The record-union., 1899-04-21
HOUDIN AND THE ARABS.
How the Magician Extricated Him
self From an Awkward Fix.


in Algiers the neighboring tribes were
invited. The theater was speedily filled
with them, and the French officials, who
attended in all their pomp and glory.
Interpreters We're scattered through the
house in order to repeat Houdin's re-
marks to the natives in thir own Ian
guage. With true Oriental dignity and
gravity, the Arabs witnessed the first
few tricks in stolid silence, but the TAX
| ing of a huge cannon-ball from a bor-
rowed hat aroused great excitement.
Then came the great tricks of the
evening, especially prepared to astonish
the Arabs.
by a wonderful power which I pos
sess," said Houdin, Il can deprive any
man of his strength. I invite any one
to prove my words''
On this being interpreted to the Arabs
tall, strong man stepped forward on
the stage. Houdin held in his hand a
little iron box, and balancing it care
lessly on his little finger, ne asked the
Arab:
Are you strong?''
yes" replied the man carelessly.
Are you sure Of always remaining
so?"
! Always"
! Lift that box"
The Arab did so, and asked con
temptuously: rs that an?"
Wait" said Houdin, making a SOL
emn gesture. Now you are weaker
than woman. Try to lift that box
again.
| The Arab seized the handle and
| tugged again. He could not raise the
| box an inch from the floor. After
many attempts, he paused for moment
to brace himself for final effort. He
seized the handle again, but shrieked
aloud with pain, dropped on his knees,
then, rising, threw his cloak round his
face to- conceal his shame, and rushed
from the theater, leaving his compatri-
OTIS stricken with fear. The trick was
as simple as the result was startling.
The box was laced on powerful cleo
tro magnet, and the current being COM
plete, no man ON earth could have lifted
1t. An electric shock sent at a signal
by Houdin from behind the stage, was
what caused the Arab to Shrek and
hurriedly retreat.
Before the excitement caused by this
trick had subsided, Houdin announced
that he had a talisman which rendered
him invulnerable, and he def1ed the best
shot ir Algiers to kill him. A mara
bout Immediately sprang on the stage,
exclaiming, 7 want to kill you" Hou-
din handed him a pistol, which the
Arab, examining, pronounced a good
one 1T is good pistol, and 1 will kill
you
Very WELL" said Houdin; "to make
sure, put in a. double charge of powder.
Here's wad. Take a bullet from this
tray, and mark it SO you will know it
again. Ram it into the pistol we'll"
1T is DONE
Now said Houdin, you say the
pistol is good one, and you've loaded it
Well, SO kill me-"
Yes" said the marabout, "I will do
that"
Houdin took pear, stuck it on a knife,
and walked a few PAGES in front of the
Arab, and told him to aim at his heart.
He fired, and the marked bullet was
seen on the pear. After the powder and
wad were rammed home, and while the
Arab was marking the bullet, Houdin
slipped a little tube into the pistol. This
tube was closed at the lower end, and
into this tube the Arab dropped the bull
let AS he thrust the wad down with
the ramrod, the tube fitted snugly on
to it. and was withdrawn with it, being
polished to resemble it. Houdin thus
got possession of the marked ball, and
all was then plain sailing.
On one occasion during his visit to
Algiers Houdin was placed in a very
awkward position, from which he only
extricated himself by his quick -witted-
ness. He was the guest of an Arab
chief, Abou Allen, and entertained his
host and friends by a few tricks One
of the company was a marabout, who
asserted that the spectators in Algiers
had been merely duped by vision
Houdin, however, produced the mara
bouts watch in his hand, and on feel
ing his sash the marabout found there
five-franc piece. Convinced by this
and other feats that Houdin was really
a sorcerer, he challenged him to re-
peat his performance in the theater
and produced two pistols You need
not fear" said the Arab, '.since you
know how to ward off bullets" With
out losing his self possession, Houdin
explained that his invulnerability lay
in talisman which was with his pos
sessions in Algiers. by six hours
prayer however, can do without that
talisman, and at o'clock tomorrow
morning you can fire at me-"
At the appointed time there was a
large concourse of Arabs, which the
news had attracted The pistols were
brought and carefully examined. The
marabout dropped in the powder Hou-
din handed him a bullet from the tray
and he rammed it down. Houdin then
loaded his own pistol, and walking
about fifteen PAGES away, turned and
faced the marabout The shot was
fired and the F'renchman opened his
mouth and showed the bullet between
his teeth. You could not kill me, -
he said, land now you shall see what
my shots can do" He fired at the
marabout, and Immediately a red splash
was seen on the whitewashed wall be-
fore which he was standing. The Arab
was untouched; stepping up to the wall,
he dipped his finger in the red splash,
tasted it, and, realizing that it was
blood, collapsed in amazement.
Though the trick was simple, only a
Houdin could have devised and carried
it out successfully During the night
he had melted some wax, blackened it
to look like lead, and run it into a bull
let-mould, thus obtaining a hollow globe
of wax exactly resembling a bullet in
appearance. 1t was with this bullet the
marabout loaded his pistol, and in ram
ming it down crushed it to powder A
second bullet. similarly made, Houdin
filed with blood obtained from his own
body. This he dropped into his pistol,
and rammed it down very gently. so as