St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-10-31

les. If there was fraud in 1t, do not
seek to defend myself. | simply say
that If there is a public demand for
the mummy of Pharaoh it is the duty
of some agent to supply it as near as
possible and keep people good natured.
In the course of two years shipped
Sc mummies safely out of Cairo and
landed them in London, and | am
frank to say that my dividends were
considerably larger than those paid
last year by the Standard Oil compa-
ny or the Carnegie Iron works. The
mummy business was booming, and
was filling orders for anything up to
10000 years old on demand when a
government official gave me hint that
my business had been tumbled to. He
exchanged his information for my 500
goldpiece and went his way, and it
was my business to put up job on the
khedive and square myself. | don't
know that any one had given me away
directly, but suspicion had somehow
become aroused. and | was to be put
under surveillance and caught red
handed. My shipments suddenly ceas-
ed. and the mummy market became
Gull. After couple of weeks my as
sistant villain went up the Nile toward
the ruins of Memphis to look for
man. 1t was live man and particu-
lar sort of man he wanted, and when
he found him the sum Of $50 changed
hands. Then the man died. At least
he was swathed in bandages which
had come from the looms 1000 years
before, scented and spiced In Al
style and then put In a coffin which
gave him away as having been dead al
most 20 centuries. The hieroglyphics
on that coffin and on a manuscript in
closed revealed the fact that the dead
man was the celebrated fakir Sonadi
Hassassan and that when he had slept
his sleep he would awaken and begin
another pilgrimage on earth.
The mummy reached my warehouse
one afternoon, and within an hour a
government official backed by file
of soldiers had arrived to make a
search. There had been no conceal
ment. The mummy occupied a con-
spicuous position They had caught
me red handed in a way, and yet they
could not understand why l had been
80 open about it.
"My dear SIR" said to the official. 81
know the laws of Egypt. l am not
dealing in mummies. The law does
not say | nay not restore dead man
to life. At this present hour that thing
there is a mummy. Tonight at o'clock
1t will be a living man."
"What nonsense Is this" exclaimed
the man as he struck the coffin with
his cane do you think l am a child
to believe such talesF'
II think you are very smart man"
l replied, but there is yet something
to learn. Read Of Sonadi Hassassan.
He was the greatest magician the
the Nile flow backward for a day.
When he had lived for 1000 years, he
became weary for the want of sleep
He fell into a trance which was not tc
be broken for 1000 years. The time is
up at 8 o'clock tonight"
Sand he will come back to lifeT
queried the man, with an incredulous
smile.
"He will. You and your friends will
be here to see. I had read of him. and
/ was anxious to get his body. | paid q
large price for it that l may see 1t re-
.4o ~
The Egyptians natural superstition
and my earnestness staggered the man.
and when | saw it | clinched the mat
ter by saying:
at is only few hours to wait. You
, shall dine with me at o'clock. At 8
, my assistant shall unwrap Hassassan
, and bring him to life. Let two of your
soldiers watch the coffin meanwhile. II
, things don't turn out as say, you shall
; carry me off prisoner and have 500 IN
l gold as present"
I 80 be it." he said after u long look
J at me, "but do not attempt to trick me
. am no fool"
! Two soldiers were left to watch the
: coffin, and in my hearing he warned
= them that any remssness on their par
e would be followed by swift punish
e ment. My living rooms were over tn
o warerooms. When the dinner hour al
a rived, | had the official and two of hi
e friends to sit down with me. All tire
n of the men had made up their mind
d that | was playing a game of bluff
and they had a curiosity to know hoy
Y | was going to carry it through. FIT
h dollars would have bribed any Of thel
lie to shut his eyes for year, but in tn
If case they had received their orders d
Of rect from the minister and dared nj
i'd trife with him. They drank sparing
e. of the wine that they might keep the
al heads clear, but grew sufficiently go'
~ natured to hope that | might get out
as the trouble without serious loss.
u. "There will be no trouble" l reptile
u.s. with calm assurance. "Sonadi Hassf
al san has had his sleep and will retu
to to life, and the government will pre-
lle ably reward me for restoring such
be celebrated man to earth. Come, &c