The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1901-06-21
INDIAN FAKIR'S ART.
MEN DOUBT THE EVIDENCE OF
THEIR OWN EYES.
Old Man sends Up nsn witch Carries
string Reaching Back to the
oround-Boy DismcmBered nigh on
the string.

the string.
Those who say that the days OF mir
clcs are over should go to India,
said a retired army officer. when. II
they are lucky enough to meet a Fakr
Of the HIS, they will not only have
reason to modify their opinion, but |
can guarantee that they will make
them doubt even the evidence OF their
own eyes. But will describe one OF
the things | myself witnessed some
twenty years ago. and which you will
confess is the most amazing expert
once OF which you have ever heard.
! do not profess to account for II In
any way. / only describe II exactly as
J and my companions, any one OF
whom will corroborate me to the
smallest detail. saw II. It was dur
ing shooting expedition In 1850. when
] and three brother officers had spent
long, firing day tracking a man-eat-
ing tiger among the hills OF the Cen
trail Provinces. about two days Jour
ncy from l.eoni We were smoking
our cigars outside our tent prepare
tory to turning In for the night. for
we were all dead-beat. when We saw
two figures approaching us. salaaming
lower and lower as they came nearer
TO as. one OF them was a dirty. UNI
kompt. grey-headed man. clad In a
turban and loincloth. who was unmls-
takably one OF the fakirs who haunt
these hills and waylay tourists and
sportsmen with view TO backsheesh.
and the other was a small. equally
dirty and glightly-clothod boy Of about
twelve. As we knew their business we
affected TO ignore them and awaited
developments. which soon came. While
the boy flung himself on the ground
the faklr put down a bag he was car
rying and took from II a small ball OF
Irvine. such as groeers use. Taking
the free end OF the twine between his
fingers he tossed the ball up in the
air Higher and higher II mounted un-
III the eye could follow II no farther.
MS II vanished seemingly into thin
air The fakir then released the free
end. and. to our amazemenI the string
| remained vertically suspended in the
air as far as the eye could follow IT,.
The old man then began to tug vio-
/ lently NJ the string as II to recover the
vanished ball. but Il refused 20 yield
an inch; and In affected rage he spoke
few words 20 the boy. who rose from
/ the ground and. SELLING the twino with
both hands. began TO climb up H. Up
and up he climbed, growing gradually
smaller and smaller until he WIS a
scarcely discernible speck. apparently
hundreds OF feet from the ground.
Then he too vanished as completely as
the ball had done. After few mo-
4 ments' waiting for the boys return
thu fahir called loudly 10 him 10 cons
down. becoming frantic with rage al
his refusal TO obey. Then taking q
huge curve knife from his bag he grip
ped II between his teeth, and witt
murderous intent began to climb NJ
the string after the vanished boy
Higher and higher he went until he II
turn was lost to sight. and we gazet
at each other and the thin line o
string. the only material thing left Il
/ our vision, with dumb amaEement
Then a distant shrek OF pain and hor
ror broke on our ears with startling
effect. and a round. black thing cant
rushing down through the air and fel
at our feet. We looked at It In stupe
faction; II was the head OF the DO!
severed from the body. with qulverinl
muscles and flowing blood, 10 prov
that Il was no Pigment TO the fancy
| A moment later one severed and bleed
ing arm fell from the sky and theI
another: and these were followed By
two legs as neatly dismembered as 1
cut on by the knife OF a skilful sur
geon. And then, while we were gazing
with horror at this grizzly spectacle
the fakir himself re-appeared climb
ing down the string and holding tn
knife between his teeth. Calmly col
lecting the head and limbs he place.
them In his bag, threw II over hi
shoulder and began TO wall away
He had not gone many paces before W,
saw a movement In the bag. TIs faki
| placed II on the ground and, to ouI
astonishment, saw the boy emerg'
from Il. smiling and as sound in bodl
as ever. A moment later the two wer,
walking back towards us. salaaminI
at every step; and need not say tina
they were well rewarded for their en-
tertainment. How do ! account FOL
IL? Well, as | have said. don't pro
fess TO understand II at all. and only
describe what we saw. Some say W,
were hypnotlzed. and saw Just whai
] the faltira Wiahad ma IN aea All
know II that II was the most astound
ing and mysterious that have ever
seen-and I've seen some strang,
sights.-Tit-Bits.