Bou-Allem，beingawarethatmytrickswereonlytheresultofskill，wasangrythathisguestshouldbesopestered；hencehebeganreproachingtheMarabout。Istoppedhim，however，foranideahadoccurredtomewhichwouldsavemefrommydilemma，atleasttemporarily；then，addressingmyadversary：
“Youareaware，“Isaid，withassurance，“thatIrequireatalismaninordertobeinvulnerable，and，unfortunately，IhaveleftmineatAlgiers。“
TheMaraboutbeganlaughingwithanincredulousair。“Still，“I
continued，“Ican，byremainingsixhoursatprayers，dowithoutthetalisman，anddefyyourweapon。To-morrowmorning，ateighto’clock，IwillallowyoutofireatmeinthepresenceoftheseArabs，whowerewitnessesofyourchallenge。“
Bou-Allem，astonishedatsuchapromise，askedmeonceagainifthisofferwereserious，andifheshouldinvitethecompanyfortheappointedhour。Onmyaffirmative，theyagreedtomeetbeforethestonebenchinthemarketplace。
Ididnotspendmynightatprayers，asmaybesupposed，butI
employedabouttwohoursininsuringmyinvulnerability；then，satisfiedwiththeresult，Isleptsoundly，forIwasterriblytired。
Byeightthenextmorningwehadbreakfasted，ourhorsesweresaddled，andourescortwasawaitingthesignalforourdeparture，whichwouldtakeplaceafterthefamousexperiment。
Noneoftheguestswereabsent，and，indeed，agreatnumberofArabscameintoswellthecrowd。
Thepistolswerehandedme；Icalledattentiontothefactthattheventswereclear，andtheMaraboutputinafairchargeofpowderanddrovethewadhome。Amongthebulletsproduced，IchoseonewhichIopenlyputinthepistol，andwhichwasthenalsocoveredwithpaper。
TheArabwatchedallthesemovements，forhishonorwasatstake。
Wewentthroughthesameprocesswiththesecondpistolandthesolemnmomentarrived。
Solemn，indeed，itseemedtoeverybody——tothespectatorswhowereuncertainoftheissue，toMadameHoudin，whohadinvainbesoughtmetogiveupthistrick，forshefearedtheresult——andsolemnalsotome，forasmynewtrickdidnotdependonanyofthearrangementsmadeatAlgiers，Ifearedanerror，anactoftreachery——Iknewnotwhat。
StillIpostedmyselfatfifteenpacesfromthesheik，withoutevincingtheslightestemotion。
TheMaraboutimmediatelyseizedoneofthepistols，and，onmygivingthesignal，tookadeliberateaimatme。Thepistolwentoff，andtheballappearedbetweenmyteeth。
Moreangrythanever，myrivaltriedtoseizetheotherpistol，butIsucceededinreachingitbeforehim。
“Youcouldnotinjureme，“Isaidtohim，“butyoushallnowseethatmyaimismoredangerousthanyours。Lookatthatwall。“
Ipulledthetrigger，andonthenewlywhitewashedwallappearedalargepatchofblood，exactlyatthespotwhereIhadaimed。
TheMaraboutwentuptoit，dippedhisfingerintheblood，and，raisingittohismouth，convincedhimselfofthereality。Whenheacquiredthiscertainty，hisarmsfell，andhisheadwasbowedonhischest，asifhewereannihilated。
Itwasevidentthatforthemomenthedoubtedeverything，eventheProphet。
Thespectatorsraisedtheireyestoheaven，mutteredprayers，andregardedmewithaspeciesofterror。
Thisscenewasatriumphantterminationtomyperformance。I
thereforeretired，leavingtheaudienceundertheimpressionIhadproduced。WetookleaveofBou-Allemandhisson，andsetoffatagallop。
ThetrickIhavejustdescribed，thoughsocurious，iseasilyprepared。Iwillgiveadescriptionofit，whileexplainingthetroubleittookme。
AssoonasIwasaloneinmyroom，Itookoutofmypistolcase——
withoutwhichInevertravel——abulletmold。
Itookacard，bentupthefouredges，andthusmadeasortoftrough，inwhichIplacedapieceofwaxtakenfromoneofthecandles。Whenitwasmelted，ImixedwithitalittlelampblackI
hadobtainedbyputtingthebladeofaknifeoverthecandle，andthenranthiscompositioninthebulletmold。
HadIallowedtheliquidtogetquitecold，theballwouldhavebeenfullandsolid；butinabouttensecondsIturnedthemoldover，andtheportionsofthewaxnotyetsetranout，leavingahollowballinthemold。Thisoperationisthesameasthatusedinmakingtapers，thethicknessoftheoutsidedependingonthetimetheliquidhasbeenleftinthemold。
