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diff --git a/17113.txt b/17113.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..48f1aae --- /dev/null +++ b/17113.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5108 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Indian Ghost Stories, by S. Mukerji + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Indian Ghost Stories + Second Edition + +Author: S. Mukerji + +Release Date: November 20, 2005 [EBook #17113] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK INDIAN GHOST STORIES *** + + + + +Produced by David Starner, Martin Pettit and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + +INDIAN GHOST STORIES + +S. MUKERJI + +_SECOND EDITION_ + +ALLAHABAD: + +A.H. WHEELER & CO. + +1917. + + + + +PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. + + +I do not know whether writing ghost stories is a mistake. + +Most readers will like a ghost story in which towards the end it is +found that the ghost was really a cat or a dog or a mischievous boy. + +Such ghost stories are a source of pleasure, and are read as a pastime +and are often vastly enjoyed, because though the reader is a bit afraid +of what he does not know, still he likes to be assured that ghosts do +not in reality exist. + +Such ghost stories I have often myself read and enjoyed. The last one I +read was in the December (1913) Number of the _English Illustrated +Magazine_. In that story coincidence follows coincidence in such +beautiful succession that a young lady really believes that she sees a +ghost and even feels its touch, and finally it turns out that it is only +a monkey. + +This is bathos that unfortunately goes too far. Still, I am sure, +English readers love a ghost story of this kind. + +It, however, cannot be denied that particular incidents do sometimes +happen in such a way that they take our breath away. Here is something +to the point. + +"Twenty years ago, near Honey Grove, in Texas, James Ziegland, a wealthy +young farmer won the hand of Metilda Tichnor, but jilted her a few days +before the day fixed for the marriage. The girl, a celebrated beauty, +became despondent and killed herself. Her brother, Phil, went to James +Ziegland's home and after denouncing him, fired at him. The bullet +grazed the cheek of the faithless lover and buried itself in a tree. +Young Tichnor, supposing he had killed the man, put a bullet into his +own head, dying instantly. Ziegland, subsequently married a wealthy +widow. All this was, of course 20 years ago. The other day the farmer +James Ziegland and his son cut down the tree in which Tichnor's bullet +had lodged. The tree proved too tough for splitting and so a small +charge of dynamite was used. The explosion discharged the long forgotten +bullet with great force, it pierced Ziegland's head and he fell mortally +wounded. He explained the existence of the mysterious bullet as he lay +on his deathbed."--_The Pioneer, Allahabad_, (India,) 31st January, +1913. + +In India ghosts and their stories are looked upon with respect and fear. +I have heard all sorts of ghost stories from my nurse and my father's +coachman, Abdullah, who used to be my constant companion in my +childhood, (dear friend, who is no more), as well as from my friends who +are Judges and Magistrates and other responsible servants of Government, +and in two cases from Judges of Indian High Courts. + +A story told by a nurse or a coachman should certainly not be reproduced +in this book. In this book, there are a few of those stories only which +are true to the best of the author's knowledge and belief. + +Some of these narratives may, no doubt, savour too much of the nature of +a Cock and Bull story, but the reader must remember that "there are more +things in heaven and earth, etc." and that truth is sometimes stranger +than fiction. + +The author is responsible for the arrangement of the stories in this +volume. Probably they could have been better arranged; but a little +thought will make it clear why this particular sequence has been +selected. + +S.M. + +_Calcutta, July 1914._ + + + + +PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. + + +Since the publication of the first edition my attention has been drawn +to a number of very interesting and instructive articles that have been +appearing in the papers from time to time. Readers who care for subjects +like the present must have themselves noted these; but there is one +article which, by reason of the great interest created in the German +Kaiser at the present moment, I am forced to reproduce. As permission to +reproduce the article was delayed the book was through the press by the +time it arrived. I am therefore reproducing here the article as it +appeared in "the _Occult Review_ of January 1917". My grateful thanks +are due to the proprietors and the Editor of "the _Occult Review_" but +for whose kind permission some of my readers would have been deprived of +a most interesting treat. + + WILHELM II AND THE WHITE LADY OF THE HOHENZOLLERNS. + + BY KATHARINE COX.[1] + + A great deal has been written and said concerning the various + appearances of the famous White Lady of the Hohenzollerns. As long + ago as the fifteenth century she was seen, for the first time, in + the old Castle of Neuhaus, in Bohemia, looking out at noon day from + an upper window of an uninhabited turret of the castle, and + numerous indeed are the stories of her appearances to various + persons connected with the Royal House of Prussia, from that first + one in the turret window down to the time of the death of the late + Empress Augusta, which was, of course, of comparatively recent + date. For some time after that event, she seems to have taken a + rest; and now, if rumour is to be credited, the apparition which + displayed in the past so deep an interest in the fortunes--or + perhaps one would be more correct in saying misfortunes--of the + Hohenzollern family has been manifesting herself again! + + The remarkable occurrences of which I am about to write were + related by certain French persons of sound sense and unimpeachable + veracity, who happened to be in Berlin a few weeks before the + outbreak of the European War. The Kaiser, the most superstitious + monarch who ever sat upon the Prussian throne, sternly forbade the + circulation of the report of these happenings in his own country, + but our gallant Allies across the Channel are, fortunately, not + obliged to obey the despotic commands of Wilhelm II, and these + persons, therefore, upon their return to France, related, to those + interested in such matters, the following story of the great War + Lord's three visitations from the dreaded ghost of the + Hohenzollerns. + + Early in the summer of 1914 it was rumoured, in Berlin, that the + White Lady had made her re-appearance. The tale, whispered first of + all at Court, spread, gradually amongst the townspeople. The Court, + alarmed, tried to suppress it, but it refused to be suppressed, and + eventually there was scarcely a man, woman or child in the + neighbourhood who did not say--irrespective of whether they + believed it or not--that the White Lady, the shadowy spectre whose + appearance always foreboded disaster to the Imperial House, had + been recently seen, not once, but three times, and by no less a + person than Kaiser Wilhelm himself! + + The first of these appearances, so rumour stated, took place one + night at the end of June. The hour was late: the Court, which was + then in residence at the palace of Potsdam, was wrapped in slumber; + all was quiet. There was an almost death-like silence in the + palace. In one wing were the apartments of the Empress, where she + lay sleeping; in the opposite wing slept one of her sons; the other + Princes were in Berlin. In an entirely different part of the royal + residence, guarded by three sentinels in a spacious antechamber, + sat the Emperor in his private study. He had been lately, greatly + engrossed in weighty matters of State, and for some time past it + had been his habit to work thus, far into the night. That same + evening the Chancellor, von Bethman-Hollweg, had had a private + audience of his Majesty, and had left the royal presence precisely + at 11-30, carrying an enormous _dossier_ under his arm. The Emperor + had accompanied him as far as the door, shaken hands with him, then + returned to his work at his writing-desk. + + Midnight struck, and still the Emperor, without making the + slightest sound, sat on within the room. The guards without began + to grow slightly uneasy, for at midnight punctually--not a minute + before, not a minute after--it was the Emperor's unfailing custom, + when he was working late at night, to ring and order a light repast + to be brought to him. Sometimes it used to be a cup of thick + chocolate, with hot cakes; sometimes a few sandwiches of smoked ham + with a glass of Munich or Pilsen beer--but, as this particular + midnight hour struck the guards awaited the royal commands in vain. + The Emperor had apparently forgotten to order his midnight meal! + + One o'clock in the morning came, and still the Emperor's bell had + not sounded. Within the study silence continued to reign--silence + as profound indeed as that of the grave. The uneasiness of the + three guards without increased; they glanced at each other with + anxious faces. Was their royal master taken ill? All during the day + he had seemed to be labouring under the influence of some strange, + suppressed excitement, and as he had bidden good-bye to the + Chancellor they had noticed that the expression of excitement on + his face had increased. That something of grave import was in the + air they, and indeed every one surrounding the Emperor, had long + been aware, it was just possible that the strain of State affairs + was becoming too much for him, and that he had been smitten with + sudden indisposition. And yet, after all, he had probably only + fallen asleep! Whichever it was, however, they were uncertain how + to act. If they thrust ceremony aside and entered the study, they + knew that very likely they would only expose themselves to the + royal anger. The order was strict, "When the Emperor works in his + study no one may enter it without being bidden." Should they inform + the Lord Chamberlain of the palace? But, if there was no + sufficiently serious reason for such a step, they would incur _his_ + anger, almost as terrible to face as that of their royal master. + + A little more time dragged by, and at last, deciding to risk the + consequences, the guards approached the study. One of them, the + most courageous of the three, lifted a heavy curtain, and slowly + and cautiously opened the door. He gave one rapid glance into the + room beyond, then, returning to his companions said in a low voice + and with a terrified gesture towards the interior of the study: + + "Look!" + + The two guards obeyed him, and an alarming spectacle met their + eyes. In the middle of the room, beside a big table littered with + papers and military documents, lay the Emperor, stretched full + length upon the thick velvet pile carpet, one hand, as if to hide + something dreadful from view, across his face. He was quite + unconscious, and while two of the guards endeavoured to revive him, + the other ran for the doctor. Upon the doctor's arrival they + carried him to his sleeping apartments, and after some time + succeeded in reviving him. The Emperor then, in trembling accents, + told his astounded listeners what had occurred. + + Exactly at midnight, according to his custom, he had rung the bell + which was the signal that he was ready for his repast. Curiously + enough, neither of the guards, although they had been listening for + it, had heard that bell. + + He had rung quite mechanically, and also mechanically, had turned + again to his writing desk directly he had done so. A few minutes + later he had heard the door open and footsteps approach him across + the soft carpet. Without raising his head from his work he had + commenced to say: + + "Bring me--" + + Then he had raised his head, expecting to see the butler awaiting + his orders. Instead his eyes fell upon a shadowy female figure + dressed in white, with a long, flowing black veil trailing behind + her on the ground. He rose from his chair, terrified, and cried: + + "Who are you, and what do you want?" + + At the same moment, instinctively, he placed his hand upon a + service revolver which lay upon the desk. The white figure, + however, did not move, and he advanced towards her. She gazed at + him, retreating slowly backwards towards the end of the room, and + finally disappeared through the door which gave access to the + antechamber without. The door, however, had not opened, and the + three guards stationed in the antechamber, as has been already + stated, had neither seen nor heard anything of the apparition. At + the moment of her disappearance the Emperor fell into a swoon, + remaining in that condition until the guards and the doctor revived + him. + + Such was the story, gaining ground every day in Berlin, of the + first of the three appearances of the White Lady of the + Hohenzollerns to the Kaiser. The story of her second appearance to + him, which occurred some two or three weeks later, is equally + remarkable. + + On this occasion she did not visit him at Potsdam, but at Berlin, + and instead of the witching hour of midnight, she chose the broad, + clear light of day. Indeed, during the whole of her career, the + White Lady does not seem to have kept to the time-honoured + traditions of most ghosts, and appeared to startled humanity + chiefly at night time or in dim uncertain lights. She has never + been afraid to face the honest daylight, and that, in my opinion, + has always been a great factor in establishing her claim to + genuineness. A ghost who is seen by sane people, in full daylight, + cannot surely be a mere legendary myth! + + It was an afternoon of bright summer--that fateful summer whose + blue skies were so soon to be darkened by the sinister clouds of + war! The Royal Standard, intimating to the worthy citizens of + Berlin the presence of their Emperor, floated gaily over the + Imperial residence in the gentle breeze. The Emperor, wrapped in + heavy thought--there was much for the mighty War Lord to think + about during those last pregnant days before plunging Europe into + an agony of tears and blood!--was pacing, alone, up and down a long + gallery within the palace. + + His walk was agitated; there was a troubled frown upon his austere + countenance. Every now and then he paused in his walk, and withdrew + from his pocket a piece of paper, which he carefully read and + re-read, and as he did so, angry, muttered words broke from him, + and his hand flew instinctively to his sword hilt. Occasionally he + raised his eyes to the walls on either side of him, upon which hung + numerous portraits of his distinguished ancestors. He studied them + gravely, from Frederick I, Burgrave of Nuremburg, to that other + Frederick, his own father, and husband of the fair English princess + against whose country he was so shortly going to wage the most + horrible warfare that has ever been waged in the whole history of + the world! + + Suddenly, from the other end of the long portrait gallery he + perceived coming towards him a shadowy female figure, dressed + entirely in white, and carrying a large bunch of keys in her hand. + She was not, this time, wearing the long flowing black veil in + which she had appeared to him a few weeks previously, but the + Emperor instantly recognized her, and the blood froze in his veins. + He stood rooted to the ground, unable to advance or to retreat, + paralysed with horror, the hair rising on his head, beads of + perspiration standing on his brow. + + The figure continued to advance in his direction, slowly, + noiselessly, appearing rather to glide than to walk over the floor. + There was an expression of the deepest sadness upon her + countenance, and as she drew near to the stricken man watching her, + she held out her arms towards him, as if to enfold him. The + Emperor, his horror increasing, made a violent effort to move, but + in vain. He seemed indeed paralysed; his limbs, his muscles, + refused to obey him. + + Then suddenly, just as the apparition came close up to him and he + felt, as on the former occasion when he had been visited by her, + that he was going to faint, she turned abruptly and moved away in + the direction of a small side door. This she opened with her + uncanny bunch of keys and without turning her head, disappeared. + + At the exact moment of her disappearance the Emperor recovered his + faculties. He was able to move, he was able to speak; his arms, + legs, tongue, obeyed his autocratic will once more. He uttered a + loud terrified cry, which resounded throughout the palace. + Officers, chamberlains, guards, servants, came running to the + gallery, white-faced, to see what had happened. They found their + royal master in a state bordering on collapse. Yet, to the anxious + questions which they put to him, he only replied incoherently and + evasively; it was as if he knew something terrible, something + dreadful, but did not wish to speak of it. Eventually he retired to + his own apartments, but it was not until several hours had passed + that he returned to his normal condition of mind. + + The same doctor who had been summoned on the occasion of Wilhelm's + former encounter with the White Lady was in attendance on him, and + he looked extremely grave when informed that the Emperor had again + experienced a mysterious shock. He shut himself up alone with his + royal patient, forbidding any one else access to the private + apartments. However, in spite of all precautions, the story of what + had really occurred in the picture gallery eventually leaked + out--it is said through a maid of honour, who heard it from the + Empress. + + The third appearance of the White Lady of the Hohenzollerns to the + Kaiser did not take place at either of the palaces, but strangely + enough, in a forest, though exactly where situated has not been + satisfactorily verified. + + In the middle of the month of July, 1914, while the war-clouds were + darkening every hour, the Emperor's movements were very unsettled. + He was constantly travelling from place to place, and one day--so + it was afterwards said in Berlin--while on a hunting expedition, he + suddenly encountered a phantom female figure, dressed in white, + who, springing apparently from nowhere, stopped in front of his + horse, and blew a shadowy horn, frightening the animal so much that + its rider was nearly thrown to the ground. The phantom figure then + disappeared, as mysteriously as it had come--but that it was the + White Lady of the Hohenzollerns, come, perchance, to warn Wilhelm + of some terrible future fate, there was little doubt in the minds + of those who afterwards heard of the occurrence. + + According to one version of the story of this third appearance, the + phantom was also seen by two officers who were riding by the + Emperor's side, but the general belief is that she manifested + herself, as on the two former occasions, to Wilhelm alone. + + There are many who will not believe in the story, no doubt, and + there are also many who will. For my own part, I am inclined to + think that, if the ghost of the Hohenzollerns was able to manifest + herself so often on the eve of any tragedy befalling them in past, + it would be strange indeed if she had not manifested herself on the + eve of this greatest tragedy of all--the War! + +ALLAHABAD, +_July 18th, 1917._ + S.M. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[1] _The writer desires to acknowledge her indebtedness for much of the +information contained in this article to J.H. Lavaur's "La Dame Blanche +des Hohenzollern et Guillaume II" (Paris: 56 Rue d'Aboukir)._ + + + + +CONTENTS. + + PAGE + +HIS DEAD WIFE'S PHOTOGRAPH 1 + +THE MAJOR'S LEASE 11 + +THE OPEN DOOR 31 + +WHAT UNCLE SAW 44 + +THE BOY WHO WAS CAUGHT 57 + +THE STARVING MILLIONAIRE 76 + +THE BRIDAL PARTY 102 + +A STRANGE INCIDENT 122 + +WHAT THE PROFESSOR SAW 141 + +THE BOY POSSESSED 156 + +THE EXAMINATION PAPER 167 + +THE MESSENGER OF DEATH 177 + + + + +INDIAN GHOST STORIES. + + + + +HIS DEAD WIFE'S PHOTOGRAPH. + + +This story created a sensation when it was first told. It appeared in +the papers and many big Physicists and Natural Philosophers were, at +least so they thought, able to explain the phenomenon. I shall narrate +the event and also tell the reader what explanation was given, and let +him draw his own conclusions. + +This was what happened. + + * * * * * + +A friend of mine, a clerk in the same office as myself, was an amateur +photographer; let us call him Jones. + +Jones had a half plate Sanderson camera with a Ross lens and a Thornton +Picard behind lens shutter, with pneumatic release. The plate in +question was a Wrattens ordinary, developed with Ilford Pyro Soda +developer prepared at home. All these particulars I give for the benefit +of the more technical reader. + +Mr. Smith, another clerk in our office, invited Mr. Jones to take a +likeness of his wife and sister-in-law. + +This sister-in-law was the wife of Mr. Smith's elder brother, who was +also a Government servant, then on leave. The idea of the photograph was +of the sister-in-law. + +Jones was a keen photographer himself. He had photographed every body in +the office including the peons and sweepers, and had even supplied every +sitter of his with copies of his handiwork. So he most willingly +consented, and anxiously waited for the Sunday on which the photograph +was to be taken. + +Early on Sunday morning, Jones went to the Smiths'. The arrangement of +light in the verandah was such that a photograph could only be taken +after midday; and so he stayed there to breakfast. + +At about one in the afternoon all arrangements were complete and the two +ladies, Mrs. Smiths, were made to sit in two cane chairs and after long +and careful focussing, and moving the camera about for an hour, Jones +was satisfied at last and an exposure was made. Mr. Jones was sure that +the plate was all right; and so, a second plate was not exposed +although in the usual course of things this should have been done. + +He wrapped up his things and went home promising to develop the plate +the same night and bring a copy of the photograph the next day to the +office. + +The next day, which was a Monday, Jones came to the office very early, +and I was the first person to meet him. + +"Well, Mr. Photographer," I asked "what success?" + +"I got the picture all right," said Jones, unwrapping an unmounted +picture and handing it over to me "most funny, don't you think so?" "No, +I don't ... I think it is all right, at any rate I did not expect +anything better from you ...", I said. + +"No," said Jones "the funny thing is that only two ladies sat ..." +"Quite right," I said "the third stood in the middle." + +"There was no third lady at all there ...", said Jones. + +"Then you imagined she was there, and there we find her ..." "I tell +you, there were only two ladies there when I exposed" insisted Jones. +He was looking awfully worried. + +"Do you want me to believe that there were only two persons when the +plate was exposed and three when it was developed?" I asked. "That is +exactly what has happened," said Jones. + +"Then it must be the most wonderful developer you used, or was it that +this was the second exposure given to the same plate?" + +"The developer is the one which I have been using for the last three +years, and the plate, the one I charged on Saturday night out of a new +box that I had purchased only on Saturday afternoon." + +A number of other clerks had come up in the meantime, and were taking +great interest in the picture and in Jones' statement. + +It is only right that a description of the picture be given here for the +benefit of the reader. I wish I could reproduce the original picture +too, but that for certain reasons is impossible. + +When the plate was actually exposed there were only two ladies, both of +whom were sitting in cane chairs. When the plate was developed it was +found that there was in the picture a figure, that of a lady, standing +in the middle. She wore a broad-edged _dhoti_ (the reader should not +forget that all the characters are Indians), only the upper half of her +body being visible, the lower being covered up by the low backs of the +cane chairs. She was distinctly behind the chairs, and consequently +slightly out of focus. Still everything was quite clear. Even her long +necklace was visible through the little opening in the _dhoti_ near the +right shoulder. She was resting her hands on the backs of the chairs and +the fingers were nearly totally out of focus, but a ring on the right +ring-finger was clearly visible. She looked like a handsome young woman +of twenty-two, short and thin. One of the ear-rings was also clearly +visible, although the face itself was slightly out of focus. One thing, +and probably the funniest thing, that we overlooked then but observed +afterwards, was that immediately behind the three ladies was a barred +window. The two ladies, who were one on each side, covered up the bars +to a certain height from the bottom with their bodies, but the lady in +the middle was partly transparent because the bars of the window were +very faintly visible through her. This fact, however, as I have said +already, we did not observe then. We only laughed at Jones and tried to +assure him that he was either drunk or asleep. At this moment Smith of +our office walked in, removing the trouser clips from