The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-04
From the German.

FfCW te utIWp''
At the beginning of the hunting season
George Won Hirsch gathered several of his
old friends and invited them to 60 with him
TO his hunting lodge In the Black Forest.
He was a bachelor, young, rich and an ex-
ceent shot, and weeks vacation with him
was an invitation to be accepted.
Our party was made up of our host; DR..
Alfred Jolly, clever. cynical surgeon, an
utter skeptic in all matters of metaphysics.
which he considered a malady OF the human
brain; Henri Beaufort, French journalist,
who kept us continually amused by his
keen witty sales, and Mauritz HitHig, a
professor of philosophy in the University
Of y. Prof. Hitzig, an eminent scholar.
was very poor marksman, and. although
he joined our party for rest and relaxation
from his studies he had not been able to
resist the temptation to fill his well worn
valise with an armful of books which he
persisted in reading.
One evening Won Hirsch announced that
he had a surprise for us the following day
in the shape of an unexpected visitor a
friend whom he had formerly known very
well in Calcutta. This was all that he would
tell us, and We awaited the next morning g
train with eager curiosity. When it arrived
and the carriage drove up containing two
persons, one Enthusiastically an Englishman,
the other apparently Hindu servant.
our interest abated, although Won Hirsch
seemed evidently delighted.
Sir Lionel Phillip the new guest, was a
welcome addition to our gathering, well
read, great traveller and interested in
many things After dinner, as we sat in
ba Won uirach Airpntal
the conversation upon those sciences called
occult as If to prepare us for the remarka-
bic exhibition which was to follow.
AS we fell eagerly TO discussing the me-
diums and their pretended power he said
after quick look at Sir Lionel:
I'VE have one OF the most interesting OF
these people with us here tonight. gentle
men, and with Sir Liones permission
1should like to exhibit his power
We all accepted his Offer with enthusiasm,
and the Englishman went at once to the
house. few minutes later he returned
with the man we had mistaken for his valet
But what changed The European clothes,
In which he had lost all originality, had given
way to simple Hindu costume, which he
wore with grace and distinction.
He was presented to us as Covindasamy.
a native Of Benares, a Brahman OF high
caste and fakir by profession. Sir Lionel
said a few words to him In Hindustani,
for he assured us that the man knew abso-
lutey no European tongue.
The Brahman bowed with distinct coIr-
tesy. disappeared for moment and then
came back bare, save for a narrow waist
band, and holding in his hand short stick
OF bamboo with seven bands, which is the
sacred sign Of the fakir's initiation.
'Covindasamy is at your service said
the Englishman. with your permission,
however, will act AZ interpreter. Won
Hirsch, who knows me well, will assure you
that am not in any way an accomplice
In what the Brahman may do and II he re-
quires any assistance you will be asked to
give It, For in;,.ance, Mr.. Beaufort, will
you be 30 kind % to fill large glass with
water and place 1t on a table at some dis
lance from our fakir7-
The journalist did AZ he was bid. GOWN