Iwantedasecondball，whichImaderathermoresolidthantheother；andthisIfilledwithblood，andcoveredtheorificewithalumpofwax。AnIrishmanhadoncetaughtmethewaytodrawbloodfromthethumbwithoutfeelinganypain，andIemployeditonthisoccasiontofillmybullet。
Bulletsthuspreparedbearanextraordinaryresemblancetolead，andareeasilymistakenforthatmetalwhenseenatashortdistanceoff。
Withthisexplanation，thetrickwillbeeasilyunderstood。Aftershowingtheleadenbullettothespectators，Ichangeditformyhollowball，andopenlyputthelatterintothepistol。Bypressingthewadtightlydown，thewaxbrokeintosmallpieces，andcouldnottouchmeatthedistanceIstood。
Atthemomentthepistolwasfired，IopenedmymouthtodisplaytheleadbulletIheldbetweenmyteeth，whiletheotherpistolcontainedthebulletfilledwithblood，whichburstingagainstthewall，leftitsimprint，thoughthewaxhadflowntoatoms。
ItisnowonderthataftersuchexhibitionsRobert-Houdin’ssuccesswascomplete。TheArabslostallconfidenceinMarabout“miracles，“andthusadangeroussmolderingflameofdisaffectiontotheFrenchwasentirelysmothered。
DavidP。AbbottFraudulentSpiritualismUnveiled[1]
[1]Astowhethercommunicationwiththedepartedispossible，nodiscussionishereattempted。Theepisodesfollowing，fromexperienceswellauthenticated，merelyillustratewhatsleight-of-
handexpertshavelongknown——thatmost“mediums，““astrologers，“
“mindreaders，“andthelike，canbeproventobefrauds。Theirdupesarepuzzled，andsometimeswonover，inthenameofSpiritualism，eitherbythetricksfamiliartoall“conjurers，“orelsebythepsychologyofdeceptionseepage280。Someoftheclevernessdisplayedismarvelous，asthefollowingpagesshow。
ThepassagesbyHerewardCarringtonarecopyrightedbyHerbertB。
Turner&Co。，1907，andthosebyDavidP。AbbottarecopyrightedbytheOpenCourtPublishingCompany，
NotsoverylongagoImetafriend——amanofwealth，whowasafirmbelieverinspiritualism，andwhofrequentlyconversedwithhisdeadwifeanddaughter。Iaskedhimifhecouldinformmewhetherornottherewereanygoodmediumsinthecity，asIshouldliketoconsultone。
HerepliedthatatpresenttherewerenoneinOmahaofanywell-
developedpsychicpowers；thathewasentirelysatisfiedonthesubjectanddidnotrequireanydemonstrationstoconvincehimselfofthetruthsofspiritualscience。Heinformedmethatthequestionwassettledbeyondalldispute；butthatifIwereskeptical，therewassaidtobeamediuminCouncilBluffswhopossessedmostwonderfulpowers。
Iaccordinglymadeotherinquiriesfromthosewhowereinapositiontoknow；andIlearnedthatthismedium，acelebrated“DoctoroftheOccult，Astrologer，PalmistandSpiritMedium，“wasatthattimegivingprivatesittingsinCouncilBluffstoearnestinquirersonly，forthesmallsumoftwodollars。
Iwasinformedthathisperformanceswereofthemostwonderfulnature；thattherewasnopossibilityoftrickeryofanykind；thathetoldyouwhateveryoudesiredtoknow，withoutyourevenaskinghim；that，inadditiontothis，hehadpowersovertheelementsofnature；and，infact，Iwasledtobelievethathewasatruesorcereroftheoldendays。
Ideterminedatoncetocallonthisrenownedpersonage，andtrytosecurealittleinformationfromtheunseenworld。Accordingly，oneSundayafternoonItookthecarthatcrossedtheriver，andinduetimearrivedattheapartmentsofthiswonderfuldoctor。
Iwasmetatthedoorbyanattendant，whoacceptedthefeeanddirectedmetoentertheroomsofthismysteriouspersonquietly；
andifIfoundhimemployed，bynomeanstodisturbhim，butmerelytoawaithispleasure；thathewasfrequentlyconversingwithunseenbeings，ordeepinsomeastrologicalcomputation，andatsuchtimesitwasnotsafetodisturbhim。
WithabeatingheartIenteredtheroomwherehewastobefound。
