290 ROUGHING IT IN SOUTHERN INDIA 



just right, took the pot off the fire, drained away the hot 

 water, and dashed cold on. This done, he handed the rice 

 round that every one present might taste it, which we did — 

 fireplace boy and all — and pronounced it done to perfection. 

 This trick, I heard, admits of an easy explanation, but I 

 never learned what that might be. 



At a garden party given at Lahore, in the Punjaub, a 

 specially noted juggler was to be the main attraction. Four 

 of the guests, knowing something of this man's attainments, 

 arranged with their host and hostess to go to different parts 

 of the grounds, taking with them their cameras, as well as 

 pencils and paper, in order afterwards to compare notes 

 amongst themselves and with the other guests. 



For assistant this juggler had only the usual boy carrying 

 the basket on his head. 



Some of the marvels exhibited were new, others old, but 

 none the less baffling. When the man proposed to do the 

 ' basket ' trick, as it is called, it was at first vetoed as too 

 familiar to be of much interest ; but he said that he thought 

 his was not so, and asked leave to show it, which was, of 

 course, accorded him. 



In the usual version of this trick the juggler thrusts 

 a sword several times through and through a basket with 

 a boy in it, each time drawing out his reeking weapon to 

 the accompaniment of agonised outcries from the victim. 

 The next instant up capers the boy, from no one knows 

 where, and the basket being opened is found to be empty 

 and innocent of stain. This man's version was of another 

 sort. 



Out of his basket he took a big roll of girthing — the kind 

 used with saddles — and threw it into the air with all his 

 might. Up it flew its whole length, and stayed there ; 

 whereupon the boy was seen to climb it, hand over hand, 

 high above all heads, on and on till out of sight ! Then the 



