magic and real detectives-第29节

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〃On　the　right　or　left？〃　my　son　asked。



〃On　the　right；〃　the　speaker　said；　having　a　good　reason　for　choosing

this　book；　for　the　lettering　was　very　small。



〃The　Travels　of　Anacharsis　the　Younger；〃　the　boy　replied。　　〃But；〃

he　added；　〃had　you　asked　the　name　of　the　book　on　the　left；　sir；　I

should　have　said　Lamartine's　Poetry。　　A　little　to　the　right　of　this

row；　I　see　Crebillon's　works；　below；　two　volumes　of　Fleury's

Memoirs〃；　and　my　son　thus　named　a　dozen　books　before　he　stopped。



The　spectators　had　not　said　a　word　during　this　description；　as　they

felt　so　amazed；　but　when　the　experiment　had　ended；　all　complimented

us　by　clapping　their　hands。





III



THE　MAGICIAN　WHO　BECAME　AN　AMBASSADOR





＇It　is　not　generally　known　that　Robert…Houdin　once　rendered　his

country　an　important　service　as　special　envoy　to　Algeria。　　Half　a

century　ago　this　colony　was　an　endless　source　of　trouble　to　France。

Although　the　rebel　Arab　chieftain　Abd…del…Kader　had　surrendered　in

1847；　an　irregular　warfare　was　kept　up　against　the　French　authority

by　the　native　Kabyles；　stimulated　by　their　Mohammedan　priests；　and

particularly　through　so…called　〃miracles；〃　such　as　recovery　from

wounds　and　burns　self…inflicted　by　the　Marabouts　and　other　fanatic

devotees　of　the　Prophet。



Thus　in　1856　the　hopes　of　the　French　Foreign　Office　rested　on

Robert…Houdin。　　He　was　requested　to　exhibit　his　tricks　in　the　most

impressive　form　possible；　with　the　idea　of　proving　to　the　deluded

Arabs　that　they　had　been　in　error　in　ascribing　supernatural　powers

to　their　holy　men。＇





It　was　settled　that　I　should　reach　Algiers　by　the　next　27th　of

September；　the　day　on　which　the　great　fetes　annually　offered　by　the

capital　of　Algeria　to　the　Arabs　would　commence。



I　must　say　that　I　was　much　influenced　in　my　determination　by　the

knowledge　that　my　mission　to　Algeria　had　a　quasi…political

character。　　I；　a　simple　conjurer；　was　proud　of　being　able　to　render

my　country　a　service。



It　is　known　that　the　majority　of　revolts　which　have　to　be

suppressed　in　Algeria　are　excited　by　intriguers；　who　say　they　are

inspired　by　the　Prophet；　and　are　regarded　by　the　Arabs　as　envoys　of

God　on　earth　to　deliver　them　from　the　oppression　of　the　Roumi

（Christians）。



These　false　prophets　and　holy　Marabouts；　who　are　no　more　sorcerers

than　I　am；　and　indeed　even　less　so；　still　contrive　to　influence　the

fanaticism　of　their　coreligionists　by　tricks　as　primitive　as　are

the　spectators　before　whom　they　are　performed。



The　government　was；　therefore；　anxious　to　destroy　their　pernicious

influence；　and　reckoned　on　me　to　do　so。　　They　hoped；　with　reason；

by　the　aid　of　my　experiments；　to　prove　to　the　Arabs　that　the　tricks

of　their　Marabouts　were　mere　child's　play；　and　owing　to　their

simplicity　could　not　be　done　by　an　envoy　from　Heaven；　which　also

led　us　very　naturally　to　show　them　that　we　are　their　superiors　in

everything；　and；　as　for　sorcerers；　there　are　none　like　the　French。



Presently　I　will　show　the　success　obtained　by　these　skillful

tactics。



Three　months　were　to　elapse　between　the　day　of　my　acceptance　and

that　of　my　departure　which　I　employed　in　arranging　a　complete

arsenal　of　my　best　tricks；　and　left　St。　Gervais　on　the　10th　of

September。



I　will　give　no　account　of　my　passage；　further　than　to　say　no　sooner

was　I　at　sea　than　I　wished　I　had　arrived；　and；　after　thirty…six

hours'　navigation；　I　greeted　the　capital　of　our　colony　with

indescribable　delight。



On　the　28th　of　October；　the　day　appointed　for　my　first　performance

before　the　Arabs；　I　reached　my　post　at　an　early　hour；　and　could

enjoy　the　sight　of　their　entrance　into　the　theater。



Each　goum；＇1＇　drawn　up　in　companies；　was　introduced　separately；　and

led　in　perfect　order　to　the　places　chosen　for　it　in　advance。　　Then

came　the　turn　of　the　chiefs；　who　seated　themselves　with　all　the

gravity　becoming　their　character。





＇1＇　Brigade　of　native　soldiers　under　French　command。　　It　was　this

influential　native　faction　that　the　Foreign　Office　wished

particularly　to　impress；　through　Robert…Houdin's　skill。EDITOR。





Their　introduction　lasted　some　time；　for　these　sons　of　nature　could

not　understand　that　they　were　boxed　up　thus；　side　by　side；　to　enjoy

a　spectacle；　and　our　comfortable　seats；　far　from　seeming　so　to

them；　bothered　them　strangely。　　I　saw　them　fidgeting　about　for　some

time；　and　trying　to　tuck　their　legs　under　them；　after　the　fashion

