Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-01-14

IN short timef Thought nothing b
his visits to my servants. One morning
"a New Years morning |, was-I set
out for my usual bath In the tank. The
air was cool and fresh. the splcndidly
a,tired birds flashed their colors In tho
light around me, and everything looked
SO peculiarly bright and beautiful that
rdrning that strobe over the grass
with q sphngy step swinging
my towel and whstling an
old-iashioned English air as went. J
stripped in n tricc. and was jus. about
10 takey Splunga., whcni my eye fell
upon bhces,lc's musslick lying Just
upon the edge Of the tank. You know.
OF course. what u mussuck is-tho
goat.skin in which the water.carricrs
carry their water from PLACE ~ place
Well. l felt 40 full Of bounding animal,
spirits tina, | picked up the mussuck.
'inassed Q To Che best ofTmy ability till
l grew red in the face, and then flung
IL rs far rs ] could into the tranquil
pool OF water. WANTED to see how II
would bob about and how long 1t would
take to collapse and sink. Bat II had
scarcely splashed upon the surface OF
tlle water before there was asudden
rush like an arrow. the momentary APP
pearancc OF grcat.hiieous mouth full
OF sharp white teeth-I can see them
now n distinctly Us do the smoke Of
that cheroot-and the instantaneous
disappearance of the mussuck. | al.
most tainted Mfhe aght Imow what
1t all meant. l knew that by a Provi.
dental impulse had saved myself
from a horrible death. for had I
touched TIC water first instead OF
that bhecstie's mussuck II would
have been l that would haye been
dragged TO the bottom by that terrible
alligator hurried home as fast ~ l
could. scarcely taking time to dress
myself on the way, and all could do
when | reached the bungalow was to
tell the butler tofctch me n glass of
brandy at once. When I recovered
from my panic-stricken state began
10 wonder how.it was possible that that
alligator had cot into thc-tank...I knew
that muggurs or alligators were numer.
Gus both in the Taptee and the Ncr-
bu,lda. but the Taptee was nj least
three miles from thu tank. i tried hard
to inrayol The p,ystcty, but IN vain.
One t,t however, Rama. my dressing
boy. commenced goSsiping to me, aud
giving rae all tie ''gup" Of the neigh
borhood. lie told me that a fakir had
seen Bhugwan Very early on New
Years morning down a, the Tapteo.
Standing an the bank whstling in n Pc
culiar low key, and that something OF
n tremendous size had crpt out Of
the river and crawle6 away after
him, he keeping up the same low
whistle all the lime. Everybody.
said Rama, innocently. was wonder
nag what Bhugwan was doing, and
be- We're not an euchanter.
Like lightning the truth flashed upon
me knew that in India there were
men who could charm alligators as
well as snakes, recalled Bhugwan's
frequent visit 10 my servants, doubt
les, tn learn my daily habits. knew
also the treachery and unforgivcness
Of the lIndoo character. Considering
MI these things coolly and. so to speak,
judicially. came 10 the conclusion
that Bhugwan had charmed the alli-
gator from the river into the tank, and
that he had meant BY this means to
lyenge himself on me for refusing his
suit began to collect evidence. One
lay me: Bhugwan on the road. and
although he salaamed with his usual
sifcctation Of humility, ] could see
upon his features most
cynical and diabolical scowl. felt
convinced after this that no was my
Ioiled assassin. Evidence grew apacc.
found that Bhugwan had not slept in
hi, house on New Years Eve. and had
exhibited an unusual nervous desire
Tor Cup or news throughout vi New
Years Day; but my case was
complete when the bheestie 20
whom the mussuck that saved me be-
ongcd came forward and told his
story. He said that on that terrible
he was about 10 iii the goat.
skin with water at the tank when in
The dim, gray dawn he saw Bhugwan
approach cautiously with long black
beast nc his heels. Thinking thai
be- had seen Il yeritable shaitan or
demon. he dropped the mussuck and
ran away without being seen by
who was too busy with his
and his ferocious COM
panion to notice him. When he re-
turned afterwaTd for his muSsnck ana
Iound il gone he became more and
more convinced that he had actually
,een devil. He wouhi have spoken
n the matter sooner, but he knew
Dhugwan was bad man, and 50 he
was afraid to speak. To make long
story short, gentleman, Bhugwan was
ried, convicted and sentenced to im-
,risonment for life for attempted
murder"
did you reward the bheestie Judge3"
lsked the Colonel.
you may be sure i paid him for the
os' Of his mussuck." replied the Judge.
ignifoantly.-Inter- Ocean.