Thisroomwasalargeone。Ididnotseehimatfirst。Whatattractedmyattentionwasalargemaporpaintingonapieceofcanvaswhichhungonawallspaceintheroom。Thispaintinghadarepresentationofthesuninitscenter。Thiscouldbediscoveredbytherayswhichradiatedfromitinalldirections。Aroundthissunweremanystars，andanoccasionalplanet，amongwhichSaturnanditsringswereveryprominentlydepicted。Therewerenumerouspicturesofanimalsandmen，andofqueermonsters，scatteredamongthestars。
Beneaththispicturestoodalargegoldenoaktableatwhichsatthisdelverintotheoccult，deeplyengrossedinastudyofthispainting；whilewithalittlebrushhefiguredandcalculated，inaqueersortofChinesecharacters，whichhedrewonasheetofpaper。Healsoseemedtobemakingastrangedrawingonthesamepaper。Hewasfartoodeeplyengagedtonoticemyentrance，andcontinuedathislaborsforsometime，whileIstoodquietlyandwatchedhim。Sittingononeendofthisratherlargetablewasaglassglobeorvessel，supportedbythreenickeledrods，somethinglikeatripod。Comingfromthewallwasaratherlargenickeledtubeorpipewhichcurvedoverabovetheglassvessel，andcontinuallyalloweddropsofwatertofallintotheglobe。Fromthesideofthisglassvesselthereledasmallnickeledpipewhichevidentlycarriedawaythewastewater。
Occasionallyalittleblueflamewouldappearonthesurfaceofthiswater，playabout，anddisappear。Whenthishappenedthebodyofthemediumwasalwaysconvulsedslightly。
Afteratimeheseemedtofinishhiscalculation，andthisseercondescendedtoleavetherealmsofthestarswhereindweltthespiritsthatruletheuniverseandthedestiniesofmen，andtodescendtoearthandforatimedirecthisgazetowardthishumblemortal。Heturnedaroundandobservedmeforthefirsttime。Hewasalarge，portly，fine-lookinggentlemanofmiddleage，withverylongblackhairwhichgavehimastrangeappearance。Heworeapairofglasseslowdownonhisnose；andfromoverthesehecondescendedtodirecthisgazeat，andtostudymeforamomentasanaturalistmightstudysomespecimenthathappenedtemporarilytoattracthisnotice。
Hesooninformedmethatthestarshadtoldhimsomethingofmycomingandofthequestionthatwasworryingme；andheaskedmeifIdesiredtoconsultthestarsastomydestiny，tohavehimdecipheritfromthelinesofmypalm，orwhetherIshouldprefertoconversewiththedead。Thelastwasmychoice。
Notfarfromawindowatonesideoftheroomtherewasasmalltableonwhichwereafewarticles。Hedirectedmetobeseatedatthistable，andhandedmeaslipofpaperofasizeofprobablyfourbyfiveinches。HedirectedmetowritethequestionI
desiredansweredonthispaper，andwhenthroughtofoldthepaperinhalvesthreetimeswiththewritinginside。Ididsowhilehewalkedtohisbowlofwaterapparentlypayingnoattentiontome，andthenreturned。
Whenhehadreturnedtoapositionoppositemeatthetable，hereachedtotakemywritingoutofmyhand；seeingwhichIquicklybentdownonecornerofthepaperandgaveittohim。HedirectedonesharpglanceatmeasIdidthis，atthesametimepickingupanenvelopefromthetablewithhisotherhand。Heheldthisenvelopeopenflapsidetowardme，andslowlyinsertedmypaperintoit。Ashedidthis，lookingsharplyatme，heremarked，“Iamnosleight-of-handperformer。Youseeyourquestionisactuallyintheenvelope。“Thiswasthecase；foritwasclosetomeandI
couldplainlyseethetopofitagainstthebackoftheenvelope，thelowerportionsbeinginserted；andIcouldseethelittlecornerfoldeddown，asIhadbentit，andIwascertainhehadnotexchangedit。InfacthetookoccasiontousehishandsinsuchmannerthatIcouldseetherewasnothingconcealedaboutthem，thathe“palmed“nothing，andthathemadenoexchange。Iwasentirelysatisfiedthatallwasfair，andthatnoexchangehadbeenmade。
Next，hesealedtheenvelope，andholdingittowardthewindow，calledmyattentiontothefactthatastheenvelopewaspartlytransparentIcouldseemypaperwithinitandthatitwasactuallythere。Thiswasreallythecase。Henowtookamatch，andlightingitappliedtheflametothisidenticalenvelopewithoutitsleavingmysight；andproceededtoburnthelastvestigeofitandthepaperwithinit，allowingtheashestodropintoasmallvesselonthetable。