendering shrieks, dying
away in groans, was the immediate re-
sponse.
This was the usual conclusion Of the
performance, but tho sequence was unox-
peoted. The cover OF tho basket was
thrown violently back and the woman
Cropk mt In throw baraoIf at tha cnutur-