son is, Miss Hannay. I can't account for it in
any way, and I have seen it done a score of times. Ah! now he is going
to do the basket trick. Don't be alarmed when you hear the girl cry
out. You may be quite sure that she is not hurt. The father is deeply
attached to her, and would not hurt a hair of her head."

Again the usual methods were adopted. The basket was placed on the
ground and the girl stepped into it, without the pretense of fear
usually exhibited by the performers.

Before the trick began Major Hannay said to Captain Doolan, "Come round
with me to the side of those boys. I know the first time I saw it done
I was nearly throwing myself on the juggler, and Wilson is a hot headed
boy, and is likely as not to do so. If he did, the man would probably go
off in a huff and show us nothing more. From what Bathurst said, we are
likely to see something unusual."

As soon as the lid was put down, an apparently angry colloquy took place
between the juggler and the girl inside. Presently the man appeared to
become enraged, and snatching up a long, straight sword from the ground,
ran it three or four times through the basket.

A loud shriek followed the first thrust, and then all was silent.

Some of the ladies rose to their feet with a cry of horror, Isobel among
them. Wilson and Richards both started to rush forward, but were seized
by the collars by the Major and Captain Doolan.

"Will you open the basket?" the juggler said quietly to Mrs. Hunter. As
she had seen the trick before she stepped forward without hesitation,
opened the lid of the basket and said, "It is empty." The juggler took
it up, and held it up, bottom upwards.

"What on earth has become of the girl?" Wilson exclaimed.

As he spoke she passed between him and Richards back to her father's
side.

"Well, I am dashed," Wilson murmured. "I would not have believed it
if fifty people had sworn to me they had seen it." He was too much
confounded even to reply, when the Doctor sarcastically said: "We are
waiting for your explanation, gentlemen."

"Will you ask him, Major," Richards said, as he wiped his forehead with
his pocket handkerchief, "to make sure that she is solid?"

The Major translated the request, and the girl at once came across, and
Richards touched her with evident doubt as to whether on not she were
really flesh and blood.

There was much curiosity among those who had seen jugglers before as
to what would be the next feat, for gen