his legs. + +Smith took the unmounted photograph, looked at it for a minute, turned +red and blue and green and finally very pale. Of course, we asked him +what the matter was and this was what he said: + +"The third lady in the middle was my first wife, who has been dead these +eight years. Before her death she asked me a number of times to have her +photograph taken. She used to say that she had a presentiment that she +might die early. I did not believe in her presentiment myself, but I did +not object to the photograph. So one day I ordered the carriage and +asked her to dress up. We intended to go to a good professional. She +dressed up and the carriage was ready, but as we were going to start +news reached us that her mother was dangerously ill. So we went to see +her mother instead. The mother was very ill, and I had to leave her +there. Immediately afterwards I was sent away on duty to another station +and so could not bring her back. It was in fact after full three months +and a half that I returned and then though her mother was all right, my +wife was not. Within fifteen days of my return she died of puerperal +fever after child-birth and the child died too. A photograph of her was +never taken. When she dressed up for the last time on the day that she +left my home she had the necklace and the ear-rings on, as you see her +wearing in the photograph. My present wife has them now but she does not +generally put them on." + +This was too big a pill for me to swallow. So I at once took French +leave from my office, bagged the photograph and rushed out on my +bicycle. I went to Mr. Smith's house and looked Mrs. Smith up. Of +course, she was much astonished to see a third lady in the picture but +could not guess who she was. This I had expected, as supposing Smith's +story to be true, this lady had never seen her husband's first wife. The +elder brother's wife, however, recognized the likeness at once and she +virtually repeated the story which Smith had told me earlier that day. +She even brought out the necklace and the ear-rings for my inspection +and conviction. They were the same as those in the photograph. + +All the principal newspapers of that time got hold of the fact and +within a week there was any number of applications for the ghostly +photograph. But Mr. Jones refused to supply copies of it to anybody for +various reasons, the principal being that Smith would not allow it. I +am, however, the fortunate possessor of a copy which, for obvious +reasons, I am not allowed to show to anybody. One copy of the picture +was sent to America and another to England. I do not now remember +exactly to whom. My own copy I showed to the Rev. Father ---- M.A., +D.SC., B.D., etc., and asked him to find out a scientific explanation of +the phenomenon. The following explanation was given by the gentleman. (I +am afraid I shall not be able to reproduce the learned Father's exact +words, but this is what he meant or at least what I understood him to +mean). + +"The girl in question was dressed in this particular way on an occasion, +say 10 years ago. Her image was cast _on space_ and the reflection was +projected from one luminous body (one planet) on another till it made a +circuit of millions and millions of miles in space and then came back to +earth at the exact moment when our friend, Mr. Jones, was going to make +the exposure. + +"Take for instance the case of a man who is taking the photograph of a +mirage. He is photographing place X from place Y, when X and Y are, +say, 200 miles apart, and it may be that his camera is facing east while +place X is actually towards the west of place Y." + +In school I had read a little of Science and Chemistry and could make a +dry analysis of a salt; but this was an item too big for my limited +comprehension. + +The fact, however, remains and I believe it, that Smith's first wife did +come back to this terrestrial globe of ours over eight years after her +death to give a sitting for a photograph in a form which, though it did +not affect the retina of our eye, did impress a sensitized plate; in a +form that did not affect the retina of the eye, I say, because Jones +must have been looking at his sitters at the time when he was pressing +the bulb of the pneumatic release of his time and instantaneous shutter. + +The story is most wonderful but this is exactly what happened. Smith +says this is the first time he has ever seen, or heard from, his dead +wife. It is popularly believed in India that a dead wife gives a lot of +trouble, if she ever revisits this earth, but this is, thank God, not +the experience of my friend, Mr. Smith. + +It is now over seven years since the event mentioned above happened; +and the dead girl has never appeared again. I would very much like to +have a photograph of the two ladies taken once more; but I have never +ventured to approach Smith with the proposal. In fact, I learnt +photography myself with a view to take the photograph of the two ladies, +but as I have said, I have never been able to speak to Smith about my +intention, and probably never shall. The L10, that I spent on my cheap +photographic outfit may be a waste. But I have learnt an art which +though rather costly for my limited means is nevertheless an art worth +learning. + + + + +THE MAJOR'S LEASE. + + +A curious little story was told the other day in a certain Civil Court +in British India. + + * * * * * + +A certain military officer, let us call him Major Brown, rented a house +in one of the big Cantonment stations where he had been recently +transferred with his regiment. + +This gentleman had just arrived from England with his wife. He was the +son of a rich man at home and so he could afford to have a large house. +This was the first time he had come out to India and was consequently +rather unacquainted with the manners and customs of this country. + +[Illustration: This is a rough plan, the original of which was probably +in the Major's handwriting.] + +Major Brown took this house on a long lease and thought he had made a +bargain. The house was large and stood in the centre of a very spacious +compound. There was a garden which appeared to have been carefully laid +out once, but as the house had no tenant for a long time the garden +looked more like a wilderness. There were two very well kept lawn tennis +courts and these were a great attraction to the Major, who was very keen +on tennis. The stablings and out-houses were commodious and the Major, +who was thinking of keeping a few polo ponies, found the whole thing +very satisfactory. Over and above everything he found the landlord very +obliging. He had heard on board the steamer on his way out that Indian +landlords were the worst class of human beings one could come across on +the face of this earth (and that is very true), but this particular +landlord looked like an exception to the general rule. + +He consented to make at his own expense all the alterations that the +Major wanted him to do, and these alterations were carried out to Major +and Mrs. Brown's entire satisfaction. + +On his arrival in this station Major Brown had put up at an hotel and +after some alterations had been made he ordered the house to be +furnished. This was done in three or four days and then he moved in. + +Annexed is a rough sketch of the house in question. The house was a very +large one and there was a number of rooms, but we have nothing to do +with all of them. The spots marked "C" and "E" represent the doors. + +Now what happened in Court was this: + +After he had occupied the house for not over three weeks the Major and +his wife cleared out and took shelter again in the hotel from which they +had come. The landlord demanded rent for the entire period stipulated +for in the lease and the Major refused to pay. The matter went to Court. +The presiding Judge, who was an Indian gentleman, was one of the +cleverest men in the service, and he thought it was a very simple case. + +When the case was called on the plaintiff's pleader said that he would +begin by proving the lease. Major Brown, the defendant, who appeared in +person, said that he would admit it. The Judge who was a very kind +hearted gentleman asked the defendant why he had vacated the house. + +"I could not stay," said the Major "I had every intention of living in +the house, I got it furnished and spent two thousand rupees over it, I +was laying out a garden...." + +"But what do you mean by saying that you could not stay?" + +"If your Honour passed a night in that house, you would understand what +I meant," said the Major. + +"You take the oath and make a statement," said the Judge. Major Brown +then made the following statement on oath in open Court. + +"When I came to the station I saw the house and my wife liked it. We +asked the landlord whether he would make a few alterations and he +consented. After the alterations had been carried out I executed the +lease and ordered the house to be furnished. A week after the execution +of the lease we moved in. The house is very large." + +Here followed a description of the building; but to make matters clear +and short I have copied out the rough pencil sketch which is still on +the record of the case and marked the doors and rooms, as the Major had +done, with letters. + +"I do not dine at the mess. I have an early dinner at home with my wife +and retire early. My wife and I sleep in the same bedroom (the room +marked "G" in the plan), and we are generally in bed at about 11 o'clock +at night. The servants all go away to the out-houses which are at a +distance of about 40 yards from the main building, only one Jamadar +(porter) remains in the front verandah. This Jamadar also keeps an eye +on the whole main building, besides I have got a good, faithful watch +dog which I brought out from home. He stays outside with the Jamadar. + +"For the first fifteen days we were quite comfortable, then the trouble +began. + +"One night before dinner my wife was reading a story, a detective story, +of a particularly interesting nature. There were only a few more pages +left and so we thought that she would finish them before we put out the +reading lamp. We were in the bedroom. But it took her much longer than +she had expected it would, and so it was actually half an hour after +midnight when we put out the big sixteen candle power reading lamp which +stood on a teapoy near the head of the beds. Only a small bedroom lamp +remained. + +"But though we put out the light we did not fall asleep. We were +discussing the cleverness of the detective and the folly of the thief +who had left a clue behind, and it was actually two o'clock when we +pulled our rugs up to our necks and closed our eyes. + +"At that moment we heard the footsteps of a number of persons walking +along the corridor. The corridor runs the whole length of the house as +will appear from the rough sketch. This corridor was well carpeted +still we heard the tread of a number of feet. We looked at the door "C." +This door was closed but not bolted from inside. Slowly it was pushed +open, and, horror of horrors, three shadowy forms walked into the room. +One was distinctly the form of a white man in European night attire, +another the form of a white woman, also in night attire, and the third +was the form of a black woman, probably an Indian nurse or ayah. + +"We remained dumb with horror, as we could see clearly that these +unwelcome visitors were not of this world. We could not move. + +"The three figures passed right round the beds as if searching for +something. They looked into every nook and corner of the bed-room and +then passed into the dressing room. Within half a minute they returned +and passed out into the corridor in the same order in which they had +come in, namely, the man first, the white woman next, and the black +woman last of all. + +"We lay as if dead. We could hear them in the corridor and in the +bedroom adjoining, with the door "E", and in the dressing room attached +to that bedroom. They again returned and passed into the corridor ... +and then we could hear them no more. + +"It must have taken me at least five minutes to collect my senses and +to bring my limbs under control. When I got up I found that my wife had +fainted. I hurried out of the room, rushed along the corridor, opened +the front door and called the servants. The servants were all +approaching the house across the land which separated the servants' +quarters from the main building. Then I went into the dining room, and +procuring some brandy, gave it to my wife. It was with some difficulty +that I could make her swallow it, but it revived her and she looked at +me with a bewildered smile on her face. + +"The servants had in the meantime arrived and were in the corridor. +Their presence had the effect of giving us some courage. Leaving my wife +in bed I went out and related to the servants what I had seen. The +Chaukidar (the night watchman) who was an old resident of the compound +(in fact he had been in charge of the house when it was vacant, before I +rented it) gave me the history of the ghost, which my Jamadar +interpreted to me. I have brought the Chaukidar and shall produce him as +my witness." + +This was the statement of the Major. Then there was the statement of +Jokhi Passi, Chaukidar, defendant's witness. + +The statement of this witness as recorded was as follows: + +"My age is 60 years. At the time of the Indian Mutiny I was a full-grown +young man. This house was built at that time. I mean two or three years +after the Mutiny. I have always been in charge. After the Mutiny one +Judge came to live in the house. He was called Judge Parson (probably +Pearson). The Judge had to try a young Muhammadan charged with murder +and he sentenced the youth to death. The aged parents of the young man +vowed vengeance against the good Judge. On the night following the +morning on which the execution took place it appeared that certain +undesirable characters were prowling about the compound. I was then the +watchman in charge as I am now. I woke up the Indian nurse who slept +with the Judge's baby in a bed-room adjoining the one in which the Judge +himself slept. On waking up she found that the baby was not in its cot. +She rushed out of the bed-room and informed the Judge and his wife. Then +a feverish search began for the baby, but it was never found. The police +were communicated with and they arrived at about four in the morning. +The police enquiry lasted for about half an hour and then the officers +went away promising to come again. At last the Judge, his wife, and +nurse all retired to their respective beds where they were found lying +dead later in the morning. Another police enquiry took place, and it was +found that death was due to snake-bite. There were two small punctures +on one of the legs of each victim. How a snake got in and killed each +victim in turn, especially when two slept in one room and the third in +another, and finally got out, has remained a mystery. But the Judge, his +wife, and the nurse are still seen on every Friday night looking for the +missing baby. One rainy season the servants' quarters were being +re-roofed. I had then an occasion to sleep in the corridor; and thus I +saw the ghosts. At that time I was as afraid as the Major Saheb is +to-day, but then I soon found out that the ghosts were quite harmless." + +This was the story as recorded in Court. The Judge was a very sensible +man (I had the pleasure and honour of being introduced to him about 20 +years after this incident), and with a number of people, he decided to +pass one Friday night in the haunted house. He did so. What he saw does +not appear from the record; for he left no inspection notes and +probably he never made any. He delivered judgment on Monday following. +It is a very short judgment. + +After reciting the facts the judgment proceeds: "I have recorded the +statements of the defendant and a witness produced by him. I have also +made a local inspection. I find that the landlord, (the plaintiff) knew +that for certain reasons the house was practically uninhabitable, and he +concealed that fact from his tenant. He, therefore, could not recover. +The suit is dismissed with costs." + +The haunted house remained untenanted for a long time. The proprietor +subsequently made a gift of it to a charitable institution. The founders +of this institution, who were Hindus and firm believers in charms and +exorcisms, had some religious ceremony performed on the premises. +Afterwards the house was pulled down and on its site now stands one of +the grandest buildings in the station, that cost fully ten thousand +pounds. Only this morning I received a visit from a gentleman who lives +in the building, referred to above, but evidently he has not even heard +of the ghosts of the Judge, his wife, and his Indian ayah. + +It is now nearly fifty years; but the missing baby has not been heard +of. If it is alive it has grown into a fully developed man. But does he +know the fate of his parents and his nurse? + +In this connection it will not be out of place to mention a fact that +appeared in the papers some years ago. + +A certain European gentleman was posted to a district in the Madras +Presidency as a Government servant in the Financial Department. + +When this gentleman reached the station to which he had been posted he +put up at the Club, as they usually do, and began to look out for a +house, when he was informed that there was a haunted house in the +neighbourhood. Being rather sceptical he decided to take this house, +ghost or no ghost. He was given to understand by the members of the Club +that this house was a bit out of the way and was infested at night with +thieves and robbers who came to divide their booty in that house; and to +guard against its being occupied by a tenant it had been given a bad +reputation. The proprietor being a wealthy old native of the old school +did not care to investigate. So our friend, whom we shall, for the +purposes of this story, call Mr. Hunter, took the house at a fair rent. + +The house was in charge of a Chaukidar (care-taker, porter or watchman) +when it was vacant. Mr. Hunter engaged the same man as a night watchman +for this house. This Chaukidar informed Mr. Hunter that the ghost +appeared only one day in the year, namely, the 21st of September, and +added that if Mr. Hunter kept out of the house on that night there would +be no trouble. + +"I always keep away on the night of the 21st September," said the +watchman. + +"And what kind of ghost is it?" asked Mr. Hunter. + +"It is a European lady dressed in white," said the man. "What does she +do?" asked Mr. Hunter. + +"Oh! she comes out of the room and calls you and asks you to follow +her," said the man. + +"Has anybody ever followed her?" + +"Nobody that I know of, Sir," said the man. "The man who was here before +me saw her and died from fear." + +"Most wonderful! But why do not people follow her in a body?" asked Mr. +Hunter. + +"It is very easy to say that, Sir, but when you see her you will not +like to follow her yourself. I have been in this house for over 20 +years, lots of times European soldiers have passed the night of the +21st September, intending to follow her but when she actually comes +nobody has ever ventured." + +"Most wonderful! I shall follow her this time," said Mr. Hunter. + +"As you please Sir," said the man and retired. + +It was one of the duties of Mr. Hunter to distribute the pensions of all +retired Government servants. + +In this connection Mr. Hunter used to come in contact with a number of +very old men in the station who attended his office to receive their +pensions from him. + +By questioning them Mr. Hunter got so far that the house had at one time +been occupied by a European officer. + +This officer had a young wife who fell in love with a certain Captain +Leslie. One night when the husband was out on tour (and not expected to +return within a week) his wife was entertaining Captain Leslie. The +gentleman returned unexpectedly and found his wife in the arms of the +Captain. + +He lost his self-control and attacked the couple with a meat +chopper--the first weapon that came handy. + +Captain Leslie moved away and then cleared out leaving the unfortunate +wife at the mercy of the infuriated husband. He aimed a blow at her head +which she warded off with her hand. But so severe was the blow that the +hand was cut off and the woman fell down on the ground quite +unconscious. The sight of blood made the husband mad. Subsequently the +servants came up and called a doctor, but by the time the doctor arrived +the woman was dead. + +The unfortunate husband who had become raving mad was sent to a lunatic +asylum and thence taken away to England. The body of the woman was in +the local cemetery; but what had become of the severed hand was not +known. The missing limb had never been found. All this was 50 years ago, +that is, immediately after the Indian Mutiny. + +This was what Mr. Hunter gathered. + +The 21st September was not very far off. Mr. Hunter decided to meet the +ghost. + +The night in question arrived, and Mr. Hunter sat in his bed-room with +his magazine. The lamp was burning brightly. + +The servants had all retired, and Mr. Hunter knew that if he called for +help nobody would hear him, and even if anybody did hear, he too would +not come. + +He was, however, a very bold man and sat there awaiting developments. + +At one in the morning he heard footsteps approaching the bed-room from +the direction of the dining-room. + +He could distinctly hear the rustle of the skirts. Gradually the door +between the two rooms began to open wide. Then the curtain began to +move. Mr. Hunter sat with straining eyes and beating heart. + +At last she came in. The Englishwoman in flowing white robes. Mr. Hunter +sat panting unable to move. She looked at him for about a minute and +beckoned him to follow her. It was then that Mr. Hunter observed that +she had only one hand. + +He got up and followed her. She went back to the dining-room and he +followed her there. There was no light in the dining-room but he could +see her faintly in the dark. She went right across the dining-room to +the door on the other side which opened on the verandah. Mr. Hunter +could not see what she was doing at the door, but he knew she was +opening it. + +When the door opened she passed out and Mr. Hunter followed. Then she +walked across the verandah down the steps and stood upon the lawn. Mr. +Hunter was on the lawn in a moment. His fears had now completely +vanished. She next proceeded along the lawn in the direction of a hedge. +Mr. Hunter also reached the hedge and found that under the hedge were +concealed two spades. The gardener must have been working with them and +left them there after the day's work. + +The lady made a sign to him and he took up one of the spades. Then again +she proceeded and he followed. + +They had reached some distance in the garden when the lady with her foot +indicated a spot and Mr. Hunter inferred that she wanted him to dig +there. Of course, Mr. Hunter knew that he was not going to discover a +treasure-trove, but he was sure he was going to find something very +interesting. So he began digging with all his vigour. Only about 18 +inches below the surface the blade struck against some hard substance. +Mr. Hunter looked up. + +The apparition had vanished. Mr. Hunter dug on and discovered that the +hard substance was a human hand with the fingers and everything intact. +Of course, the flesh had gone, only the bones remained. Mr. Hunter +picked up the bones and knew exactly what to do. + +He returned to the house, dressed himself up in his cycling costume and +rode away with the bones and the spade to the cemetery. He waked the +night watchman, got the gate opened, found out the tomb of the murdered +woman and close to it interred the bones, that he had found in such a +mysterious fashion, reciting as much of the service as he could +remember. Then he paid some _buksheesh_ (reward) to the night watchman +and came home. + +He put back the spade in its old place and retired. A few days after he +paid a visit to the cemetery in the day-time and found that grass had +grown on the spot which he had dug up. The bones had evidently not been +disturbed. + +The next year on the 21st September Mr. Hunter kept up the whole night, +but he had no visit from the ghostly lady. + +The house is now in the occupation of another European gentleman who +took it after Mr. Hunter's transfer from the station and this new tenant +had no visit from the ghost either. Let us hope that "_she_" now rests +in peace. + + * * * * * + +The following extract from a Bengal newspaper that appeared in September +1913, is very interesting and instructive. + +"The following extraordinary phenomenon took place at the Hooghly Police +Club Building, Chinsurah, at about midnight on last Saturday. + +"At this late hour of the night some peculiar sounds of agony on the +roof of the house aroused the resident members of the Club, who at once +proceeded to the roof with lamps and found to their entire surprise a +lady clad in white jumping from the roof to the ground (about a hundred +feet in height) followed by a man with a dagger in his hands. But +eventually no trace of it could be found on the ground. This is not the +first occasion that such beings are found to visit this house and it is +heard from a reliable source that long ago a woman committed suicide by +hanging and it is believed that her spirit loiters round the building. +As these incidents have made a deep impression upon the members, they +have decided to remove the Club from the said buildings." + + + + +THE