The girl lifted her head.
"You must go into de trance, meetoowah," said Ben Ali.
With a heart-breaking cry the girl flung herself on her knees in front of him.
"No, no, Uncle Ben!" she wailed, "don't make me do things I can't remember—things I don't want to do! What happened during the parade this morning? And what happened while I was in the air with Motor Matt? You will not tell me and I do not know! Oh, Uncle Ben——"
"Haidee!"
The voice was clear and keen cut. There was something in the tones of it that lifted the girl erect and uncomplaining, and held her as by a magnet with her eyes on the snaky, dancing orbs of Ben Ali.
The power of the Hindoo over the girl must have been tremendous.
The boys, shivering with horror, watched the Hindoo as he waved his arms gracefully and made his sinuous passes. He was no more than a minute or two in effecting his work.
By swift degrees Haidee's face lost its expression and became as though graven from stone; her eyes grew dull and her whole manner listless.
"Haidee, you sleep," came monotonously from Ben Ali, as his hands dropped. "You hear me, meetoowah? You understand?"