The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1884-03-29
From the Continent.l
THE HAUNTED POOL.
BY DAVID KER.

The sun was setting over the Gauges
one bright summer evening In 1871.
The day had been hot one, even for
India, and it was an unspeakable relief
70 every one when the scorching sun
began to decline at last, and the length
eniug shadows of thetali palms along the
river bank told that night was at hand.
And now the Hindu inhabitants of the
Deighboring village, who had been lying
motlonles5 all afternoon under the shade
of their re matched roofs, or of the vast
overarching banyau trees around them.
came troOpIng down to the wafer in a
body.
instantly the whole bank of the great
rlver-so lovely and silent all through
the long, burning day-became ali alive
with noise and hustle. Children padded
IN the broad, still pools, or chased each
other in and out of the tall, featherv
bamboo clump that grew along the
bank. Women filed their earthen
pitchers from the stream, or washed
their threadbare clothes. Men began
to scour their brass lotabs drinking
vessels), or to kindle fires for the cook
ing OF their evening meals; while, little
ANAshSi aONh iuC 5bltdlt, group bl
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 unaccustomed to the ways
OF India, 1T 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 are utterly unknown, have no way
of keeping their money safe, except by
carrying 1t about with them In this
feshion-a somewhat hazardous plan, il
mnst be owned, 10 country swarming
with the most expert aud daring thieves
In the world.
Suddenly one of the girls, who had
ventured "A little farther ont into the
stream than the rest, disappeared under
water with piercing shrek as if dragged
down py some overpoweriUg 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 as
possible, screaming:
"a crocodile! a crocodilei'
Several days passed before any of the
village woman dar ID to approach the
scene of this terrible mischance. At
length one, holder than the rest, ven
tured in agaiu, and the others, seeing
that no harm came of her daring, began
to follow her example. More than 9
week passed without any accident, and
every thing was beginning to goas usual,
when, one evening, second girl aisap.
peared IN precisely the same manner as
the first.
Inc terror was now universal, and al
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 bank
with loaded guns to keep watch for the
monster; but look for him as they might,
nothing was to be seen of hun.
Several days later the wife of one OF
the villagers was washing her white
wrapper on the bank OF the river, when
1t slipped from her hands and hoated
slowly out into the wide, still pool formed
by the bend of the stream. The woman
at once waded after it, and bad just sue
ceeded in clutching 1t, when she was
seen by those on the bank to give sud-
den start, throw her arms convuislvely
INTO the air and disappear under water
inst as the other two had done before.
About three days after this last catas-
trophe, MIR. Henry Sparks, the British
commissioner for the district of jung
leywallah, was at work in his office amid
perfect mound of papers, hating every
now and then to wipe his streaming face