Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-04-13
THOSE DUCKS EGGS.

II was at Manila in 1888 or 1884. l for
get which" said Harry Keller, the magi-
clan, the other day. Il determined to
open my show with a trick involving
ducks eggs and asked the porter at the
hotel where | could procure some.
GA very worthy woman sells eggs
within a stones throw of here, he said,
in the market place
"And SO l went to market to buy ONE
g l found the worthy woman who
dispensed them and asked if they were
fresh.
"'Indeed they are she answered,
breaking one open to prove her words.
sit was the rankest looking egg l had
ever seen-a disgusting, greenish mass.
DO you call that "frosh?" l asked in
dignantly.
"'There are no finer eggs in Manila
she retorted warmly. I've been at this
one stand for Is years, and you are the first
person who has ever questioned the eggs
sell. They are fine eggs-good eggs and
she turned away from me as if l wasn't
worth talking to.
"And l thought as l walked off that if
I could lie with the perfect grace born in
that woman that I'd be the finest conjurer
in the world.
"That afternoon while l was driving
with an English friend of mine 1 recount-
ed the circumstance to him. He laughed.
MY dear Harry said he, you do not
know n of the great delicacies of Ma
Mia. There is no finer entree served than
one of those semidecayed eggs. They are
Just two days distant from the Matching
stage. Then they are perfect. They are
boiled hard, chopped fne and served, and
they're delicious. No one here thinks Of
buying what you understand as fresh eggs.
Why, I'll drive you now to where the eggs
are prepared for market, just to prove the
high esteem in which these added affairs
are held here
"He drove me along the river Pasig,
about three miles above where it emptied
into Manila bay, and there for a mile or
two on both banks of the river l saw
scores of natives lying on their bellies, the
sun beating down on their backs.
"'Get up, called my friend to II Of
them. Up he jumped, and there lay about
two dozen duck eggs. These fellows
said my friend as we drove homeward, do
nothing but lay in the sun all day and
bring these eggs up close to the Matching
point. When they're properly matured,
the eggs are brought to market
'That night l opened my performance
in the fonda theater. Immediately after
the performance we began to cover up my
conjuring apparatus with tarpaulins, for
every one now said that the typhoon
would be along within the hour, and in
deed hardly had we got into the street
when the roof of that theater was taken
off as neatly us if it had been pared off,
The last l saw of it it was bound in the
direction of Manila bay.
"Luckily our hotel was only two blocks
away, and we made a dash for it through
wind, rain and lightning. But hardly had
we got to our rooms when off went the
roof of the hotel to join that of the theater.
We staid awake all night, waiting for the
hotel to be moved somewhere out into the
adjacent country.
"But tho morning broke beautifully,
and 1 felt so good that j determined to
have my revenge on my fresh egg woman,
who had stood for Is years in the market
place. So l made some little preparations
and again went to market to buy eggs.
e E'resh?' | qucricd, picking IN egg
from her basket.
"Shc eyed me disdainfully for II second
and then said coldly, 4 told you yestcr-
day 1 sold mono but fresh eggs.
"tWill you kindly open this for mey' l
asked, passing tho egg to her.
'.She broke it open, and out tumbled the
healthiest and most surprised duckliug
you ever saw.
1.-The woman face was u study. That
Is the first time in all my life that any OF
my eggs were not good, she gasped.
"'lry this one, l said s~llavely, picking
another egg from the basket.
''She broke it open, and out toddled an
other downy duckling. Then her face
grew crimson. She hadn't breath to speak.
Take this, l said, and she broke that,
only to find duck No. 8.
"Then / pretended to grow angry and
called her a cheat, at the same time pick
ing up three more eggs and smashing them
together. Three more ducks joined their
companions and went quacking around
that basket Of eggs In all the self con-
seriousness Of just being born.
"The woman found her tongue now
and began to shout at the top Of her voice,
calling me devil 'sorcerer' and other
names of o like nature.
tin a minute an angry crowd was
around lis. The woman was well known
in the neighborhood, and her story gained
ready crcdence. Two hands were placed
on my shoulders, and Twas told was un-
der arrest, and just then an inspiration
struck me. 1 saw one Of my Autographs
hung up in q stall opposite. I pointed to
1t and then to my own face, and the
crowd understood. I'd run completely out
Of ducks by that time, but ! did half a
dozen sleight Of hand tricks for the
crowds edification and was followed to
my hotel by a cheering mob at my heels.
"But I could never make up my mind
to eat that entree Of almost Matched duck.
The sight Of the fresh egg that market
woman broke for me on my first day in
Manila WAS enough for me. o-philadel-