Indeed, Ostik had at last to come to his rescue
and carry him off from the laughing crowd by which he was surrounded.
After dinner Mr. Goodenough invited the people to sit down in a
vast circle holding each other's hands. He then told them that he
should at a word make them all jump to their feet. Then taking out
a small but powerful galvanic battery, he arranged it and placed
wires into the hands of the two men nearest to him in the great
circle.
"Now," he said, "when I clap my hands you will find that you are
all obliged to jump up."
He gave the signal. Frank turned on the battery, and in an instant
the two hundred men and women, with a wild shriek, either leapt
to their feet or rolled backward on the ground. In another minute
not a native was to be seen, with the exception of the chief, who
had not been included in the circle. The latter, at Mr. Goodenough's
request, shouted loudly to his subjects to return, for that the white
men would do them no harm; but it was a long time before, slowly
and cautiously, they crept back again. When they had reassembled
Mr. Goodenough showed them several simple but astonishing chemical
experiments, which stupefied them with wonder; and concluded with
three or four conjuring tricks, which completed their amazement.
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