The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-24
TRICK OF THE AGED FAKIR.
And the Unexplained Disappearance OF an
English Captain In India.

One day at the military mess ablo AZ Lahote'
India week after the arrival OF Capt Saunders
from England.I,hc talk turned on Juggling. Capt
Saunders had heard much but had seen nothing'
and like all now arrivals ives skopuc. when
Il was ayerred by all hands that they had seen
a jugrler plant seed In the earth and grow
tree ten feet high In the space Of ten minutes,
the Officer was almost offensive in his disbelief
That trick can DO done by scores OF native Jug
glers end dozen or more Of the most celebrated
will cause boy whom you have not seen before
TO descend the trunk Of tho tree When these
things were stated TO the new arrival he buster
ingly replied
1T is all nonsense, II you can show me a
iugglers trick which can not SEQ through and
explain the mess will DO basket Of champagne
ahead"
His challenge was promptly accepted. but
II was a matter OF ten days before wo heard oil
the arrival Of a iuggler. He was an old man
whom the soldiers had nicknamed Fiu. and he
had given us wonderful oxhibiuon
year previous He pretended to DO the greatest
Of oil iuggors In tho land and 70 have been
prince in his youth. and he imperously demanded
and obliged everybody TO treat him with all duo
respect The namo Fiu was explained 70 him
as meaning: Most vcnorated." and he was
rather proud OF IT, The old man was sent for
and told Of tho skepucsm Of tho new arrival.
and at once expressed his Willingness TO give
an exhibition which should convert the ofilcer
This exhibition took place in the compound
or hack yard Of tho bungalow OF Col. Rushmere
This yard was about two hundred feet square.
and contained only two trees These were wild
hg trees. each about twenty feet high. and they
stood at least seventy feet apart There wcro
present thirty officers and twenty women. This
number included the Colonel and his wife Tho
hour was o'clock in the afternoon ana chairs
were provided for such as desired TO sit during
the performance. Capt Saunders had had
hint that he would be expected TO treat the old
iuggler with difference, but the exhibition had
yet begun when he freely expressed his opinion
about frauds and fakits, and boosted that tho
fellow would have hard time trying TO hum
bug him. We saw that Fitz resented his talk,
OF walking away. The Colonel spoke In excuse
for the Captain. and while the iugglcr was TEN.
poraIy plncated there were those who whispered
Fresh Fish has got tho old man down on him
and had better look out for tricks"
and boy. which can be witnessed any day in
India The iugglet stood inside circle with
Large sSsHs, n his ,h hSnd and shouted s9ns
Every one Of us had carefully looked into those
no sight OF the boy. lie sank down upon the
hard beaten earth. the basket was crowded over
him, and after about thirty seconds the old man
and through the covering. Some Of the women
screamed out and bcsought Col Rushmrrc
10 stop the horrid work. but a few seconds later
the basket was lifted. and 10! the boy had disap-
peared There was no hole in the earthIno
blood stains-no corpse We were muImuring
rear fence 200 feet away He stood for a moment
and waved his hand and then disappeared.
When the boy had vanished from sight the old
| man stood for a moment facing the west and mum
| bling In his throat, Presently we heard a great
sad sHRS snd
cra hats were carried away and the fence groaned
TO be whipped about In a hurricane. and raising
his hand TO call attention to their coniortions
the old man made a pass right and left. Then We
| One had 20 bend against the gale TO do this and
have told you that they were seventy feet apart
One heard The wind signing and moaning as it
had not been 80 much asa zephyr stirring Saun-
deis was asked 70 explain the trick II was be
certain position he was bound 20 maintain IL at
There was no wind he asserted. Tho old
| fraud stood there signing and Gurgling and your
| Imagination did the rest
| The iuggler gave him a glance of mingled
pity and contempt, and did the tree and boy Trick
| knowing that this would be on his programme
| the Colonel had stationed servant at one OF the
hns ike cloud RS1sIsd 20 over sGe us and
30 estimate the height of the tree as nearly as
possible, The servant afteTward reported tho
Total absence OF anything like mist or smoke
| From his deviation he could see everything below
very clearly when the tree began 10 grow
u shot ont b, yond his vision as well ours but
| he was lrst 10 see the boy a. the lad descended
| There not cloud in the sky. and how far
| up there leave for the reader 10 figure out for
himself After several strange tricks the eN-
hlhiiion closed In rather dramatic way. The
| old man faced the east and held his hands to-
geiher as II 20 catch ball All OF a sudden a
small bottle dropped into them. II Was d thick
! green glass bottle holding half a pint and was
full Of clear liquid. II VAS scaled over the cork
with a dull red wax and no one had ever seen a
IA &c me he nj nd ~ ha stN.sl
| II the lugger walked up To Capt, Saunders.
! extended IL and said
no respec, for old age wisdom or the mysteries
of life and death; You are a soldier. but are
SoG you, brave enough to rub the contents Of this
Yes and take a bath in n tub full Of H." re
Piled the Captain I'm tell you wha, I'll do, old
| night and use the other half externally and il
| yuu'n como around in the morning I'll Ill the
empty bottle with brandy for you"
| Some laughed and some looked sobrr while
| the old man turned away with a queer smile and
soon disappeared, Capt Saunders was advised
| preserve 1t unopened as relic, but he insisted
| that ho would keep his word with the iuggel
with the liquid when he retired for the night
| and was 10 relate his sensations at breakfast
lie went To his quarters about II o'clock at night
His servant had leave uf absence that night ant
| 40 We had To guess at what followed. Just bcfor,
daylight next morning quite stir was occasionct
by the howhng Of dog in front OF the aptain'
| quarters. The corporal sought TO chase the dos
away, but the beast skulked about and mad.
ag9od deal OF trouble before he was finally run off
As Saunders did not appear al hreakiasta messen
ger was sent 10 turn him out, The officer clothes
| We're there, Just az he had taken them or and the
| bed had been slcptin. On the floor was the bottle
| now empty, with sponge still moist. and thcr,
| was peculiar odor In the room. As for the { a y
| tain himself he had disappeared,
II III" man had left his quarters he mad gone
without his clothes but he had left as was provet
| by search, \ search Of the cantonmcnt-
of the city. Of the country for miles around, fnc,
| 10 turn him up II was srarch which Taste,
ten days and became, known 10 800, Oo'
oil tho lace Of thc earth II was b'Iirved from tht
very start that the jugGlcr had something 20 d,
with il, but he had moved on. In about a wrrI
h. was found and brought back, and after b"inl
| coaNrd and threatened and finally receiving
heavy, brih" h. promised 10 remove the spell
| Onr night the dog returned and howlcd as be-
fore and then disappeared: and while the creature
was bling. searched for, Cant Saunders wa,
| discovered in his quarters What had hanpcnC,
TO him yog must Judge fol, yourself NJ looked
and talked in n strange, daZrd way. lie coul,
| only dimly remember using the contents of In
bottle; AZ 10 his disappearance, he was as sur
pris'd rs any one, In brief he was used M
| month resigned his commission and Trturrc,
home. All Of nv believed that thc iurrlr