Uploaded pix which appear on the Desert Column Forum.
Western Mail, Thursday, 2 January 1930, p. 2
The Rope Trick.
In "Twenty-five Years With Haig" Sergeant Secrett, Earl Haig's batman, tells some entertaining stories. One was an account of an Indian fakir performing the famous rope trick before the future Field Martial and some other officers. The party sat on cushions around him but Secrett watched from a window above the ground. The fakir made the round of his circle several times and then uncoiled his rope. He moved once more around the circle and then, pointing upward with one hand, shot the rope into the air with the other. Sir Douglas and the rest sat with their eyes turned upwards. Then a boy was brought forward and the fakir mumbled something. His audience now turned their eyes on the boy, who stood on the ground. The fakir slowly and gently moved his hand upwards and the audience followed his band with their eyes. He seemed to be giving instructions to the boy and addressing the spot where his eyes rested - ever upward. Then the whole thing dawned upon Secrett. The fakir had mesmerised his gathering - including Sir Douglas Haig. He went out at once and called "The boy is still on the ground, Sir, and the rope fell the moment he threw it up!" For a second the fakir's attention was taken off the audience and the imaginary rope: in that second they seemed to come out of the spell or whatever it was he had woven around them. Although Sergeant Secrett had seen the whole incident as it actually occurred it was a long time before Sir Douglas Haig would really believe that his eyes had deceived him. As it was, had the trick not been interrupted half way, each member of the audience would have sworn that he had seen it performed and that it was genuine. The fakir was angry, naturally. That night he introduced a deadly snake into Secrett's bedroom, which the sergeant killed in the nick of time.