magic and real detectives-第32节

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〃You　are　aware；〃　I　said；　with　assurance；　〃that　I　require　a　talisman

in　order　to　be　invulnerable；　and；　unfortunately；　I　have　left　mine

at　Algiers。〃



The　Marabout　began　laughing　with　an　incredulous　air。　　〃Still；〃　I

continued；　〃I　can；　by　remaining　six　hours　at　prayers；　do　without

the　talisman；　and　defy　your　weapon。　　To…morrow　morning；　at　eight

o'clock；　I　will　allow　you　to　fire　at　me　in　the　presence　of　these

Arabs；　who　were　witnesses　of　your　challenge。〃



Bou…Allem；　astonished　at　such　a　promise；　asked　me　once　again　if

this　offer　were　serious；　and　if　he　should　invite　the　company　for

the　appointed　hour。　　On　my　affirmative；　they　agreed　to　meet　before

the　stone　bench　in　the　market　place。



I　did　not　spend　my　night　at　prayers；　as　may　be　supposed；　but　I

employed　about　two　hours　in　insuring　my　invulnerability；　then；

satisfied　with　the　result；　I　slept　soundly；　for　I　was　terribly

tired。



By　eight　the　next　morning　we　had　breakfasted；　our　horses　were

saddled；　and　our　escort　was　awaiting　the　signal　for　our　departure；

which　would　take　place　after　the　famous　experiment。



None　of　the　guests　were　absent；　and；　indeed；　a　great　number　of

Arabs　came　in　to　swell　the　crowd。



The　pistols　were　handed　me；　I　called　attention　to　the　fact　that　the

vents　were　clear；　and　the　Marabout　put　in　a　fair　charge　of　powder

and　drove　the　wad　home。　　Among　the　bullets　produced；　I　chose　one

which　I　openly　put　in　the　pistol；　and　which　was　then　also　covered

with　paper。



The　Arab　watched　all　these　movements；　for　his　honor　was　at　stake。



We　went　through　the　same　process　with　the　second　pistol　and　the

solemn　moment　arrived。



Solemn；　indeed；　it　seemed　to　everybodyto　the　spectators　who　were

uncertain　of　the　issue；　to　Madame　Houdin；　who　had　in　vain　besought

me　to　give　up　this　trick；　for　she　feared　the　resultand　solemn

also　to　me；　for　as　my　new　trick　did　not　depend　on　any　of　the

arrangements　made　at　Algiers；　I　feared　an　error；　an　act　of

treacheryI　knew　not　what。



Still　I　posted　myself　at　fifteen　paces　from　the　sheik；　without

evincing　the　slightest　emotion。



The　Marabout　immediately　seized　one　of　the　pistols；　and；　on　my

giving　the　signal；　took　a　deliberate　aim　at　me。　　The　pistol　went

off；　and　the　ball　appeared　between　my　teeth。



More　angry　than　ever；　my　rival　tried　to　seize　the　other　pistol；　but

I　succeeded　in　reaching　it　before　him。



〃You　could　not　injure　me；〃　I　said　to　him；　〃but　you　shall　now　see

that　my　aim　is　more　dangerous　than　yours。　　Look　at　that　wall。〃



I　pulled　the　trigger；　and　on　the　newly　whitewashed　wall　appeared　a

large　patch　of　blood；　exactly　at　the　spot　where　I　had　aimed。



The　Marabout　went　up　to　it；　dipped　his　finger　in　the　blood；　and；

raising　it　to　his　mouth；　convinced　himself　of　the　reality。　　When　he

acquired　this　certainty；　his　arms　fell；　and　his　head　was　bowed　on

his　chest；　as　if　he　were　annihilated。



It　was　evident　that　for　the　moment　he　doubted　everything；　even　the

Prophet。



The　spectators　raised　their　eyes　to　heaven；　muttered　prayers；　and

regarded　me　with　a　species　of　terror。



This　scene　was　a　triumphant　termination　to　my　performance。　　I

therefore　retired；　leaving　the　audience　under　the　impression　I　had

produced。　　We　took　leave　of　Bou…Allem　and　his　son；　and　set　off　at　a

gallop。





The　trick　I　have　just　described；　though　so　curious；　is　easily

prepared。　　I　will　give　a　description　of　it；　while　explaining　the

trouble　it　took　me。



As　soon　as　I　was　alone　in　my　room；　I　took　out　of　my　pistol　case

without　which　I　never　travela　bullet　mold。



I　took　a　card；　bent　up　the　four　edges；　and　thus　made　a　sort　of

trough；　in　which　I　placed　a　piece　of　wax　taken　from　one　of　the

candles。　　When　it　was　melted；　I　mixed　with　it　a　little　lampblack　I

had　obtained　by　putting　the　blade　of　a　knife　over　the　candle；　and

then　ran　this　composition　in　the　bullet　mold。



Had　I　allowed　the　liquid　to　get　quite　cold；　the　ball　would　have

been　full　and　solid；　but　in　about　ten　seconds　I　turned　the　mold

over；　and　the　portions　of　the　wax　not　yet　set　ran　out；　leaving　a

hollow　ball　in　the　mold。　　This　operation　is　the　same　as　that　used

in　making　tapers；　the　thickness　of　the　outside　depending　on　the

time　the　liquid　has　been　left　in　the　mold。



I　wanted　a　second　ball；　which　I　made　rather　more　solid　than　the

other；　and　this　I　filled　with　blood；　and　covered　the　orifice　with　a

lump　of　wax。　　An　Irishman　had　once　taught　me　the　way　to　draw　blood