OPEN DOOR. + + +Here again is something that is very peculiar and not very uncommon. + + * * * * * + +We, myself and three other friends of mine, were asked by another friend +of ours to pass a week's holiday at the suburban residence of the last +named. We took an evening train after the office hours and reached our +destination at about 10-30 at night. The place was about 60 miles from +Calcutta. + +Our host had a very large house with a number of disused wings. I do not +think many of my readers have any idea of a large residential house in +Bengal. Generally it is a quadrangular sort of thing with a big yard in +the centre which is called the "Angan" or "uthan" (a court-yard). On all +sides of the court-yard are rooms of all sorts of shapes and sizes. +There are generally two stories--the lower used as kitchen, godown, +store-room, etc., and the upper as bed-rooms, etc. + +[Illustration: ABCDE is the shady foot-path from the lake to the front +of the house. * is the open door.] + +Now this particular house of our friend was of the kind described above. +It stood on extensive grounds wooded with fruit and timber trees. +There was also a big tank, a miniature lake in fact, which was the +property of my friend. There was good fishing in the lake and that was +the particular attraction that had drawn my other friends to this place. +I myself was not very fond of angling. + +As I have said we reached this place at about 10-30 at night. We were +received very kindly by the father and the mother of our host who were a +very jolly old couple; and after a very late supper, or, shall I call it +dinner, we retired. The guest rooms were well furnished and very +comfortable. It was a bright moonlight night and our plan was to get up +at 4 in the morning and go to the lake for angling. + +At three in the morning the servants of our host woke us up (they had +come to carry our fishing gear) and we went to the lake which was a +couple of hundred yards from the house. As I have said it was a bright +moonlight night in summer and the outing was not unpleasant after all. +We remained on the bank of the lake till about seven in the morning, +when one of the servants came to fetch us for our morning tea. I may as +well mention here that breakfast in India generally means a pretty heavy +meal at about 10 A.M. + +I was the first to get up; for I have said already that I was not a +worthy disciple of Izaak Walton. I wound up my line and walked away, +carrying my rod myself. + +The lake was towards the back of the house. To come from the lake to the +front of it we had to pass along the whole length of the buildings. See +rough plan on page 32. + +As would appear from the plan we had to pass along the shady foot-path +ABCDE, there was a turning at each point B, C, D and E. The back row of +rooms was used for godowns, store-rooms, kitchens, etc. One room, the +one with a door marked "*" at the corner, was used for storing a number +of door-frames. The owner of the house, our host's father, had at one +time contemplated adding a new wing and for that purpose the door-frames +had been made. Then he gave up the idea and the door-frames were kept +stored up in that corner-room with a door on the outside marked "*". Now +as I was walking ahead I reached the turning B first of all and it was +probably an accident that the point of my rod touched the door. The door +flew open. I knew this was an unused portion of the house and so the +opening of the door surprised me to a certain extent. I looked into the +room and discovered the wooden door-frames. There was nothing peculiar +about the room or its contents either. + +When we were drinking our tea five minutes later I casually remarked +that they would find some of the door-frames missing as the door of the +room in which they were kept had been left open all night. I did not at +that time attach any importance to a peculiar look of the eyes of the +old couple, my host's father and mother. The old gentleman called one of +the servants and ordered him to bolt that door. + +When we were going to the lake in the evening I examined the door and +found that it had been closed from inside. + +The next morning we went out a-fishing again and we were returning for +our tea, at about 7 in the morning. I was again ahead of all the rest. +As I came along, this time intentionally I gave a push to the door with +my rod. It again flew open. "This is funny" I thought. + +At tea I reported the matter to the old couple and I then noticed with +curiosity their embarrassed look of the day before. I therefore +suggested that the servants intentionally left the door open, and one +morning they would find the door-frames, stored in the room, gone. + +At this the old man smiled. He said that the door of this particular +room had remained open for the last 15 years and the contents had never +been disturbed. On our pressing him why the door remained open he +admitted with great reluctance that since the death of a certain servant +of the house-hold in that particular room fifteen years ago the outer +door had never remained closed. "You may close it yourself and see" +suggested the old gentleman. + +We required no further invitation. Immediately we all went to that room +to investigate and find out the ghost if he remained indoors during the +day. But Mr. Ghost was not there. "He has gone out for his morning +constitutional," I suggested, "and this time we shall keep him out." Now +this particular room had two doors and one window. The window and one +door were on the court-yard side of the room and communicated with the +court-yard. The other door led to the grounds outside and this last was +the haunted door. We opened both the doors and the window and examined +the room. There was nothing extraordinary about it. Then we tried to +close the haunted door. It had warped probably by being kept open for +15 years. It had two very strong bolts on the inside but the lower bolt +would not go within 3 inches of its socket. The upper one was very loose +and a little continuous thumping would bring the bolt down. We thought +we had solved the mystery thus:--The servants only closed the door by +pushing up the upper bolt, at night the wind would shake the door and +the bolt would come down. So this time we took good care to use the +lower bolt. Three of us pushed the door with all our might and one man +thrust the lower bolt into its socket. It hardly went in a quarter of an +inch, but still the door was secure. We then hammered the bolt in with +bricks. In doing this we broke about half a dozen of them. This will +explain to the reader how much strength it required to drive the bolt in +about an inch and a half. + +Then we satisfied ourselves that the bolt could not be moved without the +aid of a hammer and a lever. Afterwards we closed the window and the +other door and securely locked the last. Thus no human being could open +the haunted door. + +Before retiring to bed after dinner we further examined both the doors +once more. They were all right. + +The next morning we did not go out for fishing; so when we got up at +about five in the morning the first thing we did was to go and examine +the haunted door. It flew in at the touch. We then went inside and +examined the other door and the window which communicated with the +court-yard. The window was as secure as we had left it and the door was +chained from outside. We went round into the court-yard and examined the +lock. It did not appear to have been tampered with. + +The old man and his wife met us at tea as usual. They had evidently been +told everything. They, however, did not mention the subject, neither did +we. + +It was my intention to pass a night in that room but nobody would agree +to bear me company, and I did not quite like the idea of passing a whole +night in that ugly room. Moreover my hosts would not have heard of it. + +The mystery of the open door has not yet been solved. It was about 20 +years ago that what I have narrated above, happened. I am not sure that +the mystery will ever be solved. + + * * * * * + +In this connection it will not be out of place to mention another +incident with regard to another family and another house in another part +of Bengal. + +Once while coming back from Darjeeling, the summer capital of Bengal, I +had a very garrulous old gentleman for a fellow traveller in the same +compartment. I was reading a copy of the _Occult Review_ and the title +of the magazine interested him very much. He asked me what the magazine +was about, and I told him. He then asked me if I was really interested +in ghosts and their stories. I told him that I was. + +"In our village we have a gentleman who has a family ghost" said my +companion. + +"What kind of thing is a family ghost?" I asked. + +"Oh--the ghost comes and has his dinner with my neighbour every night," +said my companion. "Really--must be a very funny ghost" I said. "It is a +fact--if you stay for a day in my village you will learn everything." + +I at once decided to break my journey in the village. It was about 2 in +the afternoon when I got down at the Railway Station--procured a hackney +carriage and, ascertaining the name and address of the gentleman who had +the family ghost, separated from my old companion. + +I reached the house in 20 minutes, and told the gentleman that I was a +stranger in those parts and as such craved leave to pass the rest of the +day and the night under his roof. I was a very unwelcome guest, but he +could not kick me out, as the moral code would not permit it. He, +however, shrewdly guessed why I was anxious to pass the night at his +house. + +Of course, my host was very kind to me. He was a tolerably rich man with +a large family. Most of his sons were grown-up young men who were at +College in Calcutta. The younger children were of course at home. + +At night when we sat down to dinner I gently broached the subject by +hinting at the rumour I had heard that his house was haunted. I further +explained to him that I had only come to ascertain if what I had heard +was true. He told me (of course it was very kind of him) that the story +about the dinner was false, and what really happened was this:-- + +"I had a younger brother who died 2 years ago. He was of a religious +turn of mind and passed his time in reading religious books and writing +articles about religion in papers. He died suddenly one night. In fact +he was found dead in his bed in the morning. The doctors said it was +due to failure of heart. Since his death he has come and slept in the +room, which was his when he was alive and is his still. All that he +takes is a glass of water fetched from the sacred river Ganges. We put +the glass of water in the room and make the bed every evening; the next +morning the glass is found empty and the bed appears to have been slept +upon." + +"But why did you begin?--" I asked. + +"Oh--One night he appeared to me in a dream and asked me to keep the +water and a clean bed in the room--this was about a month after his +death," said my host. + +"Has anybody ever passed a night in the room to see what really +happens?" I asked. + +"His young wife--or rather widow passed a night in that room--the next +morning we found her on the bed--sleeping--dead--from failure of +heart--so the doctors said." + +"Most wonderful and interesting." I remarked. + +"Nobody has gone to that part of the house since the death of the poor +young widow" said my host. "I have got all the doors of the room +securely screwed up except one, and that too is kept carefully locked, +and the key is always with me." + +After dinner my host took me to the haunted room. All arrangements for +the night were being made; and the bed was neat and clean. + +A glass of the Ganges water was kept in a corner with a cover on it. I +looked at the doors, they were all perfectly secure. The only door that +could open was then closed and locked. + +My host smiled at me sadly "we won't do all this uselessly" he said +"this is a very costly trick if you think it a trick at all, because I +have to pay to the servants double the amount that others pay in this +village--otherwise they would run away. You can sleep at the door and +see that nobody gets in at night." + +I said "I believe you most implicitly and need not take the precaution +suggested." I was then shown into my room and everybody withdrew. + +My room was 4 or 5 apartments off and of course these apartments were to +be unoccupied. + +As soon as my host and the servants had withdrawn, I took up my candle +and went to the locked door of the ghostly room. With the lighted +candle I covered the back of the lock with a thin coating of soot or +lamp-black. Then I scraped off a little dried-up whitewash from the wall +and sprinkled the powder over the lamp-black. + +"If any body disturbs the lock at night I shall know it in the morning" +I thought. Well, the reader could guess that I had not a good sleep that +night. I got up at about 4-30 in the morning and went to the locked +door. _My seal_ was intact, that is, the lamp-black with the powdered +lime was there just as I had left it. + +I took out my handkerchief and wiped the lock clean. The whole operation +took me about 5 minutes. Then I waited. + +At about 5 my host came and a servant with him. The locked door was +opened in my presence. The glass of water was dry and there was not a +drop of water in it. The bed had been slept upon. There was a distinct +mark on the pillow where the head should have been--and the sheet too +looked as if somebody had been in bed the whole night. + +I left the same day by the after-noon train having passed about 23 hours +with the family in the haunted house. + + + + +WHAT UNCLE SAW. + + +This story need not have been written. It is too sad and too mysterious, +but since reference has been made to it in this book, it is only right +that readers should know this sad account. + + * * * * * + +Uncle was a very strong and powerful man and used to boast a good deal +of his strength. He was employed in a Government Office in Calcutta. He +used to come to his village home during the holidays. He was a widower +with one or two children, who stayed with his brother's family in the +village. + +Uncle has had no bed-room of his own since his wife's death. Whenever he +paid us a visit one of us used to place his bed-room at uncle's +disposal. It is a custom in Bengal to sleep with one's wife and children +in the same bed-room. So whenever Uncle turned up I used to give my +bed-room to him as I was the only person without children. On such +occasions I slept in one of the "Baithaks" (drawing-rooms). A Baithak is +a drawing-room and guest-room combined. + +In rich Bengal families of the orthodox style the "Baithak" or "Baithak +khana" is a very large room generally devoid of all furniture, having a +thick rich carpet on the floor with a clean sheet upon it and big +_takias_ (pillows) all around the wall. The elderly people would sit on +the ground and lean against the _takias_; while we, the younger lot, sat +upon the takias and leaned against the wall which in the case of the +particular room in our house was covered with some kind of yellow paint +which did not come off on the clothes. + +Sometimes a _takia_ would burst and the cotton stuffing inside would +come out; and then the old servant (his status is that of an English +butler, his duty to prepare the hookah for the master) would give us a +chase with a _lathi_ (stick) and the offender would run away, and not +return until all incriminating evidence had been removed and the old +servant's wrath had subsided. + +Well, when Uncle used to come I slept in the "Baithak" and my wife slept +somewhere in the zenana, I never inquired where. + +On this particular occasion Uncle missed the train by which he usually +came. It was the month of October and he should have arrived at 8 P.M. +My bed had been made in the Baithak. But the 8 P.M. train came and +stopped and passed on and Uncle did not turn up. + +So we thought he had been detained for the night. It was the Durgapooja +season and some presents for the children at home had to be purchased +and, we thought, that was what was detaining him. And so at about 10 +P.M. we all retired to bed. The bed that had been made for me in the +"Baithak" remained there for Uncle in case he turned up by the 11 P.M. +train. As a matter of fact we did not expect him till the next morning. + +But as misfortune would have it Uncle did arrive by the 11 o'clock +train. + +All the house-hold had retired, and though the old servant suggested +that I should be waked up, Uncle would not hear of it. He would sleep in +the bed originally made for me, he said. + +The bed was in the central Baithak or hall. My Uncle was very fond of +sleeping in side-rooms. I do not know why. Anyhow he ordered the servant +to remove his bed to one of the side-rooms. Accordingly the bed was +taken to one of them. One side of that room had two windows opening on +the garden. The garden was more a park-like place, rather neglected, but +still well wooded abounding in jack fruit trees. It used to be quite +shady and dark during the day there. On this particular night it must +have been very dark. I do not remember now whether there was a moon or +not. + +Well, Uncle went to sleep and so did the servants. It was about 8 +o'clock the next morning, when we thought that Uncle had slept long +enough, that we went to wake him up. + +The door connecting the side-room with the main Baithak was closed, but +not bolted from inside; so we pushed the door open and went in. + +Uncle lay in bed panting. He stared at us with eyes that saw but did not +perceive. We at once knew that something was wrong. On touching his body +we found that he had high fever. We opened the windows, and it was then +that Uncle spoke "Don't open or it would come in--" + +"What would come in Uncle--what?" we asked. + +But uncle had fainted. + +The doctor was called in. He arrived at about ten in the morning. He +said it was high fever--due to what he could not say. All the same he +prescribed a medicine. + +The medicine had the effect of reducing the temperature, and at about 6 +in the evening consciousness returned. Still he was in a very weak +condition. Some medicine was given to induce sleep and he passed the +night well. We nursed him by turns at night. The next morning we had all +the satisfaction of seeing him all right. He walked from the bed-room, +though still very weak and came to the Central Baithak where he had tea +with us. It was then that we asked what he had seen and what he had +meant by "It would come in." + +Oh how we wish, we had never asked him the question, at least then. + +This was what he said:-- + +"After I had gone to bed I found that there were a few mosquitoes and so +I could not sleep well. It was about midnight when they gradually +disappeared and then I began to fall asleep. But just as I was dozing +off I heard somebody strike the bars of the windows thrice. It was like +three distinct strokes with a cane on the gratings outside. 'Who is +there?' I asked; but no reply. The striking stopped. Again I closed my +eyes and again the same strokes were repeated. This time I nearly lost +my temper; I thought it was some urchin of the neighbourhood in a +mischievous mood. 'Who is there?' I again shouted--again no reply. The +striking however stopped. But after a time it commenced afresh. This +time I lost my temper completely and opened the window, determined to +thrash anybody whom I found there--forgetting that the windows were +barred and fully 6 feet above the ground. Well in the darkness I saw, I +saw--." + +Here uncle had a fit of shivering and panting, and within a minute he +lost all consciousness. The fever was again high. The doctor was +summoned but this time his medicines did no good. Uncle never regained +consciousness. In fact after 24 hours he died of heart failure the next +morning, leaving his story unfinished and without in any way giving us +an idea of what that terrible thing was which he had seen beyond the +window. The whole thing remains a deep mystery and unfortunately the +mystery will never be solved. + +Nobody has ventured to pass a night in the side-room since then. If I +had not been a married man with a very young wife I might have tried. + +One thing however remains and it is this that though uncle got all the +fright in the world in that room, he neither came out of that room nor +called for help. + +One cry for help and the whole house-hold would have been awake. In fact +there was a servant within 30 yards of the window which uncle had +opened; and this man says he heard uncle open the window and close and +bolt it again, though he had not heard uncle's shouts of "Who is there?" + +Only this morning I read this funny advertisement in the Morning Post. + +"_Haunted Houses._--Man and wife, cultured and travelled, gentle +people--having lost fortune ready to act as care-takers and to +investigate in view of removing trouble--." + +Well--in a haunted house these gentle people expect to see something. +Let us hope they will not see what our Uncle saw or what the Major saw. + +This advertisement clearly shows that even in countries like England +haunted houses do exist, or at least houses exist which are believed to +be haunted. + +If what we see really depends on what we think or what we believe, no +wonder that there are so many more haunted houses in India than in +England. This reminds me of a very old incident of my early school days. +A boy was really caught by a Ghost and then there was trouble. We shall +not forget the thrashing we received from our teacher in the school; and +the fellow who was actually caught by the Ghost--if Ghost it was, will +never say in future that Ghosts don't exist. + +In this connection it may not be out of place to narrate another +incident, though it does not fall within the same category with the main +story that heads this chapter. The only reason why I do so is that the +facts tally in one respect, though in one respect only, and that is that +the person who knew would tell nothing. + +This was a friend of mine who was a widower. We were in the same office +together and he occupied a chair and a table next but one to mine. This +gentleman was in our office for only six months after narrating the +story. If he had stayed longer we might have got out his secret, but +unfortunately he went away; he has gone so far from us that probably we +shall not meet again for the next 10 years. + +It was in connection with the "Smith's dead wife's photograph" +controversy that one day one of my fellow clerks told me that a visit +from a dead wife was nothing very wonderful, as our friend Haralal could +testify. + +I always took of a lot of interest in ghosts and their stories. So I was +generally at Haralal's desk cross-examining him about this affair; at +first the gentleman was very uncommunicative but when he saw I would +give him no rest he made a statement which I have every reason to +believe is true. This is more or less what he says. + +"It was about ten years ago that I joined this office. I have been a +widower ever since I left college--in fact I married the daughter of a +neighbour when I was at college and she died about 3 years afterwards, +when I was just thinking of beginning life in right earnest. She has +been dead these 10 years and I shall never marry again, (a young widower +in good circumstances, in Bengal, is as rare as a blue rose). + +"I have a suite of bachelor rooms in Calcutta, but I go to my suburban +home on every Saturday afternoon and stay there till Monday morning, +that is, I pass my Saturday night and the whole of Sunday in my village +home every week. + +"On this particular occasion nearly eight years ago, that is, about a +year and a half after the death of my young wife I went home by an +evening train. There is any number of trains in the evening and there is +no certainty by which train I go, so if I am late, generally everybody +goes to bed with the exception of my mother. + +"On this particular night I reached home rather late. It was the month +of September and there had been a heavy shower in the town and all +tram-car services had been suspended. + +"When I reached the Railway Station I found that the trains were not +running to time either. I was given to understand that a tree had been +blown down against the telegraph wire, and so the signals were not going +through; and as it was rather dark the trains were only running on the +report of _a motor trolly_ that the line was clear. Thus I reached home +at about eleven instead of eight in the evening. + +"I found my father also sitting up for me though he had had his dinner. +He wanted to learn the particulars of the storm at Calcutta. + +"Within ten minutes of my arrival he went to bed and within an hour I +finished my dinner and retired for the night. + +"It was rather stuffy and the bed was damp as I was perspiring freely; +and consequently I was not feeling inclined to sleep. + +"A little after midnight I felt that there was somebody else in the +room. + +"I looked at the closed door--yes there was no mistake about it, it was +my wife, my wife who had been dead these eighteen months. + +"At first I was--well you can guess my feeling--then she spoke: + +"'There is a cool bed-mat under the bedstead; it is rather dusty, but it +will make you comfortable. + +"I got up and looked under the bedstead--yes the cool bed-mat was there +right enough and it was dusty too. I took it outside and I cleaned it by +giving it a few jerks. Yes, I had to pass through the door at which she +was standing within six inches of her,--don't put any