Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-02-07
THE HAUNTED POOL.

1871. The day lad been hot one
even for India, and it was an I'M
speakable relief to every one when
the scorching sun began to decline at
last, and the lengthening shadows
of the tall palms along the riyerbaul
told that night was at hand.
And now the Hindu inhabitants of
the neighboriug village, who had
been living motiOnless all the after
noon under the shade Of their reed
matched roofs, or of the vast over
arching banyan trees around them
came trooping down to the water in a
body.
Instantly the whole bank of the
great river-so lovely and silent all
through the long, burning day-be-
came all alive with noise and hustle
Children padded In the broad, still
pools, or chased each other i'm and out
of the tall feathery bamboo clumps
that grew along the bank. Women
filled their earthen pitchers from the
stream, or washed their threadbare
clothes. Men began to scOur their
brass lotahs drinking vessels, or to
kindle fires for the cooking Of their
evening meals; while little farther
down the stream, a group of young
girls, wading out in the shallow wat
err, fell to splashing each other with
might and main, amid shouts of mer-
ry laughter.
To any one unaccustOmed to the
ways of India it would have seemed
strange 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 saving banks are utterly UNI
known, have no way Of keeping their
money safe except by carrying it about
with them in this fashion "a some,
what hazardous plan, it must be own
ed, in country swarming with the
most expert and daring thieves in the
world.
Suddenly, one of the girls, who had
ventured a little further out into the
stream than the rest, disappeared
under water with piercing shrek, as
If dragged down by some overpower-
ing force. A few bubbles that rose
sulenly to the surface were the only
token of her fate, while her terrified
companions turned and rushed back
to the shore as fast as possible, scream
ing:
"A CROCODILE n crocodilew
Several days passed before any Of
the village women dared to approach
the scene Of this terrible mischance.
At lenglh one, holder than the rest,
ventured in again, and the others,
seeing that no harm came of her dar
ing, began to 70 low her example.
More than a week passed without any
accident, and eyerythiug was beginning
to 60 on as usual, when, one evening,
a second girl disappeared in precisely
the same manner as the first.
The terror was now universal, and
all the best hunters of the village set
themselves with one accord to get rid
of this destroying crocodile Bats
were laid, traps set, men posted along
the bank with loaded guns to keep
watch for the monster; but, look for
him as they might, nothing was to be
seen of him.
Several days later the wife Of one
of the villagers was washing her
white wrapper on the bank Of the nv
er when it slipped from her hands and
Hoated slowly out into the wide sull
pool formed by the bend of the stream.
The woman at once waded after it,,
and had just succeeded in clutchiug
it, when she was seen by those ON the
bank to give q sudden start throw
her arms convulsively INTO the air
and disappear under water just is the
other two had done before
About three days after this last cat
astrophe Mr. Henry Sparks, One Brit
ish Commissioner for the District of
Juugleywallah, was at work IN his of
fee amid a perfect mound of papers,
hating every now and then TO wipe
his streaming face (Which, despite the
enormous punkak, or swinging fam
worked by hls native servant outside
with a cord passed through hole in
the wall, looked very much like q
half melted snowbalN, when he wa.
suddenly disturbed by a knock at Tn,
door.
Come IN cried he, snappishly
expecting theeutrance of some Hindu
farmer or peasant with a complain
as long and nintelligibIe rs nj
AsSyrian inscription. But at the frs
glimpse of the person who entered hi'
face cleared at once
The visitor was a tail native, Will
the handsome features and stately
bearing OF a Mahratta his figure
nearly SIX feet in height, WIS sogauu
and sinewy that il seemed to be mad,
of wipe, and his piercing blaca
ewes looked out from beneath the fold.
OF his white turban with the quick
keen. watchful glance OF q praeuca
hunter.