The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1897-11-03
INCA WITCHCRAF TT.

INCA WITCHCRAFT.
Bal Chico was the son of Mexican
matadore, and his early association,
were not of kind to develop stable
and law abiding character Bal drank
because he saw everybody else drink
and red wine brought into action i'll Bal
that courage which the matadore dis
played in the arena with sagacity ant
prudence Red wine does not mature
wisdom, theoretical or applied, and
without these, which are indeed sagac-
ity and prudence, courage becomes but
pugnacity that amuses or otfendS Bal
soon became offensive. and i'll Il brawl
iii nm indecent quarter of his native
town he had the misfortune to knife Il
young grandee of tastes and weaknesses
similar TO his own, but of influential
connections. The wounded youth rocov-
cred, but political influence was sufll-
cient to cause his assailant s removal &c
u penal settlement for 20 years.
Bal obtained no more red wine, but
the more no weighed the otfense of the
knife attack, its proyocation, and its
punishment, tho clearer it seemed that
he was suffering out of all proportion
to his transgression The sense of foul
wrong, done because it could be done,
burned in upon him MS if brand iron
wero held against him, over glowing
and never lifted For months after he
discened the immense range of this in
justice, he lived IN rage impedimental
to speeeh-he became inartieulate
Slowly his good sense camo to the
rescue, aud he became calm that he
might live grow strong of body and
powerful through accumulation and
meet Don Pee rs master There were
men of different natlonalities i'll the set
tlemcnt and Bal found that he absorbed
words as sponge absorbs water and
he learned Portuguese. more than one
patois of his own land, and the dialect
OF Peruvian Indian sent from his OWL
province year before, wham he hao
saved from Imminent atroeity ut the
hands of q vicious fellow convict
This Indian had virtue little known
to civili2ation--h was capable of graft
tude-and the two formed mutual at.
tachment that the friendships Of civil
aation may scarcely parallel and which
WAS equnlcd but by their common hatret
of all rulers, their own in particular
This Indian Bal knew to DO u snake
charmor of extraordinary accomplish
ments His gift was not transferable &
the younger man, nor did the latter soor
discover its singularity, but in time h,
found that ,Juan's power over certain
reptiles might be expressed as hypnotic
He seerod 10 impress his own master
fulncss upon the serpents and to exer
his power upon them at u distance or t
send them to perform some definite mis-
sion at distance and return within :
given tiIao, after tho habit Of human
subjects
Once Bal saw Juan with his pets al
recreation No word was spoken bu
Juan looked meaningly at Bal and ther
ut the top Of the wall. Bal looked ant
SAW lizard there with its head a-til
and the sun shining pink through hi
palpitant throat. Then something slip
ped away from Juan, who watched tho
top of the wall, as did Bal. BY and by
q bit Of the wall moved-it seemed {
bit Of the wall-it moved and coilct
and leaped, and the little foray wal
over Then the devourer slipped back
and Iuap snapped his fingers and wits
pered to it.
"Was the lizard hypnotized, too?'
Bal Chico asked himself
This branch Of his accomplishment
Juan never showed the prison officials
when they sent for him to exhibit fcl
their amusement.
The weary years rolled by. 1--WE will
live; wo must live. We will get even
you and me, " Juan whispered to him
self over and over, and he Whispered il
to Bal when he could, with the same
impcrious suggestivcness that he whis-
percd something to his snakes
At last Juan's 20 weary years were
dole, bat the imam witch" had got
much power Soma ne amused when
tired Of the commonplace, but the many
feared him, and when he chose to wan
der around the settlement clad in
breeches, a poncho, aud q viper after
he was FREQ to go far away none Oh.
jected, and few wondered at the whims
of SO fantastic q being
When Bal, a young man white haired
now, went out old Juan awaited him
at the prison gates, carrying close
woven wicker crate, or basket, but nei
ther extra clothing nor the usual snakes
were visible, aud frGm thai day neither
appeared in all that country
Among the stupendous mountains Of
Porn gold NAV he had for the Cqakiu0