magic and real detectives-第30节

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

seduced　by　the　perfume　of　their　favorite　liquor；　and　urged　by　the

interpreters；　some　of　the　boldest　decided　on　tasting　the　magic

liquor；　and　all　soon　followed　their　example。



The　vessel；　rapidly　emptied；　was　repeatedly　filled　again　with　equal

rapidity；　and　it　satisfied　all　demands；　like　my　inexhaustible

bottle；　and　was　borne　back　to　the　stage　still　full。



But　it　was　not　enough　to　amuse　my　spectators；　I　must　also；　in　order

to　fulfill　the　object　of　my　mission；　startle　and　even　terrify　them

by　the　display　of　a　supernatural　power。



My　arrangements　had　all　been　made　for　this　purpose；　and　I　had

reserved　for　the　end　of　my　performances　three　tricks；　which　must

complete　my　reputation　as　a　sorcerer。



Many　of　my　readers　will　remember　having　seen　at　my　performances　a

small　but　solidly　built　box；　which；　being　handed　to　the　spectators；

becomes　heavy　or　light　at　my　order；　a　child　might　raise　it　with

ease；　and　yet　the　most　powerful　man　could　not　move　it　from　its

place。



I　advanced；　with　my　box　in　my　hand；　to　the　center　of　the

〃practicable；〃　communicating　from　the　stage　to　the　pit；　then；

addressing　the　Arabs；　I　said　to　them：



〃From　what　you　have　witnessed；　you　will　attribute　a　supernatural

power　to　me；　and　you　are　right。　　I　will　give　you　a　new　proof　of　my

marvelous　authority；　by　showing　that　I　can　deprive　the　most

powerful　man　of　his　strength　and　restore　it　at　my　will。　　Anyone　who

thinks　himself　strong　enough　to　try　the　experiment　may　draw　near

me。〃　　（I　spoke　slowly；　in　order　to　give　the　interpreter　time　to

translate　my　words。）



An　Arab　of　middle　height；　but　well　built　and　muscular；　like　many　of

the　Arabs　are；　came　to　my　side　with　sufficient　assurance。



〃Are　you　very　strong？〃　I　said　to　him；　measuring　him　from　head　to

foot。



〃Oh；　yes！〃　he　replied　carelessly。



〃Are　you　sure　you　will　always　remain　so？〃



〃Quite　sure。〃



〃You　are　mistaken；　for　in　an　instant　I　will　rob　you　of　your

strength；　and　you　shall　become　as　a　little　child。〃



The　Arab　smiled　disdainfully　as　a　sign　of　his　incredulity。



〃Stay；〃　I　continued；　〃lift　up　this　box。〃



The　Arab　stooped；　lifted　up　the　box；　and　said　to　me；　coldly；　〃Is

that　all？〃



〃Wait！〃　I　replied。



Then；　with　all　possible　gravity；　I　made　an　imposing　gesture；　and

solemnly　pronounced　the　words：



〃Behold！　you　are　weaker　than　a　woman；　now；　try　to　lift　the　box。〃



The　Hercules；　quite　cool　as　to　my　conjuration；　seized　the　box　once

again　by　the　handle；　and　gave　it　a　violent　tug；　but　this　time　the

box　resisted；　and；　spite　of　his　most　vigorous　attacks；　would　not

budge　an　inch。



The　Arab　vainly　expended　on　this　unlucky　box　a　strength　which　would

have　raised　an　enormous　weight；　until；　at　length；　exhausted；

panting；　and　red　with　anger；　he　stopped；　became　thoughtful；　and

began　to　comprehend　the　influences　of　magic。



He　was　on　the　point　of　withdrawing；　but　that　would　be　allowing　his

weakness；　and　that　he；　hitherto　respected　for　his　vigor；　had　become

as　a　little　child。　　This　thought　rendered　him　almost　mad。



Deriving　fresh　strength　from　the　encouragements　his　friends　offered

him　by　word　and　deed；　he　turned　a　glance　round　them；　which　seemed

to　say：　〃You　will　see　what　a　son　of　the　desert　can　do。〃



He　bent　once　again　over　the　box：　his　nervous　hands　twined　round　the

handle；　and　his　legs；　placed　on　either　side　like　two　bronze

columns；　served　as　a　support　for　the　final　effort。



But；　wonder　of　wonders！　this　Hercules；　a　moment　since　so　strong　and

proud；　now　bows　his　head；　his　arms；　riveted　to　the　box；　undergo　a

violent　muscular　contraction；　his　legs　give　way；　and　he　falls　on

his　knees　with　a　yell　of　agony！



An　electric　shock；　produced　by　an　inductive　apparatus；　had　been

passed；　on　a　signal　from　me；　from　the　further　end　of　the　stage　into

the　handle　of　the　box。　　Hence　the　contortions　of　the　poor　Arab！



