When a man has lost anything, or been robbed, he often has in his own mind, quite unconsciously, some suspicion or clue to it. A clever fortune-teller or gypsy who has made a life-long study of such clues, can often elicit from the loser, hints which enable the magician to surmise the truth. Many people place absolute confidence in their servants, and perhaps suspect nobody. The detective or gypsy has no such faith in man, and suspects everybody. Where positive knowledge cannot be established there is, however, another resource. The thief is often as superstitious as his victim. Hence he fears that some mysterious curse may be laid on him, which he cannot escape. In the Pacific Islands, as among negroes everywhere, a man will die if taboo or voodoo attaches to the taking of objects which have been consecrated by a certain formula. Therefore such formulas are commonly employed. Among the Hungarian gypsies to recover a stolen animal, some of its dung is taken and thrown to the East and the West with the words:—
“Kay tut o kam dikhel:
Odoy ává kiyá mánge!”
“Where the sun sees thee,
Hence return to me!”
But when a horse has been stolen, they take what is left of his harness, bury it in the earth and make a fire over it, saying:—
“Kó tut cordyás
Nasvales th’ ávlás
Leske sor ná ávlás,
Tu ná ač kiyá leske