Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1888-08-11
THE HAUNTED POOL.

The sun was setting over the
Gauges one bright summer evening in
1871. The day had been a hot one
even for India, and it WAS an unspeak-
able relief to every one when the
scorching sun began to decline at last,
and the lengthcning 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 motionless all the afternoon
under the Shade of their reetl-thatclled
roofs, Or of the vast overarching
banyan trees around them, came troop
ing down TO the water in q body.
Instantly the whole hank Of the
great river-so lovely and silent all
through The long, burning day-bc-
came 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 cllump
that grew along the bank. Women
filed their earthcn pitchers from the
stream, or washed their threadbarc
clothes Men began to scour their
brass lotahs drinking vessela), or to
kindle fires for the cooking of their
evening meals; While, little farther
down the stream, Il group Of 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 unaccustolned 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 are utterly I'M
known, have no way of keeping their
money safe, except by carrying it about
them in this fashion-a somewhat
hazardous plan, it must be owned, in Il
country swarming with the most eX-
pert and daring thieves in the world.
Suddenly, one Of the girls, who had
yentured little farther out into the
stream than the rest, disappeared
under water with a piercing Shrek,
as if dragged down by some over
powering force ~ few bubbles that
rose sullenly to the surface were the
only token of her fate, while her terri
fled companions turned and rushed
back to the shore as fast as possible,
screaming:
"a crocodile! a crocodile"
Several days passed before any of
the village women dared to approach
the scene of this terrible mischance.
At length one, holder than the rest,
ventured in again, and the others,
seeing that no harm came Of her dar-
ing, began to follow her example.
More than Il week passed without any
accident, and everything was begin
ming to 60 on as usual, when, one
evening, a second girl disappeared in
precisely the same manner as the first.
The terror was now universal, and
all the best hunters of the village set
themselves 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 us they might. nothing was to be
seen Of him.
Several days later the wife of one of
the Villagers was washing her white
wrapper ON the bank of the river,
when it slipped from her hands and
lloated slowly out into the wide, still
pool formed hy the bcnll of
the stream. The woman at once
waded after it, and had
Just succeeded in clutching it, when
she was seen by those on the bank to
start, throw her arms convulsively
into the air and disappear under water
Just as the other two had done before
Adult three days after this last Ca
tastrophe, Mr.. Henry Sparks, the Brit
ish Commissioner for the District of
Junglewallat, was at work in his Of
flee amid a perfect mound of papers,
hating every now and then to wipe
his streaming face (Which, despite the
enormous Ettakah, or swinging fan,
worked by his native servant outside
with cord passed through hole in
the wall. looked very much like half
melted snow-ball), when lie was sud-
denly disturbed by KNOCK at the door,
"Come in!' cried he snappishly, ex-
pecting the entrance OF some Hindu