The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-04-24

| struck path which he recognized as leading from a neighboring village to Pandiyan. He had not gone far along this path when he met a man driving number of pack-bullocks. To his sur. i prise, the leading bullock came strai.b, towards him, as if it did not see hin. and the path being narrow. he had to step aside into the jungle to avoid it "Hallo, brother!" he said to the man driving the bullocks, where are vo,j going and what have you got in the packs?'
 The man took no notice and made no answer, but merely shouted to his hll. locks and passed on. The pusari was inclined to be angry at the mans sup posed rudeness; but thinking that Der haps he was deaf and had not seen him he went on his way without remark Presently he met man from a neigh. boring village whom he knew we'll, com. ing along the path toward him >a. laam Arumukam! he said as they neared each other; you are about early this morning.
 To his great astonshment. the man came striding along as if he neither saw nor heard him; and the puSari had to jump hastily aside lest he should be thrown down. For few moments h. stared after his retreating friend, amazed at his extraordinary conduct; then h.. burst into passion, and shouting after him loudly, cursed him and his manners But the man went quietly on without | replying or even turning his head
 Very much surprised at what har- pened, and in an angry, disturbed frame of mind, the pusari resumed his iourncy Soon he came to the river As he Went down the steep descent to the water he was horror-struck to see a huge will elephant appear from behind the bushe, overhanging the river, d few yards off and come toward him. There was no way of escape. The banks of the river rose perpendicularly on either side of him, and there was no time for him to scramble back by the way he had come On came the elephant, dripping with water from its morning bath in the river and lazily swinging its trunk and flap ping its ears. The pusari stood petritied with terror in full view of the animal, unable to move hand or foot. The ele- phant advanced till it stood directly oyer him. But instead of throwing him down and crushing him to death, as the pusari momentarily expected 1t leSurely broke off branch from bush on the bank above him and slowly munched it. He could feel its hot breath as he crouched against the bank under its huge head. Suddenly it turned away, listened for d moment to some sound in the distance, and then walked slowly off down the river With a feeling of in r,1iDf h., ;t ,;.,l,4 It was evident the elephant had neither seen nor smelt him; but for what reason he could not imagine,
 Picking up his stick, which he had dropped in his flight, the pusari went down to the water to wade through to the other side and then he discovered the reason of the strange behavior of the two men he had met and why the elephant had not molested him As he entered the pool he happened to glance down and instantly saw, to his intense horror, that his form was not reflected Tn it. It was some moments before he realized what had happened. He was invisible! The water he had drunk at the pisas village was magic draught, and its effect had been to make him invisible. Long and earnestly did he gaze down into the water, but in vain; only the reflection of the blue sky and overlapping trees appeared on the bright face of the pool. At length, in an agony of alarm and distress, he waded through the water without, how ever, causing the slightest ripple on its surface, and hurried off to the village. in the hope of finding that his dreadful sus- plclon was not true. Close to the vil- lage he met boy, the son of neigh Dor, driving some cattle to the tank pas ture; the urchin passed him without a word and without looking at him. The pusari groaned aloud and passed on Soon he reached the village, and passed through, glancing about him with terri fled anxiety, in the hope that some one would recognize him. But though sev- eral of the villagers were standing about, not one of them took the small est notice of him. He went straight to his own house. Just as he reached the gate, his daughter came out carrying 8 water pot on her hip; she was going to the well for water. The pusari stood before her in an agony of fear and ex- pectation. To his unutterable horror, she walked past him without the slight est sign of recognition.
 Nallee, my child!' he cried stretch ing out his hands beseechingly, " do you not see me?' But the girl walked on unconcernedly
 Just then a woman came out of hut near by, bound on the same errand as herself We'll, child she exclaimed, addressing Nallee, what did the mud liya say to your father?
 |" 1 don't know she replied; he has not come back yet
 This answer completely dispelled the hope that the pusari had chung to-that his daughter might yet recognize him. He knew that mighty spell was on him, and that he was invisible to mortal eyes, and had no substance or voice. Wringing his hands and wailing aloud, but inaudible to all human ears he fol- lowed the two women to the we'll, and Il l.