questions; Let me +tell you as much as I like; you will get nothing out of me if you +interrupt--yes, I passed a comfortable night. She was in that room for a +long time, telling me lots of things. The next morning my mother +enquired with whom I was talking and I told her a lie. I said I was +reading my novel aloud. They all know it at home now. She comes and +passes two nights with me in the week when I am at home. She does not +come to Calcutta. She talks about various matters and she is +happy--don't ask me how I know that. I shall not tell you whether I have +touched her body because that will give rise to further questions. + +"Everybody at home has seen her, and they all know what I have told you, +but nobody has spoken to her. They all respect and love her--nobody is +afraid. In fact she never comes except on Saturday and Sunday evenings +and that when I am at home." + +No amount of cross-examination, coaxing or inducement made my friend +Haralal say anything further. + +This story in itself would not probably have been believed; but after +the incident of "His dead wife's picture" nobody disbelieved it, and +there is no reason why anybody should. Haralal is not a man who would +tell yarns, and then I have made enquiries at Haralal's village where +several persons know this much; that his dead wife pays him a visit +twice every week. + +Now that Haralal is 500 miles from his village home I do not know how +things stand; but I am told that this story reached the ears of the +_Bara Saheb_ and he asked Haralal if he would object to a transfer and +Haralal told him that he would not. + +I shall leave the reader to draw his own conclusions. + + + + +THE BOY WHO WAS CAUGHT. + + +Nothing is more common in India than seeing a ghost. Every one of us has +seen ghost at some period of his existence; and if we have not actually +seen one, some other person has, and has given us such a vivid +description that we cannot but believe to be true what we hear. + +This is, however, my own experience. I am told others have observed the +phenomenon before. + + * * * * * + +When we were boys at school we used, among other things, to discuss +ghosts. Most of my fellow students asserted that they did not believe in +ghosts, but I was one of those who not only believed in their existence +but also in their power to do harm to human beings if they liked. Of +course, I was in the minority. As a matter of fact I knew that all those +who said that they did not believe in ghosts told a lie. They believed +in ghosts as much as I did, only they had not the courage to admit their +weakness and differ boldly from the sceptics. Among the lot of +unbelievers was one Ram Lal, a student of the Fifth Standard, who swore +that he did not believe in ghosts and further that he would do anything +to convince us that they did not exist. + +It was, therefore, at my suggestion that he decided to go one moon-light +night and hammer down a wooden peg into the soft sandy soil of the +Hindoo Burning Ghat, it being well known that the ghosts generally put +in a visible appearance at a burning ghat on a moon-light night. (A +burning ghat is the place where dead bodies of Hindoos are cremated). + +It was the warm month of April and the river had shrunk into the size of +a nullah or drain. The real pukka ghat (the bathing place, built of +bricks and lime) was about 200 yards from the water of the main stream, +with a stretch of sand between. + +The ghats are only used in the morning when people come to bathe, and in +the evening they are all deserted. After a game of football on the +school grounds we sometimes used to come and sit on the pukka ghat for +an hour and return home after nightfall. + +Now, it was the 23rd of April and a bright moon-light night, every one +of us (there were about a dozen) had told the people at home that there +was a function at the school and he might be late. On this night, it +was arranged that the ghost test should take place. + +The boy who had challenged the ghost, Ram Lal, was to join us at the +pukka ghat at 8 P.M.; and then while we waited there he would walk +across the sand and drive the peg into the ground at the place where a +dead body had been cremated that very morning. We were to supply the peg +and the hammer. (I had to pay the school gardener two annas for the loan +of a peg and a hammer). + +Well, we procured the peg and the hammer and proceeded to the pukka +ghat. If the gardener had known what we required the peg and the hammer +for, I am sure he would not have lent these to us. + +Though I was a firm believer in ghosts yet I did not expect that Ram Lal +would be caught. What I hoped for was that he would not turn up at the +trysting place. But to my disappointment Ram Lal did turn up and at the +appointed hour too. He came boasting as usual, took the peg and the +hammer and started across the sand saying that he would break the head +of any ghost who might venture within the reach of the hammerhead. Well, +he went along and we waited for his return at the pukka ghat. It was a +glorious night, the whole expanse of sand was shining in the bright +moon-light. + +On and on went Ram Lal with the peg in his left hand and the hammer in +his right. He was dressed in the usual upcountry Indian style, in a long +coat or Achkan which reached well below his knees and fluttered in the +breeze. + +As he went on his pace slackened. When he had gone about half the +distance he stopped and looked back. We hoped he would return. He put +down the hammer and the peg, sat down on the sand facing us, took off +his shoes. Only some sand had got in. He took up the peg and hammer and +walked on. + +But then we felt that his courage was oozing away. Another fifty yards +and he again stopped, and looked back at us. + +Another fifty yards remained. Will he return? No! he again proceeded, +but we could clearly see that his steps were less jaunty than when he +had started. We knew that he was trembling, we knew that he would have +blessed us to call him back. But we would not yield, neither would he. +Looking in our direction at every step he proceeded and reached the +burning ghat. He reached the identical spot where the pyre had been +erected in the morning. + +There was very little breeze,--not a mouse stirring. Not a soul was +within 200 yards of him and he could not expect much help from us. How +poor Ram Lal's heart must have palpitated! When we see Ram Lal now how +we feel that we should burst. + +Well, Ram Lal knelt down, fixed the peg in the wet sandy soil and began +hammering. After each stroke he looked at us and at the river and in all +directions. He struck blow after blow and we counted about thirty. That +his hands had become nerveless we would understand, for otherwise a +dozen strokes should have been enough to make the peg vanish in the soft +sandy soil. + +The peg went in and only about a couple of inches remained visible above +the surface; and then Ram Lal thought of coming back. He was kneeling +still. He tried to stand up, gave out a shrill cry for help and fell +down face foremost. + +It must have been his cry for help that made us forget our fear of the +ghost, and we all ran at top speed towards the ghat. It was rather +difficult to run fast on the sand but we managed it as well as we could, +and stopped only when we were about half a dozen yards from the +unconscious form of Ram Lal. + +There he lay senseless as if gone to sleep. Our instinct told us that he +was not dead. We thanked God, and each one of us sent up a silent +prayer. Then we cried for help and a boatman who lived a quarter of a +mile away came up. He took up Ram Lal in his arms and as he was doing it +_tr_--_rrrrrrrrrr_--went Ram Lal's long coat. The unfortunate lad had +hammered the skirt of his long coat along with the peg into the ground. + +We took Ram Lal to his house and explained to his mother that he had a +bad fall in the football field, and there we left him. + +The next morning at school, one student, who was a neighbour of Ram Lal, +told us that the whole mischief had become known. + +Ram Lal, it appears, got high fever immediately after we had left him +and about midnight he became delirious and in that condition he +disclosed everything in connection with his adventure at the ghat. + +In the evening we went to see him. His parents were very angry with us. + +The whole story reached the ears of the school authorities and we got, +what I thought I richly deserved (for having allowed any mortal being to +defy a ghost) but what I need not say. + +Ram Lal is now a grown up young man. He holds a responsible government +appointment and I meet him sometimes when he comes to tour in our part +of the Province. + +I always ask him if he has seen a ghost since we met last. + + * * * * * + +In this connection it will not be out of place to mention two simple +stories one from my own experience and another told by a friend. + +I shall tell my friend's story first, in his own words. + +"I used to go for a bath in the Ganges early every morning. I used to +start from home at 4 o'clock in the morning and walked down to the +Ganges which was about 3 miles from my house. The bath took about an +hour and then I used to come back in my carriage which went for me at +about six in the morning. + +"On this eventful morning when I awoke it was brilliant moonlight and +so I thought it was dawn. + +"I started from home without looking at the clock and when I was about a +mile and a half from home and about the same distance from the river I +realized that I was rather early. The policeman under the railway bridge +told me that it was only 2 o'clock. I knew that I should have to cross +the small _maidan_ through which the road ran and I remembered that +there was a rumour that a ghost had sometimes been seen in the _maidan_ +and on the road. This however did not make me nervous, because I really +did not believe in ghosts; but all the same I wished I could have gone +back. But then in going back I should have to pass the policeman and he +would think that I was afraid; so I decided to go on. + +"When I entered the _maidan_ a creepy sensation came over me. My first +idea was that I was being followed, but I did not dare look back, all +the same I went on with quick steps. + +"My next idea was that a gust of wind swept past me, and then I thought +that a huge form was passing over the trees which lined the road. + +"By this time I was in the middle of the _maidan_ about half a mile +from the nearest human being. + +"And then, horror of horrors, the huge form came down from the trees and +stood in the middle of the road about a hundred yards ahead of me, +barring my way. + +"I instinctively moved to the side--but did not stop. By the time I +reached the spot, I had left the metalled portion of the road and was +actually passing under the road-side trees allowing their thick trunks +to intervene between me and the huge form standing in the middle of the +road. I did not look at it, but I was sure it was extending a gigantic +arm towards me. It could not, however, catch me and I walked on with +vigorous strides. After I had passed the figure I nearly ran under the +trees, my heart beating like a sledge hammer within me. + +"After a couple of minutes I saw two glaring eyes in front of me. This I +thought was the end. The eyes were advancing towards me at a rapid pace +and then I heard a shout like that of a cow in distress. I stopped where +I was. I hoped the ghost would pass along the road overlooking me. But +when the ghost was within say fifty yards of me it gave another howl +and I knew that it had seen me. A cry for help escaped my lips and I +fainted. + +"When I regained consciousness I found myself on the grassy foot-path by +the side of the road, about 4 or 5 human beings hovering about me and a +motor car standing near. + +"Then the whole mystery became clear as day-light. The eyes that I had +seen were the headlights of the 24 H.P. Silent Knight Minerva of +Captain ----. He had gone on a pleasure-trip to the next station and was +returning home with two friends and his wife in his motor car when in +that part of the road he saw something like a man standing in the middle +of the road and sounded his horn. As the figure in the middle of the +road would not move aside he slowed down and then heard my cry. + +"The rest the reader may guess. The figure that had loomed so large with +out-stretched arm was only a municipal danger signal erected in the +middle of the road. A red lamp had been placed on the top of the +erection but it had been blown out." + +This was the whole story of my friend. It shows how even our prosaic but +overwrought imagination sometimes gives to airy nothings a local +habitation and a name. My own personal experience which I shall describe +now will also, I am sure, be interesting. + +It was on a brilliant moon-light night in the month of June that we were +sleeping in the open court-yard of our house. + +Of course, the court-yard had a wall all round with a partition in the +middle; on one side of the partition slept three girls of the family and +on the other were the younger male members, four in number. + +It was our custom to have a long chat after dinner and before retiring +to bed. + +On this particular night the talk had been about ghosts. Of course, the +girls are always ready to believe everything and so when we left them we +knew that they would not sleep very comfortably that night. We retired +to our part of the court-yard, but we could overhear the conversation of +the girls. One was trying to convince the other two that ghosts did not +exist and if they did exist they never came into contact with human +beings. + +Then we fell asleep. + +How long we had slept we did not know, but a sudden cry from, one of +the girls awoke us and within three seconds we were across the low +partition wall, and with her. She was sitting up in bed pointing with +her fingers. Following the direction we saw in the clear moonlight the +figure of a short woman standing in the corner of the court-yard about +20 yards from us pointing her finger at something (not towards us). + +We looked in that direction bub could see nothing peculiar there. + +Our first idea was that it was one of the maid-servants, who had heard +our after-dinner conversation, playing the ghost. But this particular +ghostly lady was very short, much shorter than any servant in the +establishment. After some, hesitation all (four) of us advanced towards +the ghost. I remember how my heart throbbed as I advanced with the other +three boys. + +Then we laughed loud and long. + +What do you think it was? + +It was only the Lawn Tennis net wrapped round the pole standing against +the wall. The handle of the ratchet arrangement looked like an extending +finger. + +But from a distance in the moon-light it looked exactly like a short +woman draped in white. + +This story again shows what trick our imagination plays with us at +times. + + * * * * * + +Talking of ghosts reminds me of a very funny story told by a friend of +my grand-father--a famous medical man of Calcutta. + +This famous doctor was once sent for to treat a gentleman at Agra. This +gentleman was a rich Marwari who was suffering from indigestion. When +the doctor reached Agra he was lodged in very comfortable quarters and a +number of horses and carriages was placed at his disposal. + +He was informed that the patient had been treated by all the local and +provincial practitioners but without any result. + +The doctor who was as clever a man of the world as of medicine, at once +saw that there was really nothing the matter with the patient. He was +really suffering from a curious malady which could in a phrase be +called--"want of physical exercise." + +Agra, the city after which the Province is named, abounds in old +magnificent buildings which it takes the tourist a considerable time to +see, and the Doctor, of course, was enjoying all the sights in the +meantime. + +He also prescribed a number of medicines which proved of no avail. The +Doctor had anticipated it, and so he had decided what medicine he would +prescribe next. + +During the sight-seeing excursions into the environs of the city the +doctor had discovered a large pukka well not far from a main street and +at a distance of 3 miles from his patient's house. + +This was a very old disused well and it was generally rumoured that a +ghost dwelt in it. So nobody would go near the well at night. Of course, +there was a lot of stories as to what the ghost looked like and how he +came out at times and stood on the brink and all that,--but the doctor +really did not believe any of these. He, however, believed that this +ghost, (whether there really was any or not in that well) would cure his +patient. + +So one morning when he saw his patient he said "Lalla Saheb--I have +found out the real cause of your trouble--it is a ghost whom you have +got to propitiate and unless you do that you will never get well--and +no medicine will help you and your digestion will never improve." + +"A Ghost?" asked the patient. + +"A Ghost!" exclaimed the people around. + +"A Ghost" said the doctor sagely. + +"What shall I have to do?" inquired the patient, anxiously-- + +"You will have to go every morning to that well (indicating the one +mentioned above), and throw a basketful of flowers in" said the doctor. + +"I shall do that every day" said the patient. + +"Then we shall begin from to-morrow" said the doctor. + +The next morning everybody had been ready to start long before the +doctor was out of bed. He came at last and all got up to start. Then a +big landau and pair drew up to take the doctor and the patient to the +abode of the ghost in the well. Just as the patient was thinking of +getting in the doctor said "We don't require a carriage Lalla Saheb--we +shall all have to walk--and bare-footed too, and between you and me we +shall have to carry the basket of flowers also." + +The patient was really troubled. Never indeed in his life had he walked +a mile--not to say of three--and that, bare-footed and carrying a +basket of flowers in his hands. However he had to do it. It was a goodly +procession. The big millionaire--the big doctor with a large number of +followers walking bare-footed--caused amazement and amusement to all who +saw them. + +It took them a full hour and a half to reach the well--and there the +doctor pronounced the _mantra_ in Sanskrit and the flowers were thrown +in. The _mantra_ (charm) was in Sanskrit, the doctor who knew a little +of the language had taken great pains to compose it the night before and +even then it was not grammatically quite correct. + +At last the party returned, but not on foot. The journey back was +performed in the carriages that had followed the patient and his doctor. +From that day the practice was followed regularly. The patient's health +began to improve and he began to regain his power of digestion fast. In +a month he was all right; but he never discontinued the practice of +going to the well and throwing in a basketful of flowers with his own +hands. He had also learnt the _mantra_ (the mystic charm) by heart; but +the doctor had sworn him to secrecy and he told it to nobody. Shoes with +felt sole were soon procured from England (it being 40 years before any +Indian Rope Sole Shoe Factory came into existence) and thus the +inconvenience of walking this distance bare-footed was easily obviated. + +After a month's further stay the doctor came away from Agra having +earned a fabulous fee, and he always received occasional letters and +presents from his patient who never discontinued the practice of +visiting the well till his death about 17 years later. + +"The three-mile walk is all that he requires" said the doctor to his +friends (among whom evidently my grand-father was one) on his return +from Agra, "and since he has got used to it now he won't discontinue +even if he comes to know of the deception I have practised on him--and I +have cured his indigestion after all." + +The patient, of course, never discovered the fraud. He never gave the +matter his serious consideration. His friends, who were as ignorant and +prejudiced as he himself was, believed in the _ghost_ as much as he did +himself. The medical practitioners of Agra who probably were in the +Doctor's secret never told him anything--and if they had told him +anything they would probably have heard language from _Our patient_ +that could not well be described as quite parliamentary, for they had +all tried to cure him and failed. + +This series of stories will prove how much "imagination" works upon the +external organs of a human being. + +If a person goes about with the idea that there is a ghost somewhere +about he will probably see the ghost in everything. + +But has it ever struck the reader that sometimes horses and dogs do not +quite enjoy going to a place which is reputed to be haunted? + +In a village in Bengal not far from my home there is a big Jack-fruit +tree which is said to be haunted. + +I visited this place once--the local zamindar had sent me his elephant. +The Gomashta (estate manager) who knew that I had come to see the +haunted tree, told me that I should probably see nothing during the day, +but the elephant would not go near the tree. + +I passed the tree. It was about 3 miles from the Railway Station. There +was nothing extraordinary about it. This was about 11 o'clock in the +morning. Then I went to the Shooting Box (usually called the Cutchery or +Court house--where the zamindars and their servants put up when they +pay a visit to this part of their possessions) to have my bath and +breakfast most hospitably provided by my generous host. I ordered the +elephant to be put under this tree, and this was done though the people +there told me that the elephant would not remain there long. + +At about 2 P.M. I heard an extraordinary noise from the tree. + +It was only the elephant. It was wailing and was looking as bad as it +possibly could. + +We all went there but found nothing. The elephant was not ill. + +I ordered it to be taken away from under the tree. As soon as the chain +was removed from the animal's foot it rushed away like a race horse and +would not stop within 200 yards of the tree. I was vastly amused. I had +never seen an elephant running before. But under the tree we found +nothing. What made the elephant so afraid has remained a secret. + +The servants told me (what I had heard before) that it was only +elephants, horses and dogs that did not stay long under that tree. No +human eyes have ever seen anything supernatural or fearful there. + + + + +THE STARVING MILLIONAIRE. + + +This story was also in the papers. It created a sensation at the time, +now it has been almost forgotten. The story shows that black art with +all its mysteries is not a thing of the past. + +This was what happened. + + * * * * * + +There was a certain rich European Contractor in the Central Provinces in +India. + +Let us call him Anderson. He used to supply stone ballast to the Railway +Companies and had been doing this business for over a quarter of a +century. He had accumulated wealth and was a multi-millionaire and one +of the richest men in his part of the country. The district which he +made his head quarters was a large one. It was a second class military +station and there were two European regiments and one Indian regiment in +that station. Necessarily there was a number of European military +officers besides a number of civil and executive officers in that +station. + +On a certain June morning, which is a very hot month in India, an Indian +Fakir came into the compound of Mr. Anderson begging for alms. Mr. +Anderson and his wife were sitting in the verandah drinking their +morning tea. It had been a very hot night and there being no electricity +in this particular station, Mr. Anderson had to depend on the sleepy +punkha coolie. The punkha coolie on this particular night was more +sleepy than usual, and so Mr. Anderson had passed a very sleepless night +indeed. He was in a very bad temper. A whole life passed among Indian +workmen does not generally make a man good-tempered and a hot June in +the Indian plains is not particularly conducive to sweet temper either. +When this beggar came in Mr. Anderson was in a very bad mood. As the man +walked fearlessly up to the verandah Mr. Anderson's temper became worse. +He asked the beggar what he wanted. The beggar answered he wanted food. +Of course, Mr. Anderson said he had nothing to give. The beggar replied +that he would accept some money and buy the food. Mr. Anderson was not +in the habit of being contradicted. He lost his temper--abused the +beggar and ordered his servants to turn the man out. The servants +obeyed. Before his departure the beggar turned to Mr. Anderson and told +him that very soon he would know how painful it was to be hungry. + +When the beggar was gone Mr. Anderson thought of his last remark and +laughed. He was a well-known rich man and a good paymaster. An order +for a L100 on a dirty slip of paper would be honoured by his banker +without hesitation. Naturally he laughed. He forgot that men had +committed suicide by drowning to avoid death from thirst. Well, there it +was. + +The bell announcing breakfast rang punctually at 10 o'clock in the +morning. Mr. Anderson joined his wife in the drawing-room and they went +to the dining-room together. The smell of eggs and bacon and coffee +greeted them and Mr. Anderson forgot all about the Indian beggar when he +took his seat. But he received a rude shock. There was a big live +caterpillar in the fish. Mr. Anderson called the servant and ordered him +to take away the fish and serve