from　the　thumb　without　feeling　any　pain；　and　I　employed　it　on　this

occasion　to　fill　my　bullet。



Bullets　thus　prepared　bear　an　extraordinary　resemblance　to　lead；

and　are　easily　mistaken　for　that　metal　when　seen　at　a　short

distance　off。



With　this　explanation；　the　trick　will　be　easily　understood。　　After

showing　the　leaden　bullet　to　the　spectators；　I　changed　it　for　my

hollow　ball；　and　openly　put　the　latter　into　the　pistol。　　By

pressing　the　wad　tightly　down；　the　wax　broke　into　small　pieces；　and

could　not　touch　me　at　the　distance　I　stood。



At　the　moment　the　pistol　was　fired；　I　opened　my　mouth　to　display

the　lead　bullet　I　held　between　my　teeth；　while　the　other　pistol

contained　the　bullet　filled　with　blood；　which　bursting　against　the

wall；　left　its　imprint；　though　the　wax　had　flown　to　atoms。





It　is　no　wonder　that　after　such　exhibitions　Robert…Houdin's　success

was　complete。　　The　Arabs　lost　all　confidence　in　Marabout

〃miracles；〃　and　thus　a　dangerous　smoldering　flame　of　disaffection

to　the　French　was　entirely　smothered。EDITOR。







David　P。　Abbott



Fraudulent　Spiritualism　Unveiled＇1＇





＇1＇　As　to　whether　communication　with　the　departed　is　possible；　no

discussion　is　here　attempted。　　The　episodes　following；　from

experiences　well　authenticated；　merely　illustrate　what　sleight…of…

hand　experts　have　long　knownthat　most　〃mediums；〃　〃astrologers；〃

〃mind　readers；〃　and　the　like；　can　be　proven　to　be　frauds。　　Their

dupes　are　puzzled；　and　sometimes　won　over；　in　the　name　of

Spiritualism；　either　by　the　tricks　familiar　to　all　〃conjurers；〃　or

else　by　the　psychology　of　deception　（see　page　280）。　　Some　of　the

cleverness　displayed　is　marvelous；　as　the　following　pages　show。

The　passages　by　Hereward　Carrington　are　copyrighted　by　Herbert　B。

Turner　&　Co。；　1907；　and　those　by　David　P。　Abbott　are　copyrighted　by

the　Open　Court　Publishing　Company；　1907EDITOR。





THE　METHODS　OF　A　〃DOCTOR　OF　THE　OCCULT〃





Not　so　very　long　ago　I　met　a　frienda　man　of　wealth；　who　was　a

firm　believer　in　spiritualism；　and　who　frequently　conversed　with

his　dead　wife　and　daughter。　　I　asked　him　if　he　could　inform　me

whether　or　not　there　were　any　good　mediums　in　the　city；　as　I　should

like　to　consult　one。



He　replied　that　at　present　there　were　none　in　Omaha　of　any　well…

developed　psychic　powers；　that　he　was　entirely　satisfied　on　the

subject　and　did　not　require　any　demonstrations　to　convince　himself

of　the　truths　of　spiritual　science。　　He　informed　me　that　the

question　was　settled　beyond　all　dispute；　but　that　if　I　were

skeptical；　there　was　said　to　be　a　medium　in　Council　Bluffs　who

possessed　most　wonderful　powers。



I　accordingly　made　other　inquiries　from　those　who　were　in　a

position　to　know；　and　I　learned　that　this　medium；　a　celebrated

〃Doctor　of　the　Occult；　Astrologer；　Palmist　and　Spirit　Medium；〃　was

at　that　time　giving　private　sittings　in　Council　Bluffs　to　earnest

inquirers　only；　for　the　small　sum　of　two　dollars。



I　was　informed　that　his　performances　were　of　the　most　wonderful

nature；　that　there　was　no　possibility　of　trickery　of　any　kind；　that

he　told　you　whatever　you　desired　to　know；　without　your　even　asking

him；　that；　in　addition　to　this；　he　had　powers　over　the　elements　of

nature；　and；　in　fact；　I　was　led　to　believe　that　he　was　a　true

sorcerer　of　the　olden　days。



I　determined　at　once　to　call　on　this　renowned　personage；　and　try　to

secure　a　little　information　from　the　unseen　world。　　Accordingly；

one　Sunday　afternoon　I　took　the　car　that　crossed　the　river；　and　in

due　time　arrived　at　the　apartments　of　this　wonderful　doctor。



I　was　met　at　the　door　by　an　attendant；　who　accepted　the　fee　and

directed　me　to　enter　the　rooms　of　this　mysterious　person　quietly；

and　if　I　found　him　employed；　by　no　means　to　disturb　him；　but　merely

to　await　his　pleasure；　that　he　was　frequently　conversing　with

unseen　beings；　or　deep　in　some　astrological　computation；　and　at

such　times　it　was　not　safe　to　disturb　him。



With　a　beating　heart　I　entered　the　room　where　he　was　to　be　found。

This　room　was　a　large　one。　　I　did　not　see　him　at　first。　　What

attracted　my　attention　was　a　large　map　or　painting　on　a　piece　of

canvas　which　hung　on　a　wall　space　in　the　room。　　This　painting　had　a

representation　of　the　sun　in　its　center。　　This　could　be　discovered

by　the　rays　which　radiated　from　it　in　all　directions。　　Around　this

sun　were　many　stars；　and　an　occasional　planet；　among　which　Saturn

and　its　rings　were　very　prominently　depicted。　　There