Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1903-12-04

Have a chew of opium,i' saidpMitch-
ell, producing a block Of the drug about
two inches square from his pocket.
"The natives say it's very staying"
mo, thanks" said Spencer. "a beef
steaks more in my line. Where did
you get it? / didn't know you were q
drug eater"
~ am not. I picked this up in the
Lucknow serai the other day, and
never thought OF it again until this
minute"
Presently only a single figure was
left in the landscape, advancing slowly
toward them along the centre Of the
roadway. AS the man approached
nearer. Spencer turned to his compan-
ion and said:
Have you noticed that that man has
been tracking us for the last three
days, ever since we left Lucknow"
"No; I've never seen him before"
well, I've not been an entertainer
all these years without learning to use
my eyes, and I've seer him watching
us. And what's more, he's tried to dis
guise himself in three or four different
ways, which looks suspicious"
But" said Spencer. briefly, 'ft's only
your imagination. AS We haven't got
a pice in the world, what can he get
out Of u.s."
That's just what I intend to find
out" said Spencer, quietly; ut may be
worth knowing"
"Salaam, sahib," said the man as he
came up to them. and he produced a
pack of cards and some coins from a
calico bag, squatted down in front Of
them on his hams and arranged his
yoluminous draperies over his knees.
"a travelling juggler, by all that's
holy" said Spencer, with a grin. 81
wonder If he's any good. In spite of
the travellers yarns about the mango
trick and the vanishing rope trick, I
never met a native conjurer yet that l
couldn't give points to myself"
II don't think this chaps any good,
anyway" said Mitchell, critically
watching the exhibition. I'm no ex-
pert, but 1 can see the coins dropping
into those skirts of his and the cards
disappearing up his sleeves in the most
obvious manner"
"The worst fraud / ever struck" re-
| piled Spencer. "It looks as If he'd
| just started in this line for our bene-
fit. Here, sonny, give he hold of that
bag of tricks of yours, and I'll show
you how 1t ought to be done"
The Englishman stood up in front
Of the astonished native. barred his
arms to the elbow, and went through
the same tricks one by one But this
time there was no bungling. the coins
| disappeared into the air, and the cards
| reappeared from the trunks of the sur
rounding trees.
AS he watched the astonishing ex-
hibition the natives eyes got gradu-
ally larger and larger, till at last he
fell ON his knees in the dust at Spen-
GERS feet, beat f~rantically on the
| ground with the palms of his hands,
and literally howled in Hindustani:
"Oh! sahib, protector of the poor,
spare me. / see that you are a great
guru, and know everything. Only
curse me not with the evil eye, and /
| will confess all"
"This chaps got something on his
mind evidently" said Spencer. what
did / tell you about those DISCUSSES?
Say on, Observation-Disclosures" and he
| gave the native a kick to emphasize
this last command.
ooh, holy one," whined the native.
Il am a poor man and the servant of
! nfh0rC pIo a mn not Fnm w1hn& ~
now about to tell you, and what a wiz
ard like you must know already"
"Of course / know it." said Spen-
| Ger sternly, "but you must confess your
crime before you can be forgiven"
ut was you honor's friend, babuji.
that was the beginning of trouble. He
picked up a pearl of great price in the
Lucknow serai three days ago."
That's a lie," said Mitchell. "I
| wouldn't be travelling on shank's mare
now If I had" But Spencer said
quietly:
1.-The pearl was concealed in a piece
Of opium. Say on. who was the own
er of the pearl?"
"Its owner was a rich merchant from
Ceylon, whose servant I am. He was
taking the pearl to sell to a great rajah
in Punjab."
"Oh, holy one, the sahibs are some
| times zabbardasti, angry men. My
master feared that If he asked for the
pearl the sahibs might beat him and
take it away. But If you did not know
the value Of what you had found. he
/ MIGHT 0of ~ haok hv oroffD
Therefore you came as a juggler to
search our clothes under pretense of
looking for coins. And If you failed to
find the pearl?"
'"Then my master has hired four bad
maches with lathis, and they will come
in the night and beat you on the head
and take away the pearl by force"
"Achha, 1t is well. You are forgiven.
Co.," said Spencer.
"And the pearl?' suggested the ma
tive, humbly. {,
1.-THE pearl" roared Spencer at the
full pitch Of his lungs. "Soor Ike
butcha. You come here and confess
to a plot to rob and murder us, and
then expect to get back you accused
pearl. Jao nikal jao. son of Satan. be-
fore I destroy you"
At this sudden outbreak the native
turned hastily and fed for his life.
leaving the two Englishmen convulsed
with laughter under the trees.
well, u fortunes are looking up"
said Spencer. Let us have a look at
this pearl Of great price"
Mitchell produced the block of opium
once more. and cutting it open they
found a pear-shaped pearl about half
an inch long and OF great lusser re-
posing in the centre.
by Jove," exclaimed Spencer.
that's something worth having. It's
worth a cool ave thousand. or Tn no
judge Of gems"
What shall we dog asked Mitchell.
"Do?" echoed Spencer. why. what