"This PANTHI house formerly belonged to a friend of mine. He became
acquainted with Afzal and asked him here. My friend also invited
about twenty neighbors, including myself. I was only a youth then,
and felt a lively curiosity about the notorious FAKIR." Master
laughed. "I took the precaution of not wearing anything valuable!
Afzal looked me over inquisitively, then remarked:
"'You have powerful hands. Go downstairs to the garden; get a
smooth stone and write your name on it with chalk; then throw the
stone as far as possible into the Ganges.'
"I obeyed. As soon as the stone had vanished under distant waves,
the Mohammedan addressed me again:
"'Fill a pot with Ganges water near the front of this house.'
"After I had returned with a vessel of water, the FAKIR cried,
'Hazrat, put the stone in the pot!'
"The stone appeared at once. I pulled it from the vessel and found
my signature as legible as when I had written it.
"Babu, {FN18-3} one of my friends in the room, was wearing a heavy
antique gold watch and chain. The FAKIR examined them with ominous
admiration. Soon they were missing!
"'Afzal, please return my prized heirloom!' Babu was nearly in
tears.
"The Mohammedan was stoically silent for awhile, then said, 'You
have five hundred rupees in an iron safe. Bring them to me, and I
will tell you where to locate your timepiece.'
"The distraught Babu left immediately for his home.
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