The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-01-20
CLOS Angeles Times.l

\lIpS AISEleS lIIIIcS.p
Yes" said Jack Barrett, II did see
some of the fakirs. Had a good, close
view of one especially"
Gould he do the rope trick?" ]
asked, sneeringly.
Well, rather" Jack replied. In
fact. l don't mind telling you that be-
fore going out there / was as skepti-
cal of midas far-famed magicians as
you were. So when l landed in Bonn
bay amid the sickish, sweet smell of
the jungle, and the vile smell of the
streets. a magician, was the last person
[ expected to meet. even though l was
in the land of magic.
ut was in Benares, while on my
way to the monkey temple, that I saw
my first magician. 1 va edging my
way through a crowd at a street cor
ner. when 1 came upon an odd figure
%squatted by the curb. In looking at
him. at first 1 saw nothing but his
eyes. They We're large and black and
they glittered as a diamond glitters
under the electric light. By degrees !
saw the lean, sharp-nosed face. and
the dirty gray beard which met a
his middle. A short cloak, which had
once matched his faded red turban in
color, hung in ragged folds from his
shoulders; 70 leg covering-like his
countrymen of the nursery rhyme
he made his skin do To add to nay
curiosity, ] saw a coil of rusty-look-
ing rope lying among q small CARLOAD
of junk, which he was watching with
jealous care while an assistant was
beating a pair Of cymbals and har-
arguing the crowd. Another assist
solemnly beside his chief.
go" say. larry. 'a'a going To do the
rope trick. said a voice at my elbow
confirming my suspicious.
Turning, l saw a young soldier in
the regulation khaki and pith helmet
crowding to the side of the speaker,
who also served the king.
II had lost all interest in, temples
by this time. and monkeys. sacred or
p%rofane. held for me no charm.
THE crowd. having become q swell
the already pungent air. he OF the
cymbals and Coney Island voice rest
ed from his labors and produced from
somewhere a white cloth like a table
cover. which he and the boy proceed
ed to spread on the ground. With
creaking joints the old fakir arose and
took his stand on the cloth half way
between the center and the edge,
reached out his hand to the older as
sistant. whose other hand clasped that
OF the boy. and, like the spoke Of a
wheel. they circled slowly around the
cloth singing a sad, despairing chant.
Faster and faster. turned the wheel.
and although l knew the old fakir wae
turning with the rest. it seemed that
his burning eyes stared always into
mine. I grew dizzy and felt that I,
too. was turning with the trio.
Suddenly the turning and singing
stopped: the W assistants drew back,
and I noticed the cloth slowly rising
In the cente. With q few. more in
carnations for good luck, the magician
jerked h cloth away. revealing q tree
about six inches high. rooted in the
pavement. Before my eyes the tree
grew as high as a mans head. shoot
ing forth leaves and blossoms. The
blossoms grew into little green things
which ripened into large yellow man.
goes. The two assistants came for
ward. One of them picked the fruit
and distributed 1t to the audience,
while the other collected such small
change as the crowd cared to, part
with. ..f5s
LAS I reached into-my pocket to add
my bit to the collection. my hand
came In contact with my camera /
was filed with a great Joy. I would
take a snapshot Of the next act. You
can't hypnotic a camera I shifted it
cautiously In front OF me and had 1t
ready just as. with q whirl. the old
fakir threw tho end Of the coilcd rope
into the air. It was not a hard throw,
but the rope. shot up AS'df tied to q