The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 4Poe, Edgar Allan
General
The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 4
Poe, Edgar Allan
American fiction -- 19th century; Fantasy fiction; Horror tales, American; Short stories
Turk moves, the corresponding move is made at the table of the
antagonist, also by M. Maelzel, who then acts as the
representative of the Automaton. In this manner it is necessary
that the exhibiter should often pass from one table to the other.
He also frequently goes in rear of the figure to remove the
chess-men which it has taken, and which it deposits, when taken,
on the box to the left (to its own left) of the board. When the
Automaton hesitates in relation to its move, the exhibiter is
occasionally seen to place himself very near its right side, and
to lay his hand, now and then, in a careless manner upon the box.
He has also a peculiar shuffle with his feet, calculated to
induce suspicion of collusion with the machine in minds which are
more cunning than sagacious. These peculiarities are, no doubt,
mere mannerisms of M. Maelzel, or, if he is aware of them at all,
he puts them in practice with a view of exciting in the
spectators a false idea of the pure mechanism in the Automaton.
The Turk plays with his left hand. All the movements of the arm
are at right angles. In this manner, the hand (which is gloved
and bent in a natural way,) being brought directly above the
piece to be moved, descends finally upon it, the fingers
receiving it, in most cases, without difficulty. Occasionally,
however, when the piece is not precisely in its proper situation,
the Automaton fails in his attempt at seizing it. When this
occurs, no second effort is made, but the arm continues its
movement in the direction originally intended, precisely as if
the piece were in the fingers. Having thus designated the spot
whither the move should have been made, the arm returns to its
cushion, and Maelzel performs the evolution which the Automaton
pointed out. At every movement of the figure machinery is heard
in motion. During the progress of the game, the figure now and
then rolls its eyes, as if surveying the board, moves its head,
and pronounces the word _echec _(check) when necessary. {*3} If a
false move be made by his antagonist, he raps briskly on the box
with the fingers of his right hand, shakes his head roughly, and
replacing the piece falsely moved, in its former situation,
assumes the next move himself. Upon beating the game, he waves
his head with an air of triumph, looks round complacently upon
the spectators, and drawing his left arm farther back than usual,
suffers his fingers alone to rest upon the cushion. In general,
the Turk is victorious—once or twice he has been beaten. The game
being ended, Maelzel will again if desired, exhibit the mechanism
of the box, in the same manner as before. The machine is then
rolled back, and a curtain hides it from the view of the company.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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