The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1902-09-04
O Paul keisfer, O s
} Snake Charmer. )
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
By Bradford X. Daniels. 3;
7 T was while working on the c. n

TT was while working on the c. n.
/ railway that 1 first met Paul
Keister. We were fellow-engineers
engaged in the construction of the
big bridge across South river, and
boarded at the same house.
Although was much older than he,
was drawn to him from the first.
His full, sensuous mouth, misty
brown eyes, and low, musical voice,
possessed fascination for me, for
which now, when looking back after
tie lapse of years, am unable to
account, - .
When he looked at You he never
seemed to see you, but always seemed
to be looking through and beyond
you into infnity. When quiet he had
a fashion of gazing fiXedly before
him, evidently seeing nothing with
the physical sight. At such times
his eyes reminded me of deep pools
of water, in the depths of which
shadowy, unguesscd things were
moving about.
AS we were the only boardcrs ut
the little farmhouse, we were thrown
together a good deal; and it soon he
came habit with us to sit upon the
veranda overlooking the river for
while after supper to smoke and
chat.
Keister, although only 2S, had had
a wide experience. His father, a
German, had gone to India, and there
married native girl. Paul was their
only child. The son had become n
civil engineer, and had worked with
a British syndicate until the death
of his parents, when he had come to
Germany to his fathers people. and
from there had drifted to America.
] can see him yet as he used to sit.
tilted back in his chair upon the
veranda, one leg thrown over the
other and cloud of smoke about his
head. Occasionally he would run his
long, tapcring fingers through his
wavy black hair. look out upon the
river as if he saw some object of in
terest upon its CLASSY surface, and
then begin in his low monotonous
voice one of his Indian yarns. His
descriptive powers were mastery,
and many of those eastern scenes
are stamped upon my mind almost as
wildly as if | had been an eye-wit-
ness.
1t was about the -charmers
that he loved to talk the best of ALL
At times he would wax eloquent over
this uncanny theme, and his usual
nonchalencc would give place to a
feyerish carncstncss. He used to
maintain Stoutly that there is sub
tie affinity between snakes and the
human race, the psychology Of which
Is not wholly understood.
81 tell YOU" he used to say, "you
have no idea how snake and n
man-who possesses the gift--can
read each others thoughts. You talk
about mind-rcadcrs; they've got lot
10 learn yet from those duSky devils
in India who coniure with the de-
scendants of the temptcr of Eve.
"Oncc I saved the life of pro-
fessioual nakc-charmcr-thc old fell
low slipped into the river among the
crocodiles, and | pulled him out just
in the nick of time-and out of graft
tude, | presume, he gave me few
lessons in his exalted art. ] must
Fave been a very apt pupil, for be-
fore / quit | could charm cobra
every time"
For some moments he said moth
ing more, but fell into one of his
iold fits of abstraction. Presently he
reused himself and said, with slight
'shiver although it was July: MY!
but there was fearful fascination
about It'll" Then he rose abruptly