The record-union., 1897-05-13
ASTONISH Ing THE NATIVES
4 Celebrated PreStidisitateur Among the
Indians.
How Blood Thirsty Band of Savages
Was Fooled and Put to
Flight.

Indians everywhere, the plains SEEM
ed alive with them the most treacher-
Gus and cowardly of the many tribes
of the redman, the marauding crows
They hung upon the TANKS or the
wagon train like coyotes about a
wounded bison, yelping their abuse and
insults at the travellers from every side
AT length party of seven braves on
their ponies detached themselves from
the main body of the savages and RODE
toward the rude Notifications lmpro-
Vised by the white men, by placing the
wagons in a circle and piling up the
baggage as breastworks.
They want parley," said Professor
Zanoni. Some one must step outside
and talk to them. l, myself, will have
a word to say presently"
The selected teamster went beyond
the Enclosure, while Zanoni the con-
jurer aided by one Of the men, lifted
a trunk from the wagon that belonged
to him and began turning over and ar
ranging the contents.
He was preparing himself to execute
his astounding illusions, of which more
will be related in the proper place.
The emigrants thought what he did
was for the purpose of assuming an air
of Indifference, so no particular atten-
ton was paid to his actions.
The representative Of the party stood
outside waiting for the Indians. Four
of them dismounted and walked toward
him in a friendly manner While the rest
held the horses. One of the party adj
dressed the white man in broken Eng
lish. Indian no want scalp he said,
want powder" and he gave the team
ster to whom he was speaking to un-
derstand that if they were furnished
with what powder the white man had
in stock they would escort the party
across the plains and protect them
from other tribes. Give them the gun
powder belonging to the train! A
modest request. The representative
of the white men mildly refused. Well,
then, would the train men give them
bullets: they We're very much in want
of bullets. Your dead right thar. red
skin" replied the teamster equivocally;
you want our bullets bad, and if so
be you insist on it you'll get EN-, but
thatll be bout the only thing you will
git"
CATCHING BULLETS.
Zanoni now made his appearance: he
whispered to the teamster who imme-
diately withdrew.
You boss?" said the spokesman of
the Indians suddenly, as he noticed
Zanoni.
NO; I'm Powwow, medicine man.
You can't hurt these men or horses. l
save them"
The Indian translated this to his
companions, who grinned appreciative-
y and incredulously.
See said Zanoni, you can't shoot
me here" and he drew a revolver.
weapon that had just begun to be in
troduced throughout the great West at
the time fire at me-
The Indian smiled grimly.
You don't want me kill your" he
asked scornfully.
You can't"
The beady eyes of the Indian
flashed
Shoot" said Zanoni, folding his
arms
The Indian hesitated a moment and
looked suspiciously at the white men
in the inclosure and at the revolver
Then he turned to his companions and
spoke to them in their own language.
They all responded vehemently.
The Indian thrust the pistol toward
the conjurer. You say, shoot?'' said
he.
Shoot" cried Zanoni again.
The Indian fired.
lamont smiled and walking toward
the Indian handed him a bullet
The Indian looked paralyzed. lamont
showed him how to fire it again. The
Indian fired the other five shots Ia
noni caught every bullet, sometimes
seeming to catch one from his breast
sometimes from his head or his face or
whatever part Of his person the savage
aimed at in firing, and each time he
handed the bullet to the Indian. fhe
Indians present one and all We're now in
a state of widest excitement. for one
may be very sure they had never
dreamed Of that useful article, the con-
jurer's pistol still less that to make a
revolver on the same principle requires
little extra pains The bullets were real
of course, but the charges in the cham
beers were mere frauds and receptions
All the Indians, like so many children.
We're now eager to shoot, and Zanoni
was quite ready to accommodate them.
He took seven pistols from his trunkful
of wonders and proceeded in their pres
ence to load each one. He first put in