Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-01-08

through the ranks of the spectator.
and gained the front entrance.
With the exception of my stage.
boxes and the privileged spectators
who appeared to take great pleasure
in this experiment, my audience had
become grave and silent, and I heard
the words "Shaitan!" "Djenoum!
passing in a murmur around the cir.
Gle of credulous men, who, while gaz.
ing on me, seemed astonished that
possessed none of the physical quail.
ties attributed to the angel of dark
ness.
allowed my public few moments
to recover from the emotion produc.
ed by my experiment and the flight
of the herculean Arab.
One of the means employed by the
Marabouts to gain influence In the
eyes Of the Arabs is by causing be-
lief in their invulnerability. One OF
them, for instance, ordered a gun to
be loaded and fired at him, but ir
vain did the flint produce a shower
of sparks; the Marabout pronounced
some cabalistic words, and the gur
did not explode.
The mystery was simple enough;
the gun did not go off because the
Marabout had skillfully stopped ur
the vent.
Col de Neveu explained to me the
Importance of discrediting such g
miracle by opposing to it sleight-of-
hand trick far superior to 1t and had
the very article.
I informed the Arabs that possess
ed a talisman rendering me invulner-
able and I defied the best marksmar
in Algeria to hit me.
I had hardly uttered the words
when an Arab, who had attracted my
notice by the attention he had paid
to. my tricks, jumped over four rows
Of seats, and disdaining the use of the
practicable" crossed the orchestra
upsetting flutes, clarionets, and VIC.
lins, leaped upon the stage, burning
himself at the foot-lights, and ther
said in excellent French:
81 will kill you!"
An immense burst of laughter
greeted both the Arabs picturesque
ascent and his murderous intentions
while an interpreter who stood neal
me told me I had to deal with a Mar.
about.
you wish to kill me!" I replied
initiating his accent and the infection
of his voice. well, 1 reply, that
though you are a sorcerer, am still
a greater one, and you will not kill
me-"
I held a cavalry pistol in my hand
which I presented to him.
Here, take this weapon, and assure
yourself it has undergone no prepar-
ation."
The Arab breathed several times
down the barrel, then through the
nipple, to assure himself there was q
communication between them, and af-
ter carefully examing the pistol, said;
"The weapon is good, and I will
kill you"
"As you are determined, and fol
more certainty, put in double charge
of powder, and a wad on top"
"It is DONE"
Now, here is a leaden ball. Mark
it with your knife, so as to be able to
recognize it, and put it in the pistol
with a second wad."
"It is DONE"
Now that you are quite sure your
pistol is loaded, and that 1t will ex-
plode, tell me, do you feel no remorse
no scruple about killing me thus, al
though I authorize you to do so?"
mo, for I wish to kill you" the
Arab repeatedly coldly.
Without replying 1 put an apple or
the point of a knife, and, standing q
few yards from the Marabout, order
ed him to fire.
"Aim straight at the heart" I said
to him.
My opponent aimed Immediately
without the slightest hesitation.
The pistol exploded, and the bullet
lodged in the center Of the apple.
I carried the talisman to the Mara
bout, who recognized the ball which
he had marked.
I could not say that this trick pro-
duced greater stupefaction than the
one preceding it; but at any rate, the
spectators. palsied by surprise and
terror, looked around in silence
seeming to think, What have we got
here?"
A pleasant scene, however, soon un.
wrinkled many Of the faces. The
Marabout, though stupefied by his de.
feat, had not lost his wits; so, profit
ing by the moment when he returned
me the pistol, he seized the apple
thrust it into his belt, and could moi
be induced to return it, persuaded a:
he was that he possessed in it an in
comparable talisman.
Among the Arabs who had invited
me to visit them, Bou-Allem. bash
aga. had pressed me so strongly tha
1 decided to begin my series Of visit:
by journeying to him. His house wa:
one that might have been considered
princely residence owing to the ex'
tent of the building. AS in all Arat
houses. only the walls could be seer
from without; all the windows looked
into the court-yards, or the gardens
Rou-Allem and his son. warned ot
our arrival. came out to meet us, ant
paid us compliments in Arabic, which
I did not understand. After dinner
we entered small room, very ele
gantly decorated. in which there were
two divans.
This" our host said, "is the room
reserved for guests Of distinction
you can go to bed when you like, bu
if you are not tired, I would ask youl
leave to present to you several chic
men of my tribe who. having heart
of you. wish to see you"