Connecticut western news., 1883-11-28
THE HAUNTED POOL.
BY DAVID KER.

The sun was setting over the Ganges one bright summer evening in 1871. The day had been 8 hot one even for India, and 1t was an unspeakable relief to everyone when the scorching sun be- ran to decline at last, and the ]engthen- ing shadows of the tall palms along the river-bank told that night was at hand. And now the Hindu inhabitants of the neighboring village, who had been lying motionless all afternoon under the shade of their reed matched roofs, or of the vast overarching banyan trees around them, came trooping down>to the water in body.
 Instantly the whole bank of the great river-so lovely and silent all through the long, burning day-became all alive with noise and hustle. Children pad dled in the broad, still pools, or chased each other in and out of the tall, feath- cry bamboo clump that grew along the bank. Women filled their earthen pitchers from the stream, or washed their threadbare clothes. Men began to SCOUT their brass lotahs (drinking vessels), or to kindle fires for the cook ing of their evening meals; while little farther down the stream, a group of young girls, wading out into the shallow water, fell to splashing each other with might and main, amid shouts of merry laughter.
 To any one accustomed to the ways of :x enough to see, upon the wrists and ankles of nearly all the girls, and many of their mothers likewise, heavy bangles of solid silver, which any western lady might have been proud to wear. But the Hindu peasants, to whom savings banks are utterly unknown, have no way of keeping their money safe except by carrying it about with them in this fashion-a somewhat hazardous plan, it must be owned, in country swarming with the most expert and daring thieves in the world.
 Suddenly, one of the girls, who had ventured little farther out into the stream than the rest, disappeared under water with piercing shriek, as il dragged down by some overpowerine force. A few bubbles that rose sud. denly to the surface were the only token of her fate, while her terrified con- panions turned and rushed back to the shore as fast as possible, screaming
 ss A crocodile crocodile p
 Several days had passed before any of the village women dared to approach the scene of this terrible mischance. Al length, one bolder than the rest, ven- tured in again, and the others, seeing that. no harm came of her daring, began to follow her example. More than 6 week passed without any accident, and every ything was beginning to go on a, usual, when, one evening, second gir disappeared in precisely the same manne as the first.
 The terror was now universal, and al the best hunters of the village set them selves with one accord to get rid of thi destroying crocodile. Baits were laid traps set, men posted along the ban with loaded guns to keep watch for tn 1noustor UuG, looh AoI AiIu aS tHe might, nothing was to be seen of him.
 Several days later the wife of one C the villagers was washing her whit wrapper on the bank of the river, whe it slipped from her hands and foate slowly out into the wide, still pot formed by the bend of the stream. Tn woman at once waded after it, and ha just succeeded in clutching it, when sh was seen by those on the bank to gis sudden start, throw her arms convu rlvsI into the afr md dianppear md,