The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-13

motley possible; the second time, if agasa
was not at work as they claim, it is i'm
possible to indicate in the remotest degree
what, was operating.
81 The scene as before, was the temple
freWn out of the solid rock. Mr.. Sauda
and five of his friends officiated. The
4Munshi and old fakir sat near us, but
took, no part in the-ceremony is perhaps
the; best word to use, for whatever these
gentlemen did had a reverential aspect,
as ifsthey were exercising strange powers
by the benevolent and gracious permis-
sion of the highest of all powers.
Before we entered the temple l was
asked to pick up a stone and carry it with
rs one weighing three or four ounces
would do 1t was to be placed in my
handkerchief and 1 was to hold the four
corners of the handkerchief so as to
touch the stone as little as possible. SUI
fering them to precede me a few steps,
selected an ordinary pebble and fixed 1t
in my handkerchief as requested. We en-
tered the temple The fakir lighted some
torches which sufficiently illuminated the
section we were in. My handkerchief and
the pebble were placed on the hard rock
ground Mr.. Sauda's friends and myself
sat round the handkerchief Mr.. Sauda
himself sat down about four yards off and
turned his back to us. Nowhere about
the smooth rock was there stone, peb-
bile or loose splinter or segment OF stone.
One Of the yogi took out of his picket
small cake Of common red water-color
paint and a cameIs hair brush. Moisten-
ing the brush with his saliva, he filled the
brush with moist color, and handing 1t to
me. asked me to mark the pebble in any
1vav liked. / illumined VI with a b that
covered all the available surface. While
it was drying the yogis began murmuring
and placing their fiat hands in turn on
one spot on the floor, just away from the
Ae &c he
had dried [ was asked to roll the pebble
on this spot they had charged with
agasa,' being careful not to touch 1t with
NV hands. The quintette all fixed their
ewes on IT, and at first pointed the dexter
finger steadily towards the pebble, cease
lessy murmuring, intonlng ana singing III
,oeze voce This continued some time.
Then in turn each man seemed to take
something invisible out Of the atmosphere
and shake IL over the stone the others
r,eanwhtle continuing to chant. AS they
proceeded their intensity augmented.
soon the p had marked in red began to
fade and at last disappeared altogether.
The pebble, too seemed smaller. 1t Is
inonossible TO determine how long watch
ed the pebble. but after a considerable
interval of time the yogis' hands dropped
a,,d their droning song ceased, the pebble
had disappeared!
II had grown small so gradually that
its final disappearance could only creolt
bv passing my hand over the spot where
a. Mad lain continuously and without in
PERMISSION under my eye. / asked for an
explanation
"sahib," was the answer. we nave ais
integrated the pebble by removing agasa
from NJ. We have reduced 1t to primitive
atoms and dispersed II.
"Then as a pebble It no longer exists?"
asked.
For answer the old fakir plucked me by
the sleeve and pointed to Sauda Sahib.
c,.ossieqged on the rocky floor, one out
stretched hand, palm upwards on his
Knee. his head was sunk on his breast.
A nrarently he slept. The falir held a
torch near Mr.. Sauda's hand. looked
and Rasped. Laying In his palm was the
pebble precisely as had marked 1t.
Frederick Bancroft.