The morning call., 1893-08-06

led wicked, evil llIe On eartu. Oo'sou
by his sins to haunt after death the
neighborhood where they were committed,
he is supposed to take awful. monstrous
forms and to find pleasure in nothing but
vindictiyeness and spite. The spirit must
be- propitiated or dire calamity VIII OeIaii
the people who live IN its Vlclnity-nre. ac-
cident. sickness. death-all are put uown
to the door of some evil demon.
The ayah corrected herself. "Thoss
men saw that the devil ia bad. don't
know. 7 know nothing. I'm Christian
woman, But if those bandymen think
devil is angry still they will all run away
tonight"
The muffied sound of the tam-tam COM
menced. 1t was not unlike the heat Of O
horny hand upon an old oil tin. Possibly
one Of NV own tins had been pressed into
service. Then followed monotonous
nasal chanting. diversified with occasional
low. propitiatory cries.
How long will they 60 Oh with that
folly ?"
"One hour two hours. and then they
Will go to sleep"
Then / must 60 TO bed and try to sleep
as best can" | murmured.
The sounds were familiar enough. form
the south of India the air is filed at times
with the beat of the tam-tans.
Lie down, ayah, and 60 to sleep"
With the instructive solicitude OF her
nature she looked at the elder child. tucked
1t up still more securely in lis mosquito
net, and turned to the baby. The little
man was restless and bot; he tossed in his
sleep and flung his arms about. She rat
ted him softly till his sleep deepened into
stiffness. Then she wrapped herself in
her sheet. head. arms and feet, till she
looked like swathed mummy, and laid
herself down on her mat.
The sounds of tie chanting and tam
10 com ipund with InOnOtOOous rppu-
larity turned my back on the tree, and
verv shortly fell into sound Slumber
l do not dream often. but | did that
night. l dreamed that one Of my cartmen
had got the old ayah on her knees before
his disgusting swami stone and was de-
iberately hacking her head off with a
blunt knife. The screams that she gave
broke the dream aud restored me- to con-
seriousness. In a moment [ was awake.
every particle of sleep dissipa ted. | sat up
in bed and gazed nneasily around. 1t was
not only the dream that had aroused me
there must have been something else.
All, OF course, the devil bird again.
At the foot OF my bed knelt the ayah, her
terrified face raised to mine. She was
speechless with fright, and showed more
bites IF her ewes than 1 thought it pos
BILE for her TO possess. Without turning
her head she rolled her eyes around in the
direction of the tree, whence the sound
had come.
| was afraid She would have a fit.
jumped out of bed, throwing the mosquito
curtains upon the frame above. The moon
had risen, but did not shed much light,
and my lamp had burned out.
"Avah! ayah! don't be SO terrified. 1t
is only the owl again"
| forbore to call it by its moro familiar
name.
She rose to her feet.
II will call the butler" she gasped, suf-
fling off in the direction Of the servan IS
quarters.
| took up the lamp and hurried after her.
Here. get this lighted again. Halo.
whats thatT
Some animal passed out of the house just
in front of the ayab. She saw 1t and stood
still, paralyZed with fear. 1t went slowly
down the steps toward the tree. at is
only jackal," said reassuringy. Come,
ayah, don't be so frightened You are not
generally AFRAID of jackals."
"Thars no jackal." she replied in
hoarse whisper.
The poor woman trembled so that she
could scarcely speak.
The animal did not seem to fear the
sound of human voices, tor we could hear
its feet among the dead leaves. l. was
scratching the ground. 1t might have been
a dog, but whether dog or jackai did not
iepl disposed TO let it remain so close to
the house. l ran down the steps to.
ward it.
"Shoo. Shoot" l cried. "Get ont. you
beast" and l stopped to pick up 10 panto-
ID inc the feaT-lDspiTlDg stone, of which
all creatures. from the laundering buffalo
to the impudent cow, have an instructive
terror.
1t did not move away. The scratching
continued. and in the checkered moonlight
| could see that 1t was larger and stronger
rf | N a
least alarmed. for | knew that no Danger
Gus animals were to be found in that dis
tricI. Ian back into the veranda, put Oh
my slippers ana seized my sun umbrella
strong stick substantially petticoated in
cotton. Out | went again.
'Shool shoe! shoe. Go awayW at the
ton of my voice.
For / remem bered that good discordant
human cry might strike terror even to the
heart of a tiger. This, however WAS no
tiger.
My fresh onslaught caused the obstinate
animal to bestir itself 1t ran, or rather
shambled along, skirting the house; then
instead of departing it doubled back.
Get me some stones, ayah, and come
and help"
But not sound or movement did she
make in response.
| returned TO the veranda little out of
breath. The woman stood exactly where
l had lett her, hcldlng the eXtlngulShed
lamp in her rigid fingers. She was now
CHASTITY with fear. | laid my hand on her
naked arm and clasped 1t lightly above the
elbow.
"Ayah! avail" l cried sharply. Don't
look like that It's only big pariah dog"
But my words made no impression. Her
gaze was fixed on something which she
could see a. the end of the veranda beyond
the cots.
And now most extraordinary thing
happened. have never been able to ac-
count for it satisfactorily. Either my
imagination. being suddenly played upon,
served me curious trick, or contact with
the ayah communicated to my brain the
distorted vision which held her in such
spellbound horror.
Following her gaze l turned my eyes in
tie same direction and met most unac-
countable, boOd-cUrdling sight.
The creature which had been so vainly
endeavorIDg to brighten away was coming
up the veranda steps-coming toward us
with slow, deliberate mien. 1t shaffied
along in half-human style, crawling rather
than walking. 1t seemed stoutly built,
with long. sinewy limbs. Blu: its form of
body was nothing compared with its
hdeous head. The face was ashy gray
and had a weird human look. with a fend-
ish expression Of maligniiy upon it. |
<,.11 &-.sI