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MAGIC So saying, he picked up a pebble and mumbled some sort of prayer over it. Then he Aung the stone into the river in the centre of it. As it landed, the water began to form a wall of churning foam. THE RIVER STOPPED FLOWING!
The Arab climbed down the bank into the river-bed, lit a fire, and cooked a meal of couscous and partridge, SEEMING TO TAKE THE FUEL AND THE FOOD FROM THE AIR !
In order to convince themselves of the reality of what they had seen, the amazed officers and others forming their escort forced themselves to eat the meal provided. The good fathers were too busy on their knees to care about eating.
When the meal was over, at a word from the wizard, the wall of water fell and the river continued its normal course.
“That was very simple,” remarked the Arab, quietly. “You ought to see what one of our real magicians can do. I'm hardly more than a conjurer.”
These observations can be verified from : THE ARCHIVES DEPARTMENT, Government of Algeria, Algiers ; LE PÈRE SUPERIEUR, Les Pères Blancs, Ain Sefra, Sud-Oranais ; LE CAPITAINE CHEF D'ANNEXE, Ain Sefra, Sud-Oranais.