nd which he held at the back of her chair, and
felt sure that she had fainted.

"Draw back the curtains, someone; I fancy this has been too much for
Miss Hannay."

The curtains were thrown back, and Mrs. Hunter, running in, brought out
a lamp. The Doctor had already taken his place by Isobel's side.

"Yes, she has fainted," he said to Bathurst; "carry her in her chair as
she is, so that she may be in the room when she comes to."

This was done.

"Now, gentlemen," the Doctor said, "you had better light the lamps again
out here, and leave the ladies and me to get Miss Hannay round."

When the lamps were lit it was evident that the whole of the men were a
good deal shaken by what they had seen.

"Well," Mr. Hunter said, "they told me he was a famous juggler, but that
beat anything I have seen before. I have heard of such things frequently
from natives, but it is very seldom that Europeans get a chance of
seeing them."

"I don't want to see anything of the sort again," Major Hannay said;
"it shakes one's notions of things in general. I fancy, Hunter, that
we shall want a strong peg all round to steady our nerves. I own that I
feel as shaky as a boy who thinks he sees a ghost on his way through a
churchyard."

There was a general murmur of agreement and the materials were quickly
brought.

"Well, Wilson, what do you and Richards think of it?" the Major went on,
after he had braced himself up with a strong glass of brandy and water.
"I should imagine you both feel a little less skeptical than you did two
hours ago."

"I don't know what Richards feels, Major, but I know I feel like a fool.
I am sorry, Bathurst, for what I said at dinner; but it really didn't
seem to me to be possible what you told us about the girl going up into
the air and not coming down again. Well, after I have seen what I have
seen this evening, I won't disbelieve anything I hear in future about
these natives."

"It was natural enough that you should be incredulous," Bathurst said.
"I should have been just as skeptical as you were when I first came out,
and I have been astonished now, though I have seen some good jugglers
before."

At this moment the Doctor came out again.

"Miss Hannay is all right again now, Major. I am not surprised at her
fainting; old hand as I am at these matters, and I think that I have
seen as much or more juggling than any man in India. I felt very queer
myself, specially at the snake business. As I said, I hav