of　European　tailors。



The　caids；　agas；　bash…agas；　and　other　titled　Arabs；　held　the　places

of　honor；　for　they　occupied　the　orchestra　stalls　and　the　dress

circle。



In　the　midst　of　them　were　several　privileged　officers；　and；　lastly；

the　interpreters　were　mingled　among　the　spectators；　to　translate　my

remarks　to　them。



I　was　also　told　that　several　curious　people；　having　been　unable　to

procure　tickets；　had　assumed　the　Arab　burnous；　and；　binding　the

camel's…hair　cord　round　their　foreheads；　had　slipped　in　among　their

new　coreligionists。



This　strange　medley　of　spectators　was　indeed　a　most　curious　sight。

The　dress　circle；　more　especially；　presented　an　appearance　as　grand

as　it　was　imposing。　　Some　sixty　Arab　chiefs；　clothed　in　their　red

mantles　（the　symbol　of　their　submission　to　France）；　on　which　one　or

more　decorations　glistened；　gravely　awaited　my　performance　with

majestic　dignity。



I　have　performed　before　many　brilliant　assemblies；　but　never　before

one　which　struck　me　so　much　as　this。　　However；　the　impression　I

felt　on　the　rise　of　the　curtain；　far　from　paralyzing　me；　on　the

contrary　inspired　me　with　a　lively　sympathy　for　the　spectators；

whose　faces　seemed　so　well　prepared　to　accept　the　marvels　promised

them。　　As　soon　as　I　walked　on　the　stage；　I　felt　quite　at　my　ease；

and　enjoyed；　in　anticipation；　the　sight　I　was　going　to　amuse　myself

with。



I　felt；　I　confess；　rather　inclined　to　laugh　at　myself　and　my

audience；　for　I　stepped　forth；　wand　in　hand；　with　all　the　gravity

of　a　real　Sorcerer。　　Still；　I　did　not　give　way；　for　I　was　here　not

merely　to　amuse　a　curious　and　kind　public；　I　must　produce　a

startling　effect　upon　coarse　minds　and　prejudices；　for　I　was

enacting　the　part　of　a　French　Marabout。



Compared　with　the　simple　tricks　of　their　pretended　sorcerers；　my

experiments　must　appear　perfect　miracles　to　the　Arabs。



I　commenced　my　performance　in　the　most　profound；　I　might　almost　say

religious；　silence；　and　the　attention　of　the　spectators　was　so

great　that　they　seemed　petrified。　　Their　fingers　alone　moving

nervously；　played　with　the　beads　of　their　rosaries；　while　they

were；　doubtless；　invoking　the　protection　of　the　Most　High。



This　apathetic　condition　did　not　suit　me；　for　I　had　not　come　to

Algeria　to　visit　a　waxwork　exhibition。　　I　wanted　movement；

animation；　life　in　fact；　around　me。



I　changed　my　batteries；　and；　instead　of　generalizing　my　remarks；　I

addressed　them　more　especially　to　some　of　the　Arabs；　whom　I

stimulated　by　my　words；　and　still　more　by　my　actions。　　The

astonishment　then　gave　way　to　a　more　expressive　feeling；　which　was

soon　evinced　by　noisy　outbursts。



This　was　especially　the　case　when　I　produced　cannon　balls　from　a

hat；　for　my　spectators；　laying　aside　their　gravity；　expressed　their

delighted　admiration　by　the　strangest　and　most　energetic　gestures。



Then　camegreeted　by　the　same　successthe　bouquet　of　flowers；

produced　instantaneously　from　a　hat；　the　CORNUCOPIA；　supplying　a

multitude　of　objects　which　I　distributed；　though　unable　to　satisfy

the　repeated　demands　made　on　all　sides；　and　still　more　by　those　who

had　their　hands　full　already；　the　FIVE…FRANC　PIECES；　sent　across

the　theater　with　a　crystal　box　suspended　above　the　spectators。



One　trick　I　should　much　have　liked　to　perform　was　the　INEXHAUSTIBLE

BOTTLE；　so　appreciated　by　the　Parisians　and　the　Manchester　〃hands〃；

but　I　could　not　employ　it　in　this　performance；　for　it　is　well　known

the　followers　of　Mohammed　drink　no　fermented　liquorat　least　not

publicly。　　Hence；　I　substituted　the　following　with　considerable

advantage：



I　took　a　silver　cup；　like　those　called　〃punch　bowls〃　in　the

Parisian　cafes。　　I　unscrewed　the　foot；　and　passing　my　wand　through

it　showed　that　the　vessel　contained　nothing；　then；　having　refitted

the　two　parts；　I　went　to　the　center　of　the　pit；　when；　at　my

command；　the　bowl　was　MAGICALLY　filled　with　sweetmeats；　which　were

found　excellent。



The　sweetmeats　exhausted；　I　turned　the　bowl　over；　and　proposed　to

fill　it　with　excellent　coffee；　so；　gravely　passing　my　hand　thrice

over　the　bowl；　a　dense　vapor　immediately　issued　from　it；　and

announced　the　presence　of　the　precious　liquid。　　The　bowl　was　full

of　boiling　coffee；　which　I　poured　into　cups；　and　offered　to　my

astounded　spectators。



The　first　cups　were　only　accepted；　so　to　speak；　under　protest；　for

not　an　Arab　would　consent　to　moisten　his　lips　with　a　beverage　which

he　thought　came　straight　from　Shaitan's　kitchen；　but；　in