with eyes open the next time. The +servant who had been in Mr. Anderson's service a long time stared +open-mouthed. Only a minute before there was nothing but fish on the +plate. Whence came this ugly creature? Well, the plate was removed and +another put in its place for the next dish. + +When the next dish came another surprise awaited everybody. + +As the cover was removed it was found that the whole contents were +covered with a thin layer of sweepings. The Khansama (the servant who +serves at the table) looked at Mr. Anderson and Mr. Anderson at the +Khansama "with a wild surmise"; the cover was replaced and the dish +taken away. Nothing was said this time. + +After about 5 minutes of waiting a third covered dish was brought. + +When the cover was removed the contents were found mixed with stable +sweepings. The smell was horrible, the dish was at once removed. + +This was about the limit. + +No man can eat after that. Mr. Anderson left the table and went to his +office--without breakfast. + +It was the habit of Mr. Anderson to have his lunch in his office. A +Khansama used to take a tiffin basket to the office and there in his +private room Mr. Anderson ate his lunch punctually at 2 P.M. Today he +expected his tiffin early. He thought, that though he had left no +instructions himself the Khansama would have the sense to remember that +he had gone to office without breakfast. And so Mr. Anderson expected a +lunch heavier than usual and earlier too. + +But it was two o'clock and the servant had not arrived. Mr. Anderson was +a man of particularly regular habits. He was very hungry. The thought +of the beggar in the morning made him angry too. He shouted to his +punkha coolie to pull harder. + +It was a quarter after two and still the Khansama would not arrive. It +was probably the first time in 20 years that the fellow was late. Mr. +Anderson sent his _chaprasi_ (peon) to look for the Khansama at about +half past two. A couple of minutes after the _chaprasi's_ departure, Mr. +Atkins, the Collector of the district, was announced (A Collector is +generally a District Magistrate also, and in the Central Provinces he is +called the Deputy Commissioner). He is one of the principal officers in +the district. In this particular district of which I am speaking there +were two principal government officers. The Divisional Judge was the +head of the Civil Administration as well as the person who tried the +murderers and all other big offenders who deserved more than seven years +imprisonment. He was a Bengal Brahman. Mr. Atkins was the Collector or +rather the Deputy Commissioner. He was the executive head of the +district. He was also the District Magistrate. Mr. Atkins came in and +thus explained a sad accident which Mr. Anderson's _Khansama_ had met +with: + +"As I was passing along the road in my motor car, your man came in the +way and was knocked down. The man is hurt but not badly. He had been +carrying a tiffin basket which was also knocked down, as a matter of +course; and the car having passed over it everything the basket +contained in the shape of china was smashed up. The man has been taken +to the hospital by myself in an unconscious condition, but the doctor +says there is nothing very serious, and he will be all right in a couple +of days." + +Now Mr. Atkins was a great friend of Mr. Anderson. They had known each +other ever since Mr. Atkins's arrival in India as a young member of the +Civil Service. That was over 20 years ago. He had at first been in that +district for over 7 years as an Assistant Commissioner and this time he +was there for over 3 years as a Deputy Commissioner. But Mr. Anderson +was very hungry. The story of Mr. Atkins had given him the second shock +since the morning. He, therefore, used language which no gentleman +should have done; and with great vehemence threatened to prosecute Mr. +Atkins for rash driving, etc. + +Mr. Atkins was a very good-natured man. He knew the temper of Mr. +Anderson; but he had never been Anderson so angry before. He therefore +beat a hasty retreat, wondering whether Anderson had not gone mad. He +would not have told anybody what happened in Anderson's offices if he +had known the starving condition of the millionaire, but as it happened +he repeated the fine language that Anderson had used, in the club that +same evening. Everybody who heard his story opined at he time that +Anderson was clearly off his head. + +Mr. Anderson and his wife were expected at the club, but they did not +turn up. + +When Mr. Atkins went home he got a letter from Anderson in which the +latter had apologised for what he had said in the office that afternoon. + +In the letter there was a sentence which was rather enigmatic: + +"If you know what I am suffering from, Atkins, you will be sorry for me, +not angry with me--I pray to God you may not suffer such--." The letter +had evidently been written in great haste and had not been revised. Mr. +Atkins did not quite understand the matter; and he intended to look up +Anderson the first thing next morning. Mr. Atkins thought that Anderson +had lost some of his money. He knew that Anderson never speculated. +Still he might have suffered a heavy loss in one of his contracts. He +telephoned to Mr. Anderson at his house, but was informed by one of the +servants that the master had gone out in his motor car at six in the +evening and was not back till then. + +Now let us see what happened to Mr. Anderson after he had left his +office at about four in the afternoon. + +He went home and expected some tea, but no tea arrived, though it was +six. The Khansama was in the hospital; the cook was called and he humbly +offered the following explanation: "As soon as Hazoor (Your Honour) came +back I ordered the khidmatgar (the cook's assistant) to put the kettle +on the fire. (This is the ordinary duty of the khidmatgar). There was a +bright coal fire in the stove, and the khidmatgar put the kettle upon +it. The kettle should have boiled within five minutes, but it did not; +your humble servant went to investigate the cause and found that there +was no water in the kettle. We put in some, but the kettle had in the +meantime become nearly red-hot. As soon as it came into contact with the +cold water it burst like a bomb. Fortunately nobody was hurt. There +was, of course, a saucepan to heat some water in, but the cold water had +got into the stove and extinguished it." It would be another half an +hour before tea was ready, he added. Mr. Anderson now realised that it +was not the fault of the servants but the curse of the Indian Fakir. So +with a sad smile he ordered his motor car and thought that he and his +wife had better try the Railway refreshment rooms. When his chauffeur +was going to start the engine Mr. Anderson expected that there would be +a backfire and the chauffeur would have a dislocated wrist. But there +was no accident. The engine started as smoothly as it had never done +before. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson went to the Railway refreshment rooms. +There they were informed that no tea was available. A dead rat had been +found under one of the tables in the first class refreshment room, and +as plague cases had been reported earlier in the week, the station +master had ordered the rooms to be closed till they had been thoroughly +disinfected. The whole staff of waiters with all the preserved meat and +oilman's stores had been sent by special train to the next station so +that the railway passengers might not be inconvenienced. The next +station was eight miles off and there was no road for a motor car. + +"I had expected as much" said Mr. Anderson bitterly, as he left the +Railway Station. + +"I would go to Captain Fraser and beg for some dinner. He is the only +man who has got a family here and will be able to accommodate us" said +he to his wife, and so off they started for a five mile run to the +Cantonments. There was some trouble with the car on the way and they +were detained for about an hour, and it was actually 8-30 in the evening +when the Andersons reached Captain Fraser's place. Why, instead of going +home from the Railway Station, Mr. Anderson went to Captain Fraser's +place he himself could not tell. + +When the Andersons reached Captain Fraser's place at half past eight in +the evening, Mr. and Mrs. Fraser had not come back from the club. But +they were expected every minute. It was in fact nine when the Captain +and his wife turned up in a Hackney Carriage. They were surprised to see +the Andersons. They had heard the story told by Atkins at the club. +Anderson gave them his version. Of course, Captain Fraser asked them to +stay to dinner. He said "I am very sorry I am late, but it could not be +helped. When returning from the club my horse was alarmed at something. +The coachman lost control and there was a disaster. But, thank God, +nobody is seriously hurt." + +Their carriage had, however, been so badly damaged that they had to get +a hackney carriage to bring them home. + +In India, specially in June, they are not particular about the dress. So +Captain Fraser said they would sit down to dinner at once and, at a +quarter after nine they all went in to dine. The Khansama stared at the +uninvited guests. He knew that something had gone wrong with Anderson +Saheb. + +The soup was the first thing brought in and the trouble began as soon as +it came. Captain Fraser's Khansama was an old hand at his business, but +somehow he made a mess of things. He got so nervous about what he +himself could not explain that he upset a full plate of soup that he had +brought for Mr. Anderson not exactly on his head, but on his left ear. + +Well the reader would understand the situation. There was a plateful of +hot soup on Mr. Anderson's left ear. The soup should have got cold, +because it had waited long for the Captain's return from the club, but +the cook had very prudently warmed it up again and it had become very +warm indeed. Mr. Anderson shouted and the Khansama let go the plate. It +fell on the table in front of Mr. Anderson on its edge and rolled on. +Next to Mr. Anderson was Mrs. Fraser, and there was a glass of +iced-water in front of her. The rolling soup plate upset the glass, and +the water and the glass and the plate all came down on Mrs. Fraser's +lap, the iced-water making her wet through and through. She was putting +on a muslin gown. She had to go and change. Mrs. Anderson at this point +got up and said that they would not spoil the Frasers' dinner by their +presence. She said that the curse of the Indian Fakir was on them and if +they stayed the Frasers would have to go without dinner. Naturally she +anticipated that some further difficulty would arise there when the next +dish was brought in. The Frasers protested loudly but she dragged Mr. +Anderson away. She had forgotten that she had had her lunch and her +husband had not. + +While going in their motor car from Mr. Fraser's house to their own they +had to pass a bazaar on the way. In the bazar there was a sweetmeat +shop. Mr. Anderson, whose condition could be better imagined than +described asked his chauffeur to stop at the sweetmeat shop. It was a +native shop with a fat native proprietor sitting without any covering +upon his body on a low stool. As soon as he saw Mr. Anderson and his +wife he rushed out of his shop with joined palms to enquire what the +gentleman wanted. Mr. Anderson was evidently very popular with the +native tradesmen and shop-keepers. + +This shop-keeper had special reason to know Mr. Anderson, as it was the +latter's custom to give a dinner to all his native workmen on Her +Majesty's birthday, and this particular sweetmeat vendor used to get the +contract for the catering. The birthday used to be observed in India on +the 24th May and it was hardly a fortnight that this man had received a +cheque for a pretty large amount from Mr. Anderson, for having supplied +Mr. Anderson's native workmen with sweets. + +Naturally he rushed out of his shop in that humble attitude. But in +doing so he upset a whole dishful of sweets, and the big dish with the +sweets went into the road-side drain. All the same the man came up and +wanted to know the pleasure of the Saheb. Mr. Anderson told him that he +was very hungry and wanted something to eat. "Certainly, Huzoor" said +the Halwai (Indian Confectioner) and fussily rushed in. He brought out +some native sweets in a "_dona_" (cup made of leaves) but as misfortune +would have it Mr. Anderson could not eat anything. + +There was any amount of petroleum in the sweets. How it got in there was +a mystery. Mr. Anderson asked his chauffeur to proceed. For fear of +hurting the feeling of this kind old Halwai Mr. Anderson did not do +anything then; but scarcely had the car gone 200 yards when the "_dona_" +with its contents untouched was on the road. + +Mr. Anderson reached home at about half past ten. He expected to find no +dinner at home. But he was relieved to hear from his bearer that dinner +was ready. He rushed into his bath-room, had a cold bath and within five +minutes was ready for dinner in the dining-room. + +But the dinner would not come. After waiting for about 15 minutes the +bearer (butler and foot man combined) was dispatched to the kitchen to +enquire what the matter was. The cook came with a sad look upon his face +and informed him that the dinner had been ready since 8-30 as usual, but +as the Saheb had not returned he had kept the food in the kitchen and +come out leaving the kitchen-door open. Unfortunately Mr. Anderson's +dogs had finished the dinner in his absence, probably thinking that the +master was dining out. In a case like this the cook, who had been in Mr. +Anderson's service for a long time, expected to hear some hard words; +but Mr. Anderson only laughed loud and long. The cook suggested that he +should prepare another dinner, but Mr. Anderson said that it would not +be necessary that night. The chauffeur subsequently informed the cook +that the master and his wife had dined at Captain Fraser's, and finished +with sweets at Gopal Halwai's shop. This explained the master's mirth to +the cook's satisfaction. + +What happened the next day to Mr. Anderson need not be told. It is too +painful and too dirty a story. The fact remains that Mr. Anderson had no +solid food the next day either. He thought he should die of starvation. +He did not know how much longer the curse was going to last, or what +else was in store for him. + +On the morning of the third day the bearer came and reported that a +certain Indian Fakir had invited Mr. Anderson to go and breakfast with +him. How eagerly husband and wife went! The Fakir lived in a miserable +hut on the bank of the river. He invited the couple inside his hut and +gave them bread and water. Here was clean healthy looking bread after +all, and Mr. Anderson never counted how many loaves he ate. But he had +never eaten food with greater relish and pleasure in his life before. +After the meal the Fakir who evidently knew Mr. Anderson said: "Saheb, +you are a great man and a good man too. You are rich and you think that +riches can purchase everything. You are wrong. The Giver of all things +may turn gold into dust and gold may, by His order, lose all its +purchasing capacity. This you have seen during the last two days. You +have annoyed a man who has no gold but who has power. You think that the +Deputy Commissioner has power--but he has not. The Deputy Commissioner +gets his power from the King. The man whom you have offended got his +power from the King of Kings. + +"It is His pleasure that you should leave the station. The sooner you +leave this place Saheb the better for you or you will starve. You can +stay as long as you like here--but you will eat no food outside this hut +of mine--you can try. + +"You can go now and come back for your dinner when you require it--." + +Mr. Anderson came back to the Fakir's cottage for his dinner, with his +wife at nine in the evening. + +Early, the next morning, he left the station and never came back. + +Within a month he left India for good. The hospitable gentlemen of the +station who had asked Mr. and Mrs. Anderson to have a meal with them +will never forget the occasion. + +This story, though it reads like a fairy tale, is nevertheless true. + +All the European gentlemen of J---- knew it and if anyone of them +happens to read these pages he will be able to certify that every detail +is correct. + + * * * * * + +In this connection it will not be out of place to mention some of the +strange doings of the once famous Hasan Khan, the black artist of +Calcutta. Fifty years ago there was not an adult in Calcutta who did not +know his name and had not seen or at least heard of his marvellous +feats. + +I have heard any number of wonderful stories but I shall mention only +two here which, though evidently not free from exaggeration, will give +an idea of what the people came to regard him as capable of achieving, +and also of the powers and attributes which he used to arrogate to +himself. + +What happened was this. + +There was a big reception in Government House at Calcutta. Now a native +of Calcutta of those days knew what such a reception meant. + +All public roads within half a mile of Government House were closed to +wheeled and fast traffic. + +The large compound was decorated with lamps and Chinese Lanterns in a +manner that baffled description. Thousands of these Chinese Lanterns +hung from the trees and twinkled among the foliage like so many coloured +fire-flies. The drives from the gates to the building had rows of these +coloured lanterns on both sides; besides, there were coloured flags and +Union Jacks flying from the tops of the poles, round which were coiled +wreaths of flowers, and which also served to support the ropes or wires +from which these lanterns were suspended. + +The main building itself was illuminated with hundreds of thousands of +candles or lamps and looked from a distance like a house on fire. From +close quarters you could read "Long live the Queen" written in letters +of fire on the parapets of the building, and could see the procession of +carriages that passed up and down the drives so artistically decorated, +and wonder that the spirited horses did not bolt or shy or kick over the +traces when entering those lanes of fire. + +There were no electric lights then in Calcutta or in any part of India, +no motor cars and no rubber-tyred carriages. + +On a reception night lots of people come to watch the decorations of +Government House. Now-a-days Government House is illuminated with +electricity; but I am told by my elders that in those days when tallow +candles and tiny glass lamps were the only means of illumination the +thing looked more beautiful and gorgeous. + +The people who come to see the illumination pass along the road and are +not allowed to stop. The law is that they must walk on and if a young +child stops for more than half a minute his guardian, friend, nurse or +companion is at once reminded by the policeman on duty that he or she +must walk on; and these policemen of Calcutta, unlike the policemen of +London, are not at all courteous in their manner or speech. + +So it happened on a certain reception night that Hasan Khan the black +artist went to see the decorations and while lingering on the road was +rudely told by the policeman on duty to get away. + +Ordinarily Hasan Khan was a man of placid disposition and polite +manners. He told the policeman that he should not have been rude to a +rate-payer who had only come to enjoy the glorious sight and meant no +harm. He also dropped a hint that if the head of the police department +knew that a subordinate of his was insulting Hasan Khan it would go hard +with that subordinate. + +This infuriated the policeman who blew his whistle which had the effect +of bringing half a dozen other constables on the spot. They then gave +poor Hasan Khan a thrashing and reported him to the Inspector on duty. +As chance would have it this Inspector had not heard of Hasan Khan +before. So he ordered that he should be detained in custody and charged +next morning with having assaulted a public officer in the discharge of +his duty. + +The Inspector also received a warning but he did not listen to it. Then +Hasan Khan took out a piece of paper and a pencil from his pocket and +wrote down the number of each of the six or seven policemen who had +taken part in beating him; and he assured everybody (a large number of +persons had gathered now) present that the constables and the Inspector +would be dismissed from Government service within the next one hour. + +Most of the people had not seen him before and not knowing who he was, +laughed. The Inspector and the constables laughed too. After the mirth +had subsided Hasan Khan was ordered to be handcuffed and removed. When +the handcuffs had been clapped on he smiled serenely and said "I order +that all the lights within half a mile of where we are standing be put +out at once." Within a couple of seconds the whole place was in +darkness. + +The entire Government House Compound which was a mass of fire only a +minute before was in total darkness and the street lamps had gone out +too. The only light that remained was on the street lamp-post under +which our friends were. + +The commotion at the reception could be more easily imagined than +described. + +There was total darkness everywhere. The guests were treading literally +on each other's toes and the accidents that happened to the carriages +and horses were innumerable. + +As good luck would have it another Police Inspector who was also on duty +and was on horse-back came up to the only light within a circle of half +a mile radius. + +To him Hasan Khan said "Go and tell your Commissioner of Police that his +subordinates have ill-treated Hasan Khan and tell him that I order him +to come here at once." + +Some laughed others scoffed but the Inspector on horse-back went and +within ten minutes the Commissioner of the Calcutta Police came along +with half a dozen other high officials enquiring what the trouble was +about. + +To them Hasan Khan told the story of the thrashing he had received and +pointed out the assailants. He then told the Commissioner that if those +constables and the Inspector who had ordered him to be handcuffed were +dismissed, on the spot, from Government service, the lamps would be +lighted without human assistance. To the utter surprise of everybody +present (including the high officials who had come out with the +Commissioner of Police) an order dismissing the constables and the +Inspector was passed and signed by the Commissioner in the dim light +shed by that isolated lamp; and within one second of the order the +entire compound of Government House was lighted up again, as if some one +had switched on a thousand electric lamps controlled by a single button. + +Everybody who was present there enjoyed the whole thing excessively, +with the exception of the police officers who had been dismissed from +service. + +It appeared that the Commissioner of Police knew a lot about Hasan Khan +and his black art. How he had come to know of Hasan Khan's powers will +now be related. + + * * * * * + +Most of my readers have heard the name of Messrs. Hamilton and Co., +Jewellers of Calcutta. They are the oldest and most respectable firm of +Jewellers probably in the whole of India. + +One day Hasan Khan walked into their shop and asked to see some rings. + +He was shown a number of rings but he particularly approved a cheap ring +set with a single ruby. The price demanded for this ring was too much +for poor honest Hasan Khan's purse, so he proposed that the Jewellers +should let him have the ring on loan for a month. + +This, of course, the Jewellers refused to do and in a most +un-Englishman-like and unbusiness-like manner a young shop assistant +asked him to clear out. + +He promptly walked out of the shop promising to come again the next day. +Before going out of the shop, however, he told one of the managers that +the young shop assistant had been very rude to him and would not let him +have the ring for a month. + +The next day there was a slight commotion in Hamilton's shop. The ring +was missing. Of course, nobody could suspect Hasan Khan because the ring +had been seen by everybody in the shop after his departure. The police +were communicated with and were soon on the spot. They were examining +the room and the locks and recording statements when Hasan Khan walked +in with the missing ring on his finger. + +He was at once arrested, charged with theft and taken to the police +station and locked up. + +At about midday he was produced before the Magistrate. When he appeared +in court he was found wearing ten rings, one on each finger. He was +remanded and taken back to his cell in the jail. + +The next morning when the door of his cell was opened it was found that +one of the big _almirahs_ in which some gold and silver articles were +kept in Hamilton's shop was standing in his cell. Everybody gazed at it +dumbfounded. The _almirah_ with its contents must have weighed 50 +stones. How it got into the cell was beyond comprehension. + +All the big officers of Government came to see the fun and asked Hasan +Khan how he had managed it. + +"How did you manage to get the show-case in your drawing-room?" inquired +Hasan Khan of each officer in reply to the question. + +And everybody thought that the fellow was mad. But as each officer +reached home he found that one show-case (evidently from Hamilton's +shop) with all its contents was standing in his drawing room. + +The next morning Hasan Khan gave out in clear terms that unless Messrs. +Hamilton