It　would　have　been　cruelty　to　prolong　this　scene。



I　gave　a　second　signal；　and　the　electric　current　was　immediately

intercepted。　　My　athlete；　disengaged　from　his　terrible　bondage；

raised　his　hands　over　his　head。



〃Allah！　Allah！〃　he　exclaimed；　full　of　terror；　then　wrapping　himself

up　quickly　in　the　folds　of　his　burnous；　as　if　to　hide　his　disgrace；

he　rushed　through　the　ranks　of　the　spectators　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　murmur　round　the　circle　of　credulous　men；

who；　while　gazing　on　me；　seemed　astonished　that　I　possessed　none　of

the　physical　qualities　attributed　to　the　angel　of　darkness。



I　allowed　my　public　a　few　moments　to　recover　from　the　emotion

produced　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　a　belief　in　their　invulnerability。



One　of　them；　for　instance；　ordered　a　gun　to　be　loaded　and　fired　at

him　from　a　short　distance；　but　in　vain　did　the　flint　produce　a

shower　of　sparks；　the　Marabout　pronounced　some　cabalistic　words；

and　the　gun　did　not　explode。



The　mystery　was　simple　enough；　the　gun　did　not　go　off　because　the

Marabout　had　skillfully　stopped　up　the　vent。



Colonel　de　Neven　explained　to　me　the　importance　of　discrediting

such　a　miracle　by　opposing　to　it　a　sleight…of…hand　trick　far

superior　to　it；　and　I　had　the　very　article。



I　informed　the　Arabs　that　I　possessed　a　talisman　rendering　me

invulnerable；　and　I　defied　the　best　marksman　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　violins；　escaladed

the　stage；　while　burning　himself　at　the　footlights；　and　then　said；

in　excellent　French：



〃I　will　kill　you！〃



An　immense　burst　of　laughter　greeted　both　the　Arab's　picturesque

ascent　and　his　murderous　intentions；　while　an　interpreter　who　stood

near　me　told　me　I　had　to　deal　with　a　Marabout。



〃You　wish　to　kill　me！〃　I　replied；　imitating　his　accent　and　the

inflection　of　his　voice。　　〃Well；　I　reply；　that　though　you　are　a

sorcerer；　I　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

preparation。〃



The　Arab　breathed　several　times　down　the　barrel；　then　through　the

nipple；　to　assure　himself　there　was　a　communication　between　them；

and　after　carefully　examining　the　pistol；　said：



〃The　weapon　is　good；　and　I　will　kill　you。〃



〃As　you　are　determined；　and　for　more　certainty；　put　in　a　double

charge　of　powder；　and　a　wad　on　the　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　it

will　explode；　tell　me；　do　you　feel　no　remorse；　no　scruple　about

killing　me　thus；　although　I　authorize　you　to　do　so？〃



〃No；　for　I　wish　to　kill　you；〃　the　Arab　repeated　coldly。



Without　replying；　I　put　an　apple　on　the　point　of　a　knife；　and；

standing　a　few　yards　from　the　Marabout；　ordered　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　Marabout；　who　recognized　the　ball　he

had　marked。



I　could　not　say　that　this　trick　produced　greater　stupefaction　than

the　ones　preceding　it：　at　any　rate；　my　spectators；　palsied　by

surprise　and　terror；　looked　round　in　silence；　seeming　to　think；

〃Where　the　deuce　have　we　got　to　here！〃



A　pleasant　scene；　however；　soon　unwrinkled　many　of　their　faces。

The　Marabout；　though　stupefied　by　his　defeat；　had　not　lost　his

wits；　so；　profiting　by　the　moment　when　he　returned　me　the　pistol；

he　seized　the　apple；　thrust　it　into　his　waist　belt；　and　could　not

be　induced　to　return　it；　persuaded　as　he　was　that　he　possessed　in

it　an　incomparable　talisman。



For　the　last　trick　in　my　performance　I　required　the　assistance　of

an　Arab。



At　the　request　of　several　interpreters；　a　young　Moor；　about　twenty

years　of　age；　tall；　well　built；　and　richly　dressed；　consented　to

come　on　the　stage。　　Bolder　and　more　civilized；　doubtless；　than　his

comrades　of　the　plains；　he　walked　firmly　up　to　me。



I　drew　him　toward　the　table　that　was　in　the　center　of　the　stage；

and　pointed　out　to　him　and　to　the　other　spectators　that　it　was

slightly　built　and　perfectly　isolated。　　After　which；　without

further　preface；　I