In his early years, Isaac Bowin was a petty thief working the streets of India. While Bowin was attempting to rob a local merchant, local authorities found and apprehended him, whereupon he was taken to prison. During his incarceration, Bowin met an old Hindu fakir who used the power of music to hypnotize and control the actions of a deadly cobra. Bowin pressured the fakir into teaching him the mystical powers of the East, and the Hindu finally relented. Bowin proved an apt student, and before long, his knowledge surpassed that of his teacher. Using random materials found in his cell, Isaac fashioned a crude fiddle and used his new knowledge to escape from prison. He no longer required the services of the old fakir, so he used the power of his fiddle to murder him. Afterwards, he tracked d