and Co. withdrew the charge against him at once they would find +their safe in which were kept the extra valuable articles, at the +bottom of the Bay of Bengal. + +The Jewellers thought that prudence was the best part of valour and the +case against Hasan Khan was withdrawn and he was acquitted of all +charges and set at liberty. + +Then arose the big question of compensating him for the incarceration he +had suffered; and the ring with the single ruby which he had fancied so +much and which had caused all this trouble was presented to him. + +Of course, Messrs. Hamilton and Co. the Jewellers, had to spend a lot of +money in carting back the show-cases that had so mysteriously walked +away from their shop, but they were not sorry, because they could not +have advertised their ware better, and everybody was anxious to possess +something or other from among the contents of these peculiar show-cases. + +It was in connection with this case that Hasan Khan became known to most +of the European Government officials of Calcutta at that time. + + + + +THE BRIDAL PARTY. + + +In Benares, the sacred city of the Hindus, situated in the United +Provinces of Agra and Oudh, there is a house which is famed pretty far +and wide. It is said that the house is haunted and that no human being +can pass a night in that house. + + * * * * * + +Once there was a large Bridal party. + +In India the custom is that the bridegroom goes to the house of the +bride with great pomp and show with a number of friends and followers +and the ceremony of "Kanya Dan" (giving away the girl) takes place at +the bride's house. + +The number of the people who go with the bridegroom depends largely upon +the means of the bride's party, because the guests who come with the +groom are to be fed and entertained in right regal style. It is this +feeding and entertaining the guests that makes a daughter's marriage so +costly in India, to a certain extent. + +If the bride and the bridegroom live in the same town or village then +the bridegroom's party goes to the bride's house in the evening, the +marriage is performed at night and they all come away the same night or +early the next morning. If, however, the places of residence of the +bride and the bridegroom are say 500 miles apart as is generally the +case, the bridegroom with his party goes a day or two earlier and stays +a day or two after the marriage. The bride's people have to find +accommodation, food and entertainment for the whole period, which in the +case of rich people extends over a week. + +Now I had the pleasure of joining such a bridal party as mentioned last, +going to Benares. + +We were about thirty young men, besides a number of elderly people. + +Since the young men could not be merry in the presence of their elders +the bride's father, who was a very rich man, had made arrangements to +put up the thirty of us in a separate house. + +This house was within a few yards of the famed haunted house. + +We reached Benares at about ten in the morning and it was about three in +the afternoon that we were informed that the celebrated haunted house +was close by. Naturally some of us decided that we should occupy that +house rather than the one in which we were. I myself was not very keen +on shifting but a few others were. Our host protested but we insisted, +and so the host had to give way. + +The house was empty and the owner was a local gentleman, a resident of +Benares. + +To procure his permission and the key was the work of a few minutes and +we took actual possession of the house at about six in the evening. It +was a very large house with big rooms and halls (rather poorly +furnished) but some furniture was brought in from the house which we had +occupied on our arrival. + +There was a very big and well-ventilated hall and in this we decided to +sleep. Carpet upon carpet was piled on the floor and there we decided to +sleep (on the ground) in right Oriental style. Lamps were brought and +the house was lighted up. + +At about 9 P.M. our dinner was announced. The Oriental dinner is +conducted as follows:-- + +The guests all sit on the floor and a big plate of metal (say 20" in +diameter) is placed in front of each guest. Then the service commences +and the plates are filled with dainties. Each guest generally gets +thrice as much as he can eat. Then the host who does not himself join +stands with joined hands and requests the guests to do full justice, and +the dinner begins. Very little is eaten in fact, and whatever is left +goes to the poor. That is probably the only consolation. Now on this +particular occasion the bride's father, who was our host and who was an +elderly gentleman had withdrawn, leaving two of his sons to look after +us. He himself, we understood, was looking after his more elderly guests +who had been lodged in a different house. + +The hall in which we sat down to dine was a large one and very well +lighted. + +Adjoining it was the hall in which our beds had been made. The sons of +_mine host_ with a number of others were serving. I always was rather +unconventional. So I asked my fellow guests whether I could fall to, and +without waiting for permission I commenced eating, a very good thing I +did, as would appear hereafter. + +In about 20 minutes the serving was over and we were asked to begin. As +a matter of fact I was nearly half through at that time. And then the +trouble began. + +With a click all the lights went out and the whole house was in total +darkness. + +Of course, the reader can guess what followed. + +"Who has put out the lights?" shouted Jagat, who was sitting next but +one to me on the left. + +"The ghost" shouted another in reply. + +"I shall kill him if I can catch him" shouted Jagat. + +The whole place was in darkness, we could not see anything but we could +hear that Jagat was trying to get up. + +Then he received what was a stunning blow on his back. We could hear the +thump. + +"Oh" shouted Jagat "who is that?" + +He sat down again and gave the man on his right a blow like the one he +had received. The man on the right protested. Then Jagat turned to the +man on his left. The man on Jagat's left evidently resisted and Jagat +had the worst of it. + +Then Narain, another one of us shouted out. + +"What is the matter with you?" asked his neighbour. + +"Why did you pull my hair" shouted Narain. + +"I did not pull" shouted the neighbour. + +Then a servant was seen approaching with a lamp and things became +quiet. + +But the servant did not reach the hall. He stumbled against something +and fell headlong on the ground, the lamp went out, and our trouble +began again. + +One of the party received a slap on the back of his head which sent his +cap rolling and in his attempt to recover it he upset a glass of water +that was near his right hand. + +Matters went on in this fashion till a lamp came. The whole thing must +have taken about 4 minutes. When the lamp came we found that all the +dishes were clean. + +The eatables had mysteriously disappeared. + +The sons of _mine host_ looked stupidly at us and we looked stupidly at +them and at each other. But there it was, there was not a particle of +solid food left. + +We had therefore no alternative but to adjourn to the nearest +confectioner's shop and eat some sweets there. That the night would not +pass in peace we were sure; but nobody dared suggest that we should not +pass the night in the haunted house. Once having defied the Ghost we +had to stand to our guns for one night at least. + +It was well after 11 o'clock at night when we came back and went to bed. +We went to bed but not to sleep. + +The room in which we all slept was a big one as I have said already, and +there were two wall lamps in it. We lowered the lamps and-- + +Then the lamps went out, and we began to anticipate trouble. Our hosts +had all gone home leaving us to the tender mercies of the Ghost. + +Shortly afterwards we began to feel as if we were lying on a public road +and horses passing along the road within a yard of us. We also imagined +we could hear men passing close to us whispering. Sleeping was +impossible. We all remained awake talking about different things, till a +horse came very near. And thus the night passed away. At about four in +the morning one of us got up and wanted to go out. + +We shouted for the servant called Kallu and within a minute Kallu came +with a lantern. One of our fellow guests got up and went out of the room +followed by Kallu. + +We could hear him going along the dining hall to the head of the stairs. +Then we heard him shriek. We all rushed out. The lighted lantern was +there at the head of the stairs and our fellow guest at the bottom. +Kallu had vanished. + +We rushed down, picked up our friend and carried him upstairs. He said +that Kallu had given him a push and he had fallen down. Fortunately he +was not hurt. We called the servants and they all came, Kallu among +them. He denied having come with a lantern or having pushed our friend +down the stairs. The other servants corroborated his statement. They +assured us that Kallu had never left the room in which they all were. + +We were satisfied that this was also a ghostly trick. + +At about seven in the morning when our hosts came we were glad to bid +good-bye to the haunted house with our bones whole. + +The funniest thing was that only those of my fellow guests had the worst +of it who had denied the existence of Ghosts. Those of us who had kept +respectfully silent had not been touched. + +Those who had received a blow or two averred that the blows could not +have been given by invisible hands inasmuch as the blows were too +substantial. But all of us were certain that it was no trick played by +a human being. + +The passing horses and the whispering passers-by had given us a queer +creepy sensation. + + * * * * * + +In this connection may be mentioned a few haunted houses in other parts +of India. There are one or two very well-known haunted houses in +Calcutta. + +The "Hastings House" is one of them. It is situated at Alipore in the +Southern suburb of Calcutta. This is a big palatial building now owned +by the Government of Bengal. At one time it was the private residence of +the Governor-General of India whose name it bears. At present it is used +as the "State Guest House" in which the Indian Chiefs are put up when +they come to pay official visits to His Excellency in Calcutta. It +appears that in a lane not very far from this house was fought the +celebrated duel between Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of +India and Sir Philip Francis, a Member of his Council and the reputed +author of the "Letters of Junius." + +While living in this house Warren Hastings married Baroness Imhoff +sometime during the first fortnight of August about 140 years ago. "The +event was celebrated by great festivities"; and, as expected, the bride +came home in a splendid equipage. It is said that this scene is +re-enacted on the anniversary of the wedding by supernatural agency and +a ghostly carriage duly enters the gate in the evening once every year. +The clatter of hoofs and the rattle of iron-tyred wheels are distinctly +heard advancing up to the portico; then there is the sound of the +opening and closing of the carriage door, and lastly the carriage +proceeds onwards, but it does not come out from under the porch. It +vanishes mysteriously. + +To-day is the 15th of August and this famous equipage must have glided +in and out to the utter bewilderment of watchful eyes and ears within +the last fortnight.[2] + + * * * * * + +There is another well-known ghostly house in Calcutta in which the only +trouble is that its windows in the first floor bedrooms open at night +spontaneously. + +People have slept at night for a reward in this house closing the +windows with their own hands and have waked up at night shivering with +cold to find all the windows open. + +Once a body of soldiers went to pass a night in this house with a view +to solve the mystery. They all sat in a room fully determined not to +sleep but see what happened; and thus went on chatting till it was about +midnight. There was a big lamp burning on a table around which they were +seated. All of a sudden there was a loud click--the lamp went out and +all the windows opened simultaneously. The next minute the lamp was +alight again. The occupants of the room looked at their watches; it was +about 1 A.M. The next night they sat up again and one of them with a +revolver. At about one in the morning this particular individual pointed +his revolver at one of the windows. As soon as the lamp went out this +man pulled the trigger five times and there were five reports. The +windows, however, opened and the lamp was alight again as on the +previous night. They all rushed to the window to see if any damage had +been done by the bullets. + +The five bullets were found in the room but from their appearance it +seemed as if they had struck nothing, evidently the bullets would have +been changed in shape if they had impinged upon any hard substance. But +then this was another enigma. How did the bullets come back? No man +could have put the bullets there from before, (for they were still hot +when discovered) or could have guessed the bore of the revolver that was +going to be used. + +On the third night to make assurance doubly sure, these soldiers were +again present in the room, but on this occasion they had loaded their +revolver with marked bullets. + +As it neared one o'clock, one of them pointed the revolver at the +window. He had decided to pull the trigger as soon as the lamp would go +out. But he could not. As soon as the lamp went out this soldier +received a sharp cut on his wrist with a cane and the revolver fell +clattering on the floor. The invisible hand had left its mark behind +which his companions saw after the lamp was alight again. + +Many people have subsequently tried to solve the mystery but never +succeeded. + +The house remained untenanted for a long time and finally it was rented +by an Australian horse dealer who however did not venture to occupy the +building itself, and contented himself with erecting his stables and +offices in the compound where he is not molested by the unearthly +visitors. + +There is another ghostly house and it is in the United Provinces. The +name of the town has been intentionally omitted. Various people saw +numerous things in that house but a correct report never came. Once a +friend of mine passed a night in that house. He told me what he had +seen. Most wonderful! And I have no reason to disbelieve him. + +"I went to pass a night in that house and I had only a comfortable +chair, a small table and a few magazines besides a loaded revolver. I +had taken care to load that revolver myself so that there might be no +trick and I had given everybody to understand that. + +"I began well. The night was cool and pleasant. The lamp bright--the +chair comfortable and the magazine which I took up--interesting. + +"But at about midnight I began to feel rather uneasy. + +"At one in the morning I should probably have left the place if I had +not been afraid of friends whose servants I knew were watching the +house and its front door. + +"At half past one I heard a peculiar sigh of pain in the next room. +'This is rather interesting,' I thought. To face something tangible is +comparatively easy; to wait for the unknown is much more difficult. I +took out the revolver from my pocket and examined it. It looked quite +all right--this small piece of metal which could have killed six men in +half a minute. Then I waited--for what--well. + +"A couple of minutes of suspense and the sigh was repeated. I went to +the door dividing the two rooms and pushed it open. A long thick ray of +light at once penetrated the darkness, and I walked into the other room. +It was only partially light. But after a minute I could see all the +corners. There was nothing in that room. + +"I waited for a minute or two. Then I heard the sigh in the room which I +had left. I came back,--stopped--rubbed my eyes--. + +"Sitting in the chair which I had vacated not two minutes ago was a +young girl calm, fair, beautiful with that painful expression on her +face which could be more easily imagined than described. I had heard of +her. So many others who had came to pass a night in that house had seen +her and described her (and I had disbelieved). + +"Well--there she sat, calm, sad, beautiful, in my chair. If I had come +in five minutes later I might have found her reading the magazine which +I had left open, face downwards. When I was well within the room she +stood up facing me and I stopped. The revolver fell from my hand. She +smiled a sad sweet smile. How beautiful she was! + +"Then she spoke. A modern ghost speaking like Hamlet's father, just +think of that! + + "'You will probably wonder why I am here--I shall tell you, I was + murdered--by my own father.... I was a young widow living in this + house which belonged to my father I became unchaste and to save his + own name he poisoned me when I was _enceinte_--another week and I + should have become a mother; but he poisoned me and my innocent + child died too--it would have been such a beautiful baby--and you + would probably want to kiss it' + +and horror of horrors, she took out the child from her womb and showed +it to me. She began to move in my direction with the child in her arms +saying--'You will like to kiss it.' + +"I don't know whether I shouted--but I fainted. + +"When I recovered consciousness it was broad day-light, and I was lying +on the floor, with the revolver by my side. I picked it up and slowly +walked out of the house with as much dignity as I could command. At the +door I met one of my friends to whom I told a lie that I had seen +nothing.--It is the first time that I have told you what I saw at the +place. + +"The Ghostly woman spoke the language of the part of the country in +which the Ghostly house is situate." + +The friend who told me this story is a responsible Government official +and will not make a wrong statement. What has been written above has +been confirmed by others--who had passed nights in that Ghostly house; +but they had generally shouted for help and fainted at the sight of the +ghost, and so they had not heard her story from her lips as reproduced +here. + +The house still exists, but it is now a dilapidated old affair, and the +roof and the doors and windows are so bad that people don't care to go +and pass a night there. + +There is also a haunted house in Assam. In this house a certain +gentleman committed suicide by cutting his own throat with a razor. + +You often see him sitting on a cot in the verandah heaving deep sighs. + +Mention of this house has been made in a book called "Tales from the +Tiger Land" published in England. The Author says he has passed a night +in the house in question and testifies to the accuracy of all the +rumours that are current. + + * * * * * + +Talking about haunted houses reminds me of a haunted tank. I was +visiting a friend of mine in the interior of Bengal during our annual +summer holidays when I was yet a student. This friend of mine was the +son of a rich man and in the village had a large ancestral house where +his people usually resided. It was the first week of June when I reached +my friend's house. I was informed that among other things of interest, +which were, however, very few in that particular part of the country, +there was a large Pukka tank belonging to my friend's people which was +haunted. + +What kind of Ghost lived in the tank or near it nobody could say, but +what everybody knew was this, that on _Jaistha Shukla Ekadashi_ (that is +on the eleventh day after the new moon in the month of Jaistha) that +occurs about the middle of June, the Ghost comes to bathe in the tank +at about midnight. + +Of course, Jaistha Shukla Ekadashi was only 3 days off, and I decided to +prolong my stay at my friend's place, so that I too might have a look at +the Ghost's bath. + +On the eventful day I resolved to pass the night with my friend and two +other intrepid souls, near the tank. + +After a rather late dinner, we started with a bedding and a Hookah and a +pack of cards and a big lamp. We made the bed (a mattress and a sheet) +on a platform on the bank. There were six steps, with risers about 9" +each, leading from the platform to the water. Thus we were about 41/2 +feet from the water level; and from this coign of vantage we could +command a full view of the tank, which covered an area of about four +acres. Then we began our game of cards. There was a servant with us who +was preparing our Hookah. + +At midnight we felt we could play no longer. + +The strain was too great; the interest too intense. + +We sat smoking and chatting and asked the servant to remove the lamp as +a lot of insects was coming near attracted by the light. As a matter of +fact we did not require any light because there was a brilliant moon. At +one o'clock in the morning there was a noise as of rushing wind--we +looked round and found that not a leaf was moving but still the whizzing +noise as of a strong wind continued. Then we found something advancing +towards the tank from the opposite bank. There was a number of cocoanut +trees on the bank on the other side, and in the moonlight we could not +see clearly what it really was. It looked like a huge white elephant. It +approached the tank at a rapid pace--say the pace of a fast trotting +horse. From the bank it took a long leap and with a tremendous splash +fell into the water. The plunge made the water rise on our side and it +rose as high as 41/2 feet because we got wet through and through. + +The mattress and the sheet and all our clothes were wet. In the +confusion we forgot to keep our eyes on the Ghost or white elephant or +whatever it was and when we again looked in that direction everything +was quiet. The apparition had vanished. + +The most wonderful thing was the rise in the water level. For the water +to rise 41/2 feet would have been impossible under ordinary +circumstances even if a thousand elephants had got into the water. + +We were all wide awake--We went home immediately because we required a +change of clothes. + +The old man (my friend's father) was waiting for us. "Well you are wet" +he said. + +"Yes" said we. + +"Rightly served" said the old man. + +He did not ask what had happened. We were told subsequently that he had +got wet like us a number of times when he was a youngster himself. