Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1884-03-26
from the Continent.l
THE HAUNTED POOL.
BY DAVID KER.

The sun was setting over the Ganges
one bright summer evening in 1871.
The day had been a hot one, even for
India, and it was an unspeakable relief
to every one when the scorching sun
began to decline at last, and the length
ening 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
motlonlt IS all afternoon under the shade
of their re thatched roofs, or of the vast
overa1ching banyau trees around them.
came tcooplrg 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-became all alive
with noise and hustle. Children padded
in the broad, still pools, or chased each
other in and out of the tall, feathery
bamboo clump that grew along the
bank. Women filed their earthen
pitchers from the stream, or washed
thei: threadbore clothes. Men began
to scoar their brass lotahs drinking
vessels), or to kindle fires for the cook
ing Of their evening meals; while, a little
farther down the stream, a group of
young girls, wading out into the shallow
water, fell to splashing each other with
| might end main, enid shouts of merry
laughter.
10 any one uuaccr,stomed 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 savings
banks ate utterly unknown, have no way
of keeping their money safe, except by
carrying it about with them in this
fashions somewhat hazardous plan, il
must be owned, iu a country swarming
with the most expert and daring thieves
in the world.
| Suddenly one of the girls, who had
ventured a little farther out into the
stream than the rest, disappeared under
water with piercing shrek as if dragged
down by some overpoweriDg force.
A few bubbles that rose sullenly to the
surface were the only token of her fate,
while her terrified companions turned
and rushed back TO the shore as fast az
possible, screaming:
"a crocodile! a crOcodile!"
Several days passed before any of the
village woman dared to approach the
scene of this terrible mischanoe. At
length one, holder than the rest, ven.
tured in again, and tho others, seeing
that no harm came of her daring, began
to follow her example. More than q
week passed without any accident, and
everything was beginning to goas usual,
when, one evening, second girl aisap'
peared in precisely the same manner as
the first. -.
The terror was now universal, and all
the best hunters of the village set them.
selves with one accord to get rid of this
destroying crocodile. Bats were laid,
traps set, men posted along the banh
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 oi
the villagers was washing her white
wrapper on the bank of the river, when
it slipped from her hands and hoated
slowly outinto the wide, still pool formed
by the bend of the stream. The woman
at once waded after it, and had Just sue.
ceeded in clutching it, when she wa
seen by those on the bank to give sud.
den start, throw her arms convulsively
into the air and disappear under water
inst as the other two had done before.
| About three days after this last catas.
trophe, Mr. Henry Sparks, the British
&.>v ga "a
| . perfect mound Of papers, hating every
now and then to wipe bis streaming face