The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-03-23
By BRINSLEY MOORE
COPYRIGHT 1911

bility of outside influence. And yet
when once Khokan has been placed
in position with the pencil in hand and
the paper on the slOping board in
'front.' OF him, there seems 70 be hardly
any question or problem to which ne
VIII not furnish a ready answer.
On this occasion Chanler began by
requesting the assistance OF a com
mtttee OF vigilance" BY ObjectinR TO
the Sixth Form as too old. and the
Fourth as too young, he secured the
services of the boys of the Fifth Form
whom he seated on a semiclrcle OF
chairs round the automaton on the
platform. Then, opening a sort of
door In the back of the figure. he
showed them the mass of complicated
machinery which moved the hand. at
the same time demonstrating the inn
possibility that any live person could
be hidden in so small a space. The
door was then locked, the automaton
duly wound up. and the writing began
In difference, 1 suppose, to the place
and occasion, the first questions an
s"ered were OF the nature of mathe-
matical problems. KhokRn extracted
the square root and cube root Of q
series OF prepOsterous numbers. Then
series or preposterous numbers. Then
ne added up four long columns of fig
ures written out by the boys them
selves These papers were duly hand
ed TO DR.. SearsOn. who after a brief
examination, declared, amidst deafen-
Ing applause from tho spectators that
the results were All perfectly correct.
Then we passed to more general ex-
Periments- Khokan was invited TO
give details OF various articles handed
TO Chanler-the number of q boys
watch, the dates Of various coins. the
pootmarks on the envelopes OF letters
All these were furnished written In a
somewhat Jerky and angular hand
haifr urff -
Then the boys on the platform were
directed to Join hands. one OF them
grasping the disengaged left hand OF
the automaton, while Chanler request
ed the figure to write down the names
or some articles Of which any two boys
might happen to be thinking stimuli
taneously.
There was a slight pause after the
question Then Khokan's pencil was
seen to be moving rapidly. A moment
later Chanler took the paper and read
out what was written
"A gold-mOunted fountain-pen. A
valuable pOcket-knife. Three sover-
eigns In gold. These articles lie hic-
den khokan can find them"
movement OF surprise was mani
Test amongst the lads on the platform
as the missing articles were thus
enumerated For moment RaO him
self appeared TO be puzzled by what
he had read. Then he called his son
TO help, and between them they
wheeled off Khokan into the adjoin-
ing classroom Little RRo came back
20 his place at once. After 4 brief alb
senCe. Chanler also returned to the
stage. and addressed the audience
Il find" he said. that KhOkan be-
ieves that these artlcles-a gold
mounted fountain-pen. a spOrtsman's
pocket knife, and three sovereigns-
nave been put away somewhere care
fully; that only one person on the
platform is aware OF the exact place
In which they lie. and that the secret
is unknown to everybody else. But
khokan is certain that he can discover
the one person who alone knows
where these articles are deposited. Is
II your wish that the experiment
should be made 80
OF course. there was an immediate
shout Of Yes" from the boys in the
audience. followed by loud applause.
Then" said Chanler. what shall
ask is this: Each Of you boys on the
platform will 40 in turn alone into the
classroom. Each on entering will shut
The door behind him. and will be alone
with KhOkan. Then you Will take the
right hand Of the autOmaton in yours
just as II YOU were shaking hands
while you count ten.
In the case Of all who do not know.
nothing will happen-they Will just
come back to their seats But i'm the
case Of the one person who does know
where these articles are the matter
VIII bc very difercnt-the touch Of
khokan will set an indelible mark