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[2] Since the publication of the first edition "Hasting House" has been +converted into an Indian Rugby for the benefit of the cadets of the rich +families in Bengal. + + + + +A STRANGE INCIDENT. + + +When I was at college there happened what was a most inexplicable +incident. + +The matter attracted some attention at that time, but has now been +forgotten as it was really not so very extraordinary. The police in +fact, when called in, explained the matter or at least thought they had +done so, to everybody's satisfaction. I was, however, not satisfied with +the explanation given by the police. This was what actually happened. + + * * * * * + +The college was a very big one with a large boarding-house attached to +it. The boarding-house was a building separate from the college situated +at a distance of about 100 yards from the college building. It was in +the form of a quadrangle with a lawn in the centre. The area of this +lawn must have been 2,500 square yards. Of course it was surrounded on +all sides by buildings, that is, by a row of single rooms on each side. + +In the boarding-house there was a common room for the amusement of the +students. There were all sorts of indoor games including a miniature +billiard table in this common room. I was a regular visitor there. I did +not care for any other indoor game than chess. Of course chess meant +keeping out of bed, till late at night. + +On this particular occasion, I think it was in November, a certain +gentleman, who was an ex-student of the college, was paying us a visit. +He was staying with us in the boarding-house. He had himself passed 4 +years in that boarding-house and naturally had a love for it. In his +time he was very popular with the other boarders and with the +Superintendent. Dr. M.N., an English gentleman who was also an inmate of +the Boarding-House. With the permission of the learned Doctor, the +Superintendent, we decided to make a night of it, and so we all +assembled in the common room after dinner. I can picture to myself the +cheerful faces of all the students present on that occasion in the well +lighted Hall. So far as I know only one of that group is now dead. He +was the most jovial and the best beloved of all. May he rest in peace! + +Now to return from this mournful digression. I could see old Mathura +sitting next to me with a Hookah with a very long stem, directing the +moves of the chessmen. There was old Birju at the miniature billiard +table poking at everybody with his cue who laughed when he missed an +easy shot. + +Then came in the Superintendent, Dr. M.N. and in a hurry to conceal his +Hookah (Indians never smoke in the presence of their elders and +superiors) old Mathura nearly upset the table on which the chessmen +were; and the mirth went on with redoubled vigour as the Doctor was one +of the loudest and merriest of the whole lot on such occasions. + +Thus we went on till nearly one in the morning when the Doctor ordered +everybody to go to bed. Of course we were glad to retire but we were +destined to be soon disturbed. + +Earlier the same evening we had been playing a friendly Hockey match, +and one of the players, let us call him Ram Gholam, had been slightly +hurt. As a matter of fact he always got hurt whenever he played. + +During the evening the hurt had been forgotten but as soon as he was in +bed it was found that he could not sleep. The matter was reported to the +Superintendent who finding that there was really nothing the matter with +him suggested that the affected parts should be washed with hot water +and finally wrapped in heated castor leaves and bandaged over with +flannel. (This is the best medicine for gouty pain--not for hurt caused +by a hockey stick). + +There was a castor tree in the compound and a servant was despatched to +bring the leaves. In the meantime a few of us went to the kitchen, made +a fire and boiled some water. While thus engaged we heard a noise and a +cry for help. We rushed out and ran along the verandah (corridor) to the +place whence the cry came. It was coming from the room of Prayag, one of +the boarders. We pushed the door but found that it was bolted from +inside, we shouted to him to open but he would not. The door had four +glass panes on the top and we discovered that the upper bolt only had +been used; as a matter of fact the lower bolts had all been removed, +because on closing the door from outside, once it had been found that a +bolt at the bottom had dropped into its socket and the door had to be +broken before it could be opened. + +Prayag's room was in darkness. There was a curtain inside and so we +could see nothing from outside. We could hear Prayag groaning. The +Superintendent came up. To break the glass pane nearest to the bolt was +the work of a minute. The door was opened and we all rushed in. It was a +room 14'x12'; many of us could not, therefore, come in. When we went in +we took a light with us. It was one of the hurricane lanterns--the one +we had taken to the kitchen. The lamp suddenly went out. At the same +time a brickbat came rattling down from the roof and fell near my feet, +thus I could feel it with my feet and tell what it was. And Prayag +groaned again. Dr. M.N. came in, and we helped Prayag out of his bed and +took him out on the verandah. Then we saw another brickbat come from the +roof of the verandah, and fell in front of Prayag a few inches from his +feet. We took him to the central lawn and stood in the middle of it. +This time a whole solid brick came from the sky. It fell a few inches +from my feet and remained standing on its edge. If it had toppled over +it would have fallen on my toes. + +By this time all the boarders had come up. Prayag stood in the middle of +the group shivering and sweating. A few more brickbats came but not one +of us was hurt. Then the trouble ceased. We removed Prayag to the +Superintendent's room and put him in the Doctor's bed. There were a +reading lamp on a stool near the head of the bed and a Holy Bible on +it. The learned Doctor must have been reading it when he was disturbed. +Another bed was brought in and the Doctor passed the night in it. + +In the morning came the police. + +They found a goodly heap of brickbats and bones in Prayag's room and on +the lawn. There was an investigation, but nothing came out of it. The +police however explained the matter as follows:-- + +There were some people living in the two-storied houses in the +neighbourhood. The brickbats and the bones must have come from there. As +a matter of fact the police discovered that the Boarding House students +and the people who lived in these houses were not on good terms. Those +people had organized a music party and the students had objected to it. +The matter had been reported to the Magistrate and had ended in a +decision in favour of the students. Hence the strained relations. This +was the most natural explanation and the only explanation. But this +explanation did not satisfy me for several reasons. + +The first reason was that the college compound contained another well +kept lawn that stood between the Hostel buildings and those two-storied +houses. There were no brickbats on this lawn. If brickbats had been +thrown from those houses some at least would have fallen upon the lawn. + +Then as regarded the brickbats that were in the room, they had all +dropped from the ceiling; but in the morning we found the tiles of the +roof intact. Thirdly, in the middle of the central lawn there was at +least one whole brick. The nearest building from which a brick might +have been thrown was at a distance of 100 yards and to throw a whole +brick 9"x41/2"x3" such a distance would require a machine of some kind +or other and none was found in the house. + +The last thing that created doubts in my mind was this that not one +brickbat had hit anybody. There were so many of us there and there was +such an abundance of brickbats still not one of us was hit, and it is +well known that brickbats hurled by Ghostly hands do not hit anybody. In +fact the whole brick that came and stood on edge within 3 inches of my +toe would have hurt me if it had only toppled over. + + * * * * * + +It is known to most of the readers that Sutteeism was the practice of +burning the widows on the funeral pyre of their dead husbands. This +practice was prevalent in Bengal down to the year 1828 when a law +forbidding the aiding and abetting of Sutteeism was passed. Before the +Act, of course, many women were, in a way, forced to become Suttees. The +public opinion against a widow's surviving was so great that she +preferred to die rather than live after her husband's death. + +The law has, however, changed the custom and the public opinion too. + +Still, every now and then there are found cases of determined Sutteeism +among all classes in India who profess Hinduism. Frequent instances are +found in Bengal; and whenever a case comes to the notice of the public +the newspapers report it in a manner which shows that respect for the +Suttee is not yet dead. + +Sometimes a verdict of "Suicide during temporary insanity" is returned, +but, of course, whoever reads the report understands how matters stand. + +I know of a recent case in which a gentleman who was in Government +service died leaving a young widow. + +When the husband's dead body was being removed the wife looked so jolly +that nobody suspected that anything was wrong with her. + +But when all the male members of the family had gone away with the bier +the young widow quietly procured a tin of Kerosine oil and a few bed +sheets. She soaked the bed sheets well in the oil and then wrapped them +securely round her person and further secured them by means of a rope. +She then shut all the doors of her room and set the clothes on fire. By +the time the doors were forced open (there were only ladies in the house +at that time) she was dead. + +Of course this was a case of suicide pure and simple and there was the +usual verdict of suicide during temporary insanity, but I personally +doubt the temporary insanity very much. This case, however, is too +painful. + +The one that I am now going to relate is more interesting and more +mysterious, and probably more instructive. + +Babu Bhagwan Prasad, now the late Babu Bhagwan Prasad, was a clerk in +the ---- office in the United Provinces. He was a grown-up man of 45 +when the incident happened. + +He had an attack of cold which subsequently developed into pneumonia +and after a lingering illness of 8 days he died at about 8 o'clock one +morning. + +He had, of course, a wife and a number of children. + +Babu Bhagwan Prasad was a well paid officer and maintained a large +family consisting of brothers--their wives and their children. + +At the time of his death, in fact, when the doctor went away in the +morning giving his opinion that it was a question of minutes, his wife +seemed the least affected of all. While all the members of the family +were collected round the bed of their dying relative the lady withdrew +to her room saying that she was going to dress for the journey. Of +course nobody took any notice of her at the time. She retired to her +room and dressed herself in the most elaborate style, and marked her +forehead with a large quantity of "Sindur" for the last time. + +["Sindur" is red oxide of mercury or lead used by orthodox Hindu women +in some parts of India whose husbands are alive; widows do not use it.] + +After dressing she came back to the room where her dying husband was and +approached the bed. Those who were there made way for her in surprise. +She sat down on the bed and finally lay down by her dying husband's +side. This demonstration of sentimentalism could not be tolerated in a +family where the Purda is strictly observed and one or two elderly +ladies tried to remonstrate. + +But on touching her they found that she was dead. The husband was dead +too. They had both died simultaneously. When the doctor arrived he found +the lady dead, but he could not ascertain the cause of her death. + +Everybody thought she had taken poison but nothing could be discovered +by _post mortem_ examination. + +There was not a trace of any kind of poison in the body. + +The funeral of the husband and the wife took place that afternoon and +they were cremated on the same pyre. + +The stomach and some portions of the intestines of the deceased lady +were sent to the chemical examiner and his report (which arrived a week +later) did not disclose anything. + +The matter remains a mystery. + +It will never be found out what force killed the lady at such a +critical moment. Probably it was the strong will of the Suttee that +would not allow her body to be separated from that of her husband even +in death. + + * * * * * + +Another very strange incident is reported from a place near Agra in the +United Provinces. + +There were two respectable residents of the town who were close +neighbours. For the convenience of the readers we shall call them Smith +and Jones. + +Smith and Jones, as has been said already, were close neighbours and the +best of friends. Each had his wife and children living with him. + +Now Mr. Smith got fever, on a certain very hot day in June. The fever +would not leave him and on the tenth day it was discovered that it was +typhoid fever of the worst type. + +Now typhoid fever is in itself very dangerous, but more so in the case +of a person who gets it in June. So poor Smith had no chance of +recovery. Of course Jones knew it. Mrs. Smith was a rather uneducated +elderly lady and the children were too young. So the medical treatment +as well as the general management of Mr. Smith's affairs was left +entirely in the hands of Mr. Jones. + +Mr. Jones did his best. He procured the best medical advice. He got the +best medicines prescribed by the doctors and engaged the best nurse +available. But his efforts were of no avail. On a certain Thursday +afternoon Smith began to sink fast and at about eight in the evening he +died. + +Mr. Jones on his return from his office that day at about four in the +afternoon had been informed that Mr. Smith's condition was very bad, and +he had at once gone over to see what he could do. + +He had sent for half a dozen doctors, but they on their arrival had +found that the case was hopeless. Three of the doctors had accordingly +gone away, but the other three had stayed behind. + +When however Smith was dead, and these three doctors had satisfied +themselves that life was quite extinct, they too went away with Mr. +Jones leaving the dead body in charge of the mourning members of the +family of the deceased. + +Mr. Jones at once set about making arrangements for the funeral early +the next morning; and it was well after eleven at night that he +returned to a very late dinner at his own house. It was a particularly +hot night and after smoking his last cigar for the day Mr. Jones went to +bed, but not to sleep, after midnight. The death of his old friend and +neighbour had made him very sad and thoughtful. The bed had been made on +the open roof on the top of the house which was a two storied building +and Mr. Jones lay watching the stars and thinking. + +At about one in the morning there was a loud knock at the front door. +Mr. Jones who was wide awake thought it was one of the servants +returning home late and so he did not take any notice of it. + +After a few moments the knock was repeated at the door which opened on +the stairs leading to the roof of the second storey on which Mr. Jones +was sleeping. [The visitor had evidently passed through the front door]. +This time Mr. Jones knew it was no servant. His first impression was +that it was one of the mutual friends who had heard of Smith's death and +was coming to make enquiries. So he shouted out "Who is there?" + +"It is I,--Smith" was the reply. + +"Smith--Smith is dead" stammered Mr. Jones. + +"I want to speak to you, Jones--open the door or I shall come and kill +you" said the voice of Smith from beyond the door. A cold sweat stood on +Mr. Jones's forehead. It was Smith speaking, there was no doubt of +that,--Smith, whom he had seen expire before his very eyes five hours +ago. Mr. Jones began to look for a weapon to defend himself. + +There was nothing available except a rather heavy hammer which had been +brought up an hour earlier that very night to fix a nail in the wall for +hanging a lamp. Mr. Jones took this up and waited for the spirit of +Smith at the head of the stairs. + +The spirit passed through this closed door also. Though the staircase +was in total darkness still Mr. Jones could see Smith coming up step by +step. + +Up and up came Smith and breathlessly Jones waited with the hammer in +his hand. Now only three steps divided them. + +"I shall kill you" hissed Smith. Mr. Jones aimed a blow with the hammer +and hit Smith between the eyes. With a groan Smith fell down. Mr. Jones +fainted. + +A couple of hours later there was a great commotion at the house of Mr. +Smith. The dead body had mysteriously disappeared. + +The first thing they could think of was to go and inform Mr. Jones. + +So one of the young sons of Smith came to Mr. Jones's house. The servant +admitted him and told him where to find the master. + +Young Smith knocked at the door leading to the staircase but got no +reply. "After his watchful nights he is sleeping soundly" thought young +Smith. + +But then Jones must be awakened. + +The whole household woke up but not Mr. Jones. One of the servants then +procured a ladder and got upon the roof. Mr. Jones was not upon his bed +nor under it either. The servant thought he would open the door leading +to the staircase and admit the people who were standing outside beyond +the door at the bottom of the stairs. There was a number of persons now +at the door including Mrs. Jones, her children, servants and young +Smith. + +The servant stumbled upon something. It was dark but he knew it was the +body of his master. He passed on but then he stumbled again. There was +another human being in the way. "Who is this other?--probably a thief" +thought the servant. + +He opened the door and admitted the people who were outside. They had +lights with them. As they came in it was found that the second body on +the stairs two or three steps below the landing was the dead body of +Smith while the body on the landing was the unconscious form of Mr. +Jones. + +Restoratives were applied and Jones came to his senses and then related +the story that has been recorded above. A doctor was summoned and he +found the wound caused by Jones's hammer on Smith's head. There was a +deep cut but no blood had come out, therefore, it appeared that the +wound must have been caused at least two or three hours after death. + +The doctors never investigated whether death could have been caused by +the blow given by the hammer. They thought there was no need of an +investigation either, because they had left Smith quite dead at eight in +the evening. + +How Smith's dead body was spirited away and came to Jones's house has +been a mystery which will probably never be solved. + + * * * * * + +Thinking over the matter recorded above the writer has come to the +conclusion that probably a natural explanation might be given of the +affair. + +Taking however all the facts of the case as given above to be true (and +there is no reason to suppose that they are not) the only explanation +that could be given and in fact that was given by some of the sceptical +minds of Agra at that time was as follows:-- + +"Smith was dead. Jones was a very old friend of his. He was rather +seriously affected. He must have, in an unconscious state of mind like a +somnambulist, carried the dead body of Smith to his own house without +being detected in the act. Then his own fevered imagination endowed +Smith with the faculty of speech, dead though the latter was; and in a +moment of--well--call it temporary insanity, if you please--he inflicted +the wound on the forehead of Smith's dead body." + +This was the only plausible explanation that could be given of the +affair; but regard being had to the fact that Smith's dead body was +lying in an upper storey of the house and that there was a number of +servants between the death chamber and the main entrance to the house, +the act of removing the dead body without their knowing it was a +difficult task, nay utterly impracticable. + +Over and above this it was not feasible to carry away even at night, the +dead body along the road, which is a well frequented thoroughfare, +without being observed by anybody. + +Then there is the third fact that Jones was really not such a strong +person that he could carry alone Smith's body that distance with ease. + +Smith's dead body as recovered in Jones' house had bare feet; whether +there was any dust on the feet, had not been observed by anybody; +otherwise some light might have been thrown on this apparently +miraculous incident. + + + + +WHAT THE PROFESSOR SAW. + + +This story is not so painful as the one entitled "_What Uncle Saw_." How +we wish that uncle had seen something else, but all the same how glad we +are that uncle did not see what the professor saw. The professor is an +M.A. of the University of Calcutta, in Chemistry, and is a Lecturer in a +big college. This, of course, I only mention to show that this is not +the invention of a foolish person. + +I shall now tell the story as I heard it from the professor. + + * * * * * + +"I was a professor of chemistry in a Calcutta college in the year 18--. +One morning I received a letter from home informing me that my eldest +brother was ill. It was a case of fever due to cold. Of course, a man +does sometimes catch cold and get fever too. There was nothing +extraordinary about that. + +"In the evening I did not receive any further news. This meant that my +brother was better, because in any other case they would have written. + +"A number of friends came to my diggings in the evening and invited me +to join their party then going to a theatre. They had reserved some seat +but one of the party for whom a seat had been reserved was unavoidably +detained and hence a vacant seat. The news of my brother's illness had +made me a little sad, the theatre, I thought, would cheer me up. So I +joined. + +"We left the theatre at about one in the morning. Coming to my house +along the now deserted but well-lighted "College Street" of Calcutta I +saw from a distance a tall man walking to and fro on the pavement in +front of the Senate Hall. When I approached nearer I found that it was +my brother of whose illness I had heard in the morning. I was surprised. + +"'What are you doing here--brother.' I asked. + +"'I came to tell you something.' + +"'But you were ill--I heard this morning--by what train did you come?' I +asked. + +"'I did not come by train--never mind--I went to your "Basa" (lodgings) +and found you were out--gone to the theatre, so I waited for you here +as I thought you would prefer walking home instead of taking a hackney +carriage--' + +"'Very fortunate I did not take one--' + +"'In that case I would have seen you at your quarters.' + +"'Then come along with me--' I said. + +"'No' he said 'I shall stay where I am--what I have come to tell you is +this, that after I am gone you will take care of the mother and see that +she has everything she wants--' + +"'But where are you going--' I asked puzzled. + +"'Never mind where I am going--but will you promise--' + +"'Promise what--?' I asked. + +"'That you will see that the mother has everything she wants.' + +"'Certainly--but where on earth are you going--' I asked again. + +"'I can depend upon your promise then' he said and vanished. + +"He vanished mysteriously. In what direction he went I could not say. +There was no bye-lane near. It was a very well-lighted part of the +city. He vanished into the thin air. I rubbed my eyes and looked round. + +"A policeman was coming along. He was about 50 feet away. + +"I inquired him if he had seen the gentleman who was talking to me. + +"'Did you see the other gentleman, officer?' I asked. + +"'Yes' he said looking around 'there were two of you--where is the +other--has he robbed you of all you had--these pickpockets have a +mysterious way of disappearing--' + +"'He was my brother' I said 'and no pickpocket.' + +"The policeman looked puzzled too. + +"I shouted aloud calling my brother by name but received no reply. I +took out my gold watch. It was half past one. I walked home at a brisk +pace. + +"At home I was informed by the servant that my brother had come to look +for me an hour ago but on being informed that I was out, had gone away. + +"Whenever he came to Calcutta from the suburbs he put up with a friend +of his instead of with me. So I decided to look him up at his friend's +house in the morning. But I was not destined to carry out that plan. + +"Early the next morning I received a telegram that my brother was dead. +The telegram had been sent at 1.20 A.M. He must have died an hour +before. Well--there it was. + +"I had seen him and so had the policeman. The servant had seen him too. +There could be no mistake about that. + +"I took an early train and reached my suburban home at 10 A.M. I was +informed that my brother had died at midnight. But I had seen him at +about half past one and the servant had seen him at about 12.30. I did +not tell anybody anything at that time. But I did so afterwards. I was +not dreaming--because the conversation we had was a pretty long one. The +servant and the police constable could not have been mistaken either. +But the mystery remains." + +This was the exact story of the professor. Here is something else to the +point. + + * * * * * + +Suicidal Telepathy. + +A remarkable case of what may be called suicidal telepathy has occurred +near Geneva. Mme. Simon, a Swiss widow aged fifty, had been greatly +distressed on account of the removal of her sister, who was five years +younger, to a hospital. On Monday afternoon a number of persons who had +ascended the Saleve, 4299 feet high, by the funicular railway, were +horrified to see a woman walk out on to a ledge overlooking a sheer +precipice of three hundred feet, and, after carefully wrapping a shawl +round her head and face jump into space. The woman was Mme. Simon, says +the _Times of India_, and she was found on the cliffs below in a mangled +condition. + +At the same time Mme. Simon's sister, who had not seen or communicated +with the former for a week, became hysterical saying her sister was dead +and that she did not want to survive her. During the temporary absence +of the nurse the woman got out of her bed--opened the window and jumped +into the road from the first floor. She is seriously injured and her +recovery is doubtful. + +The news of the death of Mme. Simon was only known at the hospital nine +hours later. + + +_The Leader--Allahabad, 12th February 1913._ + +Much more wonderful than all this is the story of "The Astral Lady" +which appeared in one of the English Magazines a few months ago. In +that case an English medical gentleman saw the _Astral Lady_ in a first +class railway compartment in England. Only accidentally he discovered +the body of a lady nearly murdered and concealed under one of the seats. +His medical help and artificial respiration and stimulants brought her +round, and then the doctor saw the original of the Astral Lady in the +recovered girl. Well--well--wonderful things do happen sometimes. + +The phenomenon mentioned in this chapter as _the professor's experience_ +is not new. Mr. Justice Norman of the Calcutta High Court saw his mother +while sitting in court one day and others saw her too. A few hours later +his Lordship received a telegram informing him of her death at the +moment when he had seen her in court. This was in broad daylight. Unlike +the professor the judge did not even know that his mother was ill. + +The fact that immediately after death the dead person appears to some +one near and dear to him has been vouched for by others whose veracity +and intelligence cannot be questioned. + +The appearance of Miss Orme after her death at Mussoorie to Miss +Mounce-Stephen in Lucknow was related in the Allahabad High Court +during the trial of the latter lady for the murder of the former. This +is on the record of the case. This case created a good deal of interest +at the time. + +Similar to what has been described above is the experience of Lord +Brougham. + +An extract from his memoirs is as follows:--"A most remarkable thing +happened to me. So remarkable that I must tell the story from the +beginning. After I left the High School (_i.e._ Edinburgh) I went with +G---- my most intimate friend, to attend the classes of the University. + +"There was no divinity class, but we frequently in our walks discussed +many grave subjects--among others--_the Immortality of the soul and a +future state_. This question and the possibility of the dead appearing +to the living were subjects of much speculation, and we actually +committed the folly of drawing up an agreement, written with our blood, +to the effect that whichever of us died the first should appear to the +other and thus solve the doubts we had entertained of the life after +death. + +"After we had finished our classes at the college, G---- went to India +having got an appointment in the Civil Service there. He seldom wrote +to me and after the lapse of a few years, I had nearly forgotten his +existence. One day I had taken a warm bath, and, while lying in it +enjoying the heat, I turned my head round, looking towards the chair on +which I had deposited my clothes, as I was about to get out of the bath. +On the chair sat G--looking calmly at me. How I got out of the bath I +know not, but on recovering my senses I found myself sprawling on the +floor. The apparition or whatever it was that had taken the likeness of +G--had disappeared. The vision had produced such a shock that I had no +inclination to talk about it or to speak about it even to Stewart, but +the impression it made upon me was too vivid to be forgotten easily, and +so strongly was I affected by it that I have here written down the whole +history with the date, 19th December, and all particulars as they are +fresh before me now. No doubt I had fallen asleep and that the +appearance presented so distinctly before my eyes was a dream I cannot +doubt, yet for years I had no communication with G--nor had there been +anything to recall him to my recollection. Nothing had taken place +concerning our Swedish travel connected with G--or with India or with +anything relating to him or to any member of his family. I recollected +quickly enough our old discussion and the bargain we had made. I could +not discharge from my mind the impression that G---- must have died and +his appearance to me was to be received by me as a proof of a future +state." + +This was on the 19th December 1799. + +In October 1862 Lord Brougham added a postscript. + +"I have just been copying out from my journal the account of this +strange dream. + +"_Certissima mortis imago_, and now to finish the story begun about 60 +years ago. Soon after my return to Edinburgh there arrived a letter from +India announcing G's death, and that he died on the 19th December +1799."