Evening star., 1909-04-11
By w. A. Curtis

/
lame and amusing the frivolous minded, when
a rival practitioner in the shape of one Ali Ben
Mesrour drfted in from the illimtable desert
and began to ply his profession.
At first he eSSayed no Ch1ropodouS surgery,
but contented himself with giving free exhi-
btions of seight of hand and magic before the
populace. thereby exciting the professional
envy of Laramie. whose duty it was eN cry even
ing to collect a crowd by his wizard feats where
after the learned Dubois. greatest OF living
corn DOCTORS would lecture upon the science he
represented, performing some free cures and
selling many packages of his corn cure, his flea
powder and his palm oil pomade Seeing that
| the Arab did no more than exhibit his skill in
magic, Dubois believed that he was afraid OF
entering into rivalry with him. and laughed at
Laramie when he pronounced the newcomer
the veriest tyro magician
But the Arab pursued a different plan from
the Frenchmen. Instead of giving free per-
formance followed by lecture every night, he
gave free performances without any lecture for
| three nights then lectures for three nights
without performances When he turned to
surgery, it was Laramie IS turn to laugh; for
his professional jealousy was nothing to that
now shown by Dubois Dubois declared Ben
Mesrour bungler. charatan, and that all
who intrusted their feet to his were well
nigh in danger of their lives.
| The outfit of the Frenchnen much finer
than that of the Arab. 1t was fine red and
blue with brass ratings and ornaments
and four fine horses to draw it. The Arab had
only chest and two small camels Neverthe-
less, he began to draw the larger audiences, and
soon all the native pos ulaton nightly assem-
| bed round him. while Dubois and Laramie held
forth to few soldiers from the French garrison
TT was then that Dubois fell back upon La
ramie for aid. and told him that he must
challenge Ben MeSrour to a competitive test OF
skill challenge which Laramie gladly issued
and Ben Mesrour promptly accepted.
The contest was witnessed by all the Euro
pean as well as native population of the town
| From the first it went with Laramie. The Arab
could do only such simple tricks as taking coins
from his own and other peoples noses and ears
eating cotton, and finding marked cards in
packs while the Frenchman completely sur
passed him, not only eating cotton, but breath
ing it forth again on fire. and many things COM
pletely mystifying the onlookers; for he was an
adept at his craft. At length he produced a
number of boxes and. telling Ben Mesrour that
he could make an object pass from one box to
Arab opened them, examined them carefully,
and returned them with sneer.
| You cannot do it.. he said.
Cannot do it," said Laramie suavelv.
Every well Furnish many gold pieces as
YOU wish and put them in one of these boxes.
| will deposit an equal sum with the command
ant of the garrison. If l make the coins pass
from one box to another. they are mine If |
fail, the commandant gives you the money l
have deposited with him -
Ben Mesrour hestated, overcome with mis-
givings. but other Arabs who had examined
the boxes loudly clamored that he accept the
wager, and, the whole affair becoming matter
| of professional and national pride, he hastily
exchanged all the money he had received since
his arrival in Makeef for four broad gold pieces
and placed them in of the six boxes.
| Laramie gave an equal sum to the command
ant, and, arranging the boxes in full view of all,
the box with money in it on the left of the row,
he waved his hands thrice and cried, Presto,
changei Now open the boxes"
Poor Ali Ben Mesrour, how his jaw fell as he
opened the box in which the money had been!
1t was empty, and Laramie produced the
money from the last of the six boxes on the
right of the row.
You see" said Dubois, addressing the as
semblage this is mere bungler COM
pared with us. As he has failed in this COM
parison of his magical skill with that of my
| associate, SO he would fail in a comparison of
his surgical skill with mine. You waste your
| time in witnessing his commonplace tricks
| when you might witness the mystifying per-
formances of M. Laramie You waste your
money and risk your lives when YOU submit
yourselves to his clumsy ministrations instead
| of to my scientific treatment"
MY master is far more skilful than you!"
A'A shouted the one-eyed camel driver of
| Ben Mesrour; and as for his magical skill, it is
far greater than this mans. He scorns to do
such little things as passing money from one
| box to another. He could do much more Won
derful things than that, if he chose
| 1,,a