The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1886-01-02

afterward found to be regarded by
Bhngwan with implacable hatred.
Not far from my bungalow there was a
stone tank covered with light bamboo
roof, and, of course, the sides were
perfectly open. l used to battle in that
tank every morning before the heat of
the sun grew intolerable, and many a
pleasant swim l had in it. About a
week after the decision of the case l
noticed that Bhugwan was frequently
in my compound chatting and smoking
hubble-bubbles with the servant who
dwelt in the outhouses. Whenever he
saw me he salaamed obsequiously, and
in g short time ] thought nothing of
his visits to my servants. One morning
"a New Years morning it was-I set
out for my usual bath in the tank. The
air was cool and fresh, the splendidly
attired birds flashed their colors in the
light around me, and everything looked
SO peculiarly bright and beautiful that
morning that l strobe over the grass
with a springy step, swinging
my towel and whistling an
old-fashioned English air as l went. l
stripped in a trice, and was just about
to take a plunge, when my eye fell
upon a bheestie's mussuck lying just
upon the edge of the tank. You know,
of course, what a mussuck is-the
goat-skin in which the water-carriers
carry their water from place to place.
Well, l felt so full of bounding animal
spirits that I picked up the mussuck,
inflated it to the best of my ability till
l grew red in the face, and then flung
it as far as l could into the tranquil
pool of water. WANTED to see how it
would bob about and how long it would
take to collapse and sink. But it had
scarcely splashed upon the surface Of
the water before there was a sudden
rush like an arrow, the momcntary ap-
p%earance Of a great-hideous mouth full
Of sharp white teeth-I can see them
now as distinctly as l do the smoke of
that cheroot-and the instantaneous
disappearance of the mussuck. l al
most tainted at the sight. l knew what
it all meant. l knew that by a Provi-
Dental impulse l had saved myself
from a horrible death, for had l
touched the water first instead of
that bheestie's mussuck ID would
have been I that would have been
dragged to the bottom by that terrible
alligator. l hurried home as fast as l
could, scarcely taking time to dress
myself on the way, and all I could do
when l reached the bungalow was to
tell the butler to fetch m a glass Of
brandy at ono When l recovered
from my panic-stricken state l began
to wonder how it was possible that that
alligator had got into the tank. l knew
that muggurs or alligators were numer
II both in the Taptee and the Ner-
budda, but the Taptee was at least
three miles from the tank. l tried hard
to unravel the mystery, but in vain.
One day, however, Rama, my dressing
boy, commenced gossiping to me, and
giving me all the Cup of the neigh
borhood. He told me that a fakir had
seen Bhugwan very early on New
Years morning down at the Taptee,
standing on the bank whistling in a pc
culiar low key, and that something of
a tremendous size had crept out of
the river and crawled away after
him, he keeping up the same low
whistle all the time. Everybody,
said Rama, innocently, was wonder
ing what Bhugwan was doing, and
whether he were not an enchanter.
Like lightning the truth flashed upon
me. l knew that in India there were
men who could charm alligators rs
well as snakes. l recalled Bhugwan's
frequent visit to my servants, doubt
less to learn my daily habits. l knew
also the treachery and unforgiveness
of the Hindoo character. Considering
all these things coolly and, so to speak,
judicially, l came to the conclusion
that Bhugwan had charmed the alli-
gator from the river into the tank, and
that he had meant by this means to
avenge himself on me for refusing his
suit. l began to collect evidence. One
day l me. Bhugwan on the road. and
although he salaamed with his usua
of humility, I could see
spreading upon his features a most
and diabolical scowl. l felt
convinced after this that be was my
foiled assassin. Evidence grew apace.
l found that Bhugwan had not slept in
his house or New Years Eve, and had
exhibited an unusual nervous desire
for Cup or news throughout all New
Day; but my case was
complete when the bheestie to
whom the mussuck that saved me be.
came forward and told his
He said that on that terrible
morning he was about to fill the goat
skin with water at the tank when in
the dim, gray dawn he saw Bhugwan
approach cautiously with a long black
at his heels. Thinking that
had seen q veritable shaitan or I
he dropped the mussuck and
IAN away without being seen by
Bhugwan, who was too busy with his
and hiu forocious cotn-