The Twin Ventriloquists

at C

essing many talents other than the gift of ventriloquism to a remarkable degree. He had never met his match, and when not engaged in aiding some persecuted person or working with detectives he amused himself in various ways by an exercise of his powers. As stated, Ike had never met his match either among professionals or amateurs. He stood number one as a ventriloquist wonder. He had been told of a youth who also possessed the gift in a most remarkable manner. He had never met the youth and was led to doubt the fact that there was another who came anywhere near him. One day Ike, having nothing else to do, determined to visit the Metropolitan Museum in Central Park. He had been there before and enjoyed himself every time, but he had never attempted any of his pranks. On the occasion when we introduce him to our readers, he was standing beside a mummy

that mummy coul

went up and his face blanched, while the young ladies fell back trembling with t

at do you want

so realistic was the declaration that one might expect to see the lurid-looking object rise in its thous

on besides himself who could produce such amazing results. He glanced around and there was only the one party who had been standing near the mummy, and that was the professor with the ladies gathered around him. Some distance off a very trimly-built youth stood gazing at the stuffed birds in a case

most extra

f them, and his final conclusion was that the sallow-faced scientist was the culprit-yes, the sallow-faced man with the big nose and goggles had made the inviting statement, knowing that he could seemingly make the mummy talk. His surprise and alarm, our hero concluded, was all a pretense and a part of his little joke, and it was then that Ike tu

ke, "the next time you'll s

ed first to watch the professor and fin

ound, for the professor's talk had r

h to ask you a quest

nswer, and the profe

nstration or did you, ah-ah

young ladie

ard a

u d

s,

ientific grounds, we were all so engrossed on the subject under conversation that by some singular psychologic phenomena, our imaginations were momentarily spellbound by a conce

ssor's explanation, although it was about as plain

their alarm and were deeply interested in all the professor said. Ike, however, had lost all interest in the lecture. He was piqued, he did not understand how it could be that there

the past centuries

in came the voice

equal to what it had been at the first exhibition. The professor, however, cam

t unders

or was not the acrobatic vocalist. The latter, however

has lain swathed in its funeral habiliments for over thirty centuries, says he

ilent for thirty centuries shoul

met his match at last. He was fully assured that the lithe-looking chap who was s

f fun, mister, but now

he bird case, when close to his ear came the sta

disturb that poor old Egyptian who has b

had so cleverly matched him. It was a great game all round. The professor was bewildered, the ladies were bewildered, and the young fellow at the bird case, who had bewildere

umph, and so for a few moment

is most extraordinary," and the bala

very brave and resolute lad. He walked around looking into several cases for a few moments and then quietly edged over toward the mummy case around which still lingered the professor and his party, and Ike r

econd mummy case and stood a moment looking at the bandaged face as a "throw

, you may get hit with a club

or a moment, and then his bright, clear eyes wandered

had become exceedingl

l adjourn the le

there came a voice fro

it forever, for you don't kno

, but as he bent over the venerable object there came an unearthly yell that froze the blood in his veins. He leaped back, the young ladies ran screa

tly on the face of our hero, the great Nimble Ike. The latter returned the gaze and for a few moments it was a duel of stare; neither appeared dispos

fellow, wh