--_The Pall Mall Magazine_ (1914) pp. 183-184. + + * * * * * + +Another very fine story and one to the point comes from Hyderabad. + +A certain Mr. J---- who was an Englishman, after reading the memoirs of +Lord Brougham, was so affected that he related the whole story to his +confidential Indian servant. We need not mention here what Mr. J's +profession was, all that we need say is that he was not very rich and +in his profession there was no chance of his getting up one morning to +find himself a millionaire. + +The master and servant executed a bond written with their blood that he +who died first would see the other a rich man. + +As it happened the native servant died first, and on his death Mr. J---- +who was then a young man retired altogether from his business, which +business was not in a very flourishing condition. Within a couple of +years he went to England a millionaire. How he came by his money remains +a secret. People in England were told that he had earned it in India. He +must have done so, but the process of his earning he has kept strictly +to himself. Mr. J---- is still alive and quite hale. + +A different event in which another friend of mine was concerned was thus +described the other day. He had received a telegram to the effect that a +very near relation of his was dying in Calcutta and that this dying +person was desirous to see him. He started for Calcutta in all haste by +the mail. The mail used to leave his station at about 3 P.M. in the +afternoon and reach Calcutta early the next morning. It was hot weather +and in his first class compartment there was no other passenger. He lay +down on one of the sleeping berths and the other one was empty. All the +lamps including the night light had been switched off and the +compartment was in total darkness, but for the moonlight. The moon beams +too did not come into the compartment itself as the moon was nearly +overhead. + +He had fallen into a disturbed sleep when on waking up he found there +was another occupant of the compartment. As thefts had been a common +incident on the line specially in first class compartments, my friend +switched on the electric light, the button of which was within his +reach. This could be done without getting up. + +In the glare of the electric light he saw distinctly his dying relation. +He thought he was dreaming. He rubbed his eyes and then looked again. +The apparition had vanished. He got up and looked out of the window. The +train was passing through a station, without stopping. He could read the +name of the station clearly. He opened his time table to see that he was +still 148 miles from Calcutta. + +Then he went to sleep again. In the morning he thought he had been +dreaming. But he observed that the railway time table was still open at +the place where he must have looked to ascertain the distance. + +On reaching Calcutta he was told that his relation had died a few hours +ago. + +My friend never related this to anybody till he knew that I was writing +on the subject. This story, however, after what the professor saw loses +its interest; and some suggested that it had better not be written at +all. I only write this because this friend of mine--who is also a +relation of mine--is a big Government servant and would not have told +this story unless it was true. + + * * * * * + +To the point is the following story which was in the papers about March +1914. + + 'In 1821 the Argyle Rooms were patronised by the best people, the + establishment being then noted for high-class musical + entertainments. One evening in March, 1821, a young Miss M. with a + party of friends, was at a concert in Argyle Rooms. Suddenly she + uttered a cry and hid her face in her hands. She appeared to be + suffering so acutely that her friends at once left the building + with her and took her home. It was at first difficult to get the + young lady to explain the cause of her sudden attack, but at last + she confessed that she had been terrified by a horrible sight. + While the concert was in progress she had happened to look down at + the floor, and there lying at her feet she saw the corpse of a man. + The body was covered with a cloth mantle, but the face was exposed, + and she distinctly recognised the features of a friend, Sir J.T. On + the following morning the family of the young lady received a + message informing them that Sir J.T. had been drowned the previous + day in Southampton Water through the capsizing of a boat, and that + when his body was recovered it was entangled in a boat cloak. The + story of the Argyle Rooms apparition is told by Mr. Thomas Raikes + in his well-known diary, and he personally vouches for the truth of + it.' + + * * * * * + +In this connection the following cutting from an English paper of March, +1914, will be found very interesting and instructive. + + +'TALKS' WITH MR. STEAD. + +SIR A. TURNER'S PSYCHIC EXPERIENCES. + + General Sir Alfred Turner's psychic experiences, which he related + to the London Spiritualist Alliance on May 7, in the salon of the + Royal Society of British Artists, cover a very wide field, and they + date from his early boyhood. + + The most interesting and suggestive relate to the re-appearance of + Mr. Stead, says the _Daily Chronicle_. On the Sunday following the + sinking of the Titanic, Sir Alfred was visiting a medium when she + told him that on the glass of the picture behind his back the head + of a man and afterwards 'its' whole form appeared. She described + him minutely, and said he was holding a child by the hand. He had + no doubt that it was Mr. Stead, and he wrote immediately to Miss + Harper, Mr. Stead's private secretary. She replied saying that on + the same day she had seen a similar apparition, in which Mr. Stead + was holding a child by the hand. + + A few days afterwards (continued Sir Alfred) at a private seance + the voice of Stead came almost immediately and spoke at length. He + told them what had happened in the last minutes of the wreck. All + those who were on board when the vessel sank soon passed over, but + they had not the slightest notion that they were dead. Stead knew + however, and he set to work to try and tell these poor people that + they had passed over and that there was at any rate no more + physical suffering for them. Shortly afterwards he was joined by + other spirits, who took part in the missionary work. + + Mr. Stead was asked to show himself to the circle. He said 'Not + now, but at Cambridge House.' At the meeting which took place + there, not everybody was sympathetic, and the results were poor, + except that Mr. Stead came to them in short sharp flashes dressed + exactly as he was when on earth. + + Since then, said Sir Alfred, he had seen and conversed with Mr. + Stead many times. When he had shown himself he had said very + little, when he did not appear he said a great deal. On the + occasion of his last appearance he said: 'I cannot speak to you. + But pursue the truth. It is all truth.' + + I am confident, Sir Alfred declared, that Mr. Stead will be of the + greatest help to those of us who, on earth, work with him and to + others who believe. + + + + +THE BOY POSSESSED. + + +I think it was in 1906 that in one of the principle cities in India the +son of a rich man became ill. He had high fever and delirium and in his +insensible state he was constantly talking in a language which was some +kind of English but which the relatives could not understand. + +This boy was reading in one of the lower classes of a school and hardly +knew the English language. + +When the fever would not abate for 24 hours a doctor was sent for. + +The doctor arrived, and went in to see the patient in the sick-room. + +The boy was lying on the bed with his eyes closed. It was nearly +evening. + +As soon as the doctor entered the sick-room the boy shouted "Doctor--I +am very hungry, order some food for me." + +Of course, the doctor thought that the boy was in his senses. He did not +know that the boy had not sufficient knowledge of the English language +to express his ideas in that tongue. So the doctor asked his relations +when he had taken food last. He was informed that the patient had had +nothing to eat for the last 8 or 10 hours. + +"What will you like to have?" asked the doctor. + +"Roast mutton and plenty of vegetables" said the boy. + +By this time the doctor had approached the bed-side, but it was too dark +to see whether the eyes of the patient were open or not. + +"But you are ill--roast mutton will do you harm" said the doctor. + +"No it won't--I know what is good for me" said the patient. At this +stage the doctor was informed that the patient did not really know much +English and that he was probably in delirium. A suggestion was also made +that probably he was possessed by a ghost. + +The doctor who had been educated at the Calcutta Medical College did not +quite believe the ghost theory. He, however, asked the patient who he +was. + +In India, I do not know whether this is so in European countries too, +lots of people are possessed by ghosts and the ghost speaks through his +victim. So generally a question like this is asked by the exorcist "Who +are you and why are you troubling the poor patient?" The answer, I am +told, is at once given and the ghost says what he wants. Of course, I +personally, have never heard a ghost talk. I know a case in which a +report was made to me that the wife of a groom of mine had become +possessed by a ghost. On being asked what ghost it was the woman was +reported to have said "the big ghost of the house across the drain." I +ran to the out-houses to find out how much was true but when I reached +the stables the woman I was told was not talking. I found her in +convulsions. + +To return to our story; the doctor asked the patient who he was. + +"I am General ----" said the boy. + +"Why are you here" asked the doctor. + +"I shall tell you that after I have had my roast mutton and the +vegetables--" said the boy or rather the ghost. + +"But how can we be convinced that you are General ----" asked the doctor. + +"Call Captain X---- of the XI Brahmans and he will know," said the +ghost, "in the meantime get me the food or I shall kill the patient." + +The father of the patient at once began to shout that he would get the +mutton and the vegetables. The Doctor in the meantime rushed out to +procure some more medical assistance as well as to fetch Captain X of +the XI Brahmans. + +The few big European officers of the station were also informed and +within a couple of hours the sick-room was full of sensible educated +gentle men. The mutton was in the meantime ready. + +"The mutton is ready" said the doctor. + +"Lower it into the well in the compound" said the ghost. + +A basket was procured and the mutton and the vegetables were lowered +into the well. + +But scarcely had the basket gone down 5 yards (the well was 40 feet +deep) when somebody from inside the well shouted. + +"Take it away--take it away--there is no salt in it." + +Those that were responsible for the preparation had to admit their +mistake. + +The basket was pulled out, some salt was put in, and the basket was +lowered down again. + +But as the basket went in about 5 or 6 yards somebody from inside the +well pulled it down with such force that the man who was lowering it +narrowly escaped being dragged in; fortunately he let the rope slip +through his hands with the result that though he did not fall into the +well his hands were bleeding profusely. + +Nothing happened after that and everybody returned to the patient. + +After a few minutes silence the patient said:-- + +"Take away the rope and the basket, why did you not tie the end of the +rope to the post." + +"Why did you pull it so hard" said one of the persons present. + +"I was hungry and in a hurry" said the ghost. + +They asked several persons to go down into the well but nobody would. At +last a fishing hook was lowered down. The basket, which had at first +completely disappeared, was now floating on the surface of the water. It +was brought up, quite empty. + +Captain X in the meantime had arrived and was taken to the patient. Two +high officials of Government (both Europeans) had also arrived. + +As soon as the Captain stepped into the sick room the patient (we shall +now call him the Ghost) said. "Good evening Captain X, these people will +not believe that I am General--and I want to convince them." + +The Captain was as surprised as the others had been before. + +"You may ask me anything you like Captain X, and I shall try to convince +you" said the Ghost. + +The Captain stood staring. + +"Speak, Captain X,--are you dumb?" said the Ghost. + +"I don't understand anything" stammered the Captain. + +He was told everything by those present. After hearing it the Captain +formulated a question from one of the Military books. + +A correct reply was immediately given. Then followed a number of +questions by the Captain, the replies to all of which were promptly +given by the Ghost. + +After this the Ghost said, "If you are all convinced, you may go now, +and see me again to-morrow morning." + +Everybody quietly withdrew. + +The next morning there was a large gathering in the sick room. A number +of European officers who had heard the story at the club on the previous +evening dropped in. "Introduce each of these new comers to me" said the +Ghost. + +Captain X introduced each person in solemn form. + +"If anybody is curious to know anything I shall tell him" said the +Ghost. + +A few questions about England--position of buildings,--shops,--streets +in London, were asked and correctly answered. + +After all the questions the Indian Doctor who had been in attendance +asked "Now, General, that we are convinced you are so and so why are you +troubling this poor boy?" + +"His father is rich" said the Ghost. + +"Not very," said the doctor "but what do you want him to do?" + +"My tomb at ----pur has been destroyed by a branch of a tree falling +upon it, I want that to be properly repaired" said the Ghost. + +"I shall get that done immediately" said the father of the patient. + +"If you do that within a week I shall trouble your boy no longer" said +the Ghost. + +The monument was repaired and the boy has been never ill since. + +This is the whole story; a portion of it appeared in the papers; and +there were several respectable witnesses, though the whole thing is too +wonderful. + +Inexplicable as it is--it appears that dead persons are a bit jealous of +the sanctity of their tombs. + +I have heard a story of a boy troubled by a Ghost who had inscribed his +name on the tomb of a Mahommedan fakir. + +His father had to repair the tomb and had to put an ornamental iron +railing round it. + +Somehow or other the thing looks like a fairy tale. The readers may have +heard stories like this themselves and thought them as mere idle gossip. + +I, therefore, reproduce here the whole of a letter as it appeared in +"The Leader" of Allahabad, India--on the 15th July, 1913. + +The letter is written by a man, who, I think, understands quite well +what he is saying. + +A SUPERNATURAL PHENOMENON + + Sir, It may probably interest your readers to read the account of a + supernatural phenomenon that occurred, a few days ago, in the house + of B. Rasiklal Mitra, B.A., district surveyor, Hamirpur. He has been + living with his family in a bungalow for about a year. It is a good + small bungalow, with two central and several side rooms. There is a + verandah on the south and an enclosure, which serves the purpose of + a court-yard for the ladies, on the north. On the eastern side of + this enclosure is the kitchen and on the western, the privy. It has + a big compound all round, on the south-west corner of which there is + a tomb of some Shahid, known as the tomb of Phulan Shahid. + + At about 5 o'clock in the evening on 26th June, 1913, when Mr. + Mitra was out in office, it was suddenly noticed that the southern + portion of the privy was on fire. People ran for rescue and by + their timely assistance it was possible to completely extinguish + the fire by means of water which they managed to get at the moment, + before the fire could do any real damage. On learning of the fire, + the ladies and children, all bewildered, collected in a room, ready + to quit the building in case the fire was not checked or took a + serious turn. About a square foot of the thatch was burnt. Shortly + after this another corner of the house was seen burning. This was + in the kitchen. It was not a continuation of the former fire as the + latter had been completely extinguished. Not even smoke or a spark + was left to kindle. The two places are completely separated from + each other being divided by an open court-yard of 30 yards in + length and there is no connection between them at all. + + There was no fire at the time in the kitchen even, and there were + no outsiders besides the ladies and children who were shut up in a + room. This too was extinguished without any damage having been + done. By this time Mr. Mitra and his several friends turned up on + getting the news of the fire in his house. I was one of them. In + short the fire broke out in the house at seven different places + within an hour or an hour and a half; all these places situated so + apart from one another that one was astonished to find how it broke + out one after the other without any visible sign of the possibility + of a fire from outside. We were all at a loss to account for the + breaking out of the fire. To all appearance it broke out each time + spontaneously and mysteriously. The fact that fire broke out so + often as seven times within the short space of about an hour and a + half, each time at a different place without doing any perceptible + damage to the thatching of the bungalow or to any other article of + the occupant of the house, is a mystery which remains to be solved. + After the last breaking out, it was decided that the house must be + vacated at once. Mr. Mitra and his family consequently removed to + another house of Padri Ahmad Shah about 200 yards distant + therefrom. To the great astonishment of all nothing happened after + the 'vacation' of the house for the whole night. Next morning Mr. + Mitra came with his sister to have his morning meals prepared + there, thinking that there was no fire during the night. To his + great curiosity he found that the house was ablaze within 10 or 15 + minutes of his arrival. They removed at once and everything was + again all right. A day or two after he removed to a pucca house + within the town, not easy to catch fire. After settling his family + in the new house Mr. Mitra went to a town (Moudha) some 21 miles + from the head quarters. During the night following his departure, a + daughter of Mr. Mitra aged about 10 years saw in dream a boy who + called himself Shahid Baba. The girl enquired of him about the + reason of the fire breaking in her last residence and was told by + him that she would witness curious scenes next morning, after which + she would be told the remedy. Morning came and it was not long + before fire broke out in the second storey of the new house. This + was extinguished as easily as the previous ones and it did not + cause any damage. Next came the turn of a dhoti of the girl + mentioned above which was hanging in the house. Half of it was + completely burnt down before the fire could be extinguished. In + succession, the pillow wrapped in a bedding, a sheet of another + bedding and lastly the dhoti which the girl was wearing caught fire + and were extinguished after they were nearly half destroyed. Mr. + Mitra's son aged about 4 months was lying on a cot: as soon as he + was lifted up--a portion of the bed on which he was lying was seen + burning. Although the pillow was burnt down there was no mark of + fire on the bedding. Neither the girl nor the boy received any + injury. Most curious of all, the papers enclosed in a box were + burnt although the box remained closed. B. Ganesh Prasad, munsif, + and the post master hearing of this, went to the house and in their + presence a mirzai of the girl which was spread over a cot in the + court-yard caught fire spontaneously and was seen burning. + + Now the girl went to sleep again. It was now about noon. She again + saw the same boy in the dream. She was told this time that if the + tomb was whitewashed and a promise to repair it within three months + made, the trouble would cease. They were also ordained to return to + the house which they had left. This command was soon obeyed by the + troubled family which removed immediately after the tomb was + whitewashed to the bungalow in which they are now peacefully living + without the least disturbance or annoyance of any sort. I leave to + your readers to draw their own conclusions according to their own + experience of life and to form such opinion as they like. + + PERMESHWAR DAYAL AMIST, B.A., +_July 9._ _Vakil, High Court_ + + + + +THE EXAMINATION PAPER. + + +This is a story which I believe. Of course, this is not my personal +experience; but it has been repeated by so many men, who should have +witnessed the incident, with such wonderful accuracy that I cannot but +believe it. + +The thing happened at the Calcutta Medical College. + + * * * * * + +There was a student who had come from Dacca, the Provincial Capital of +Eastern Bengal. Let us call him Jogesh. + +Jogesh was a handsome young fellow of about 24. He was a married man and +his wife's photograph stood in a frame on his table in the hostel. She +was a girl hardly 15 years old and Jogesh was evidently very fond of +her. Jogesh used to say a lot of things about his wife's attainments +which we (I mean the other students of his class) believed, and a lot +more which we did not believe. For instance we believed that she could +cook a very good dinner, but that is an ordinary accomplishment of the +average Bengali girl of her age. + +Jogesh also said that she knew some mystic arts by means of which she +could hold communion with him every night. Every morning when he came +out of his room he used to say that his wife had been to him during the +night and told him--this--that--and the other. This, of course, we did +not believe, but as Jogesh was so sensitive we never betrayed our +scepticism in his presence. But one significant fact happened one day +which rather roused our curiosity. + +One morning Jogesh came out with a sad expression and told us that his +father was ill at home. His wife had informed him at night, he said; at +that time we treated the matter with indifference but at about 10 +o'clock came a telegram, (which we of course intercepted) intimating +that his father was really ill. + +The next morning Jogesh charged us with having intercepted his telegram; +but we thought that he must have heard about the telegram from one of +the students, as there were about half a dozen of us present when the +telegram had arrived. + +Jogesh's father came round and the matter was forgotten. + +Then came the annual University examination. + +Jogesh's weak subject was Materia Medica and everybody knew it. + +So we suggested that Jogesh should ask his wife what questions would be +set, during one of her nightly visits. + +After great hesitation Jogesh consented to ask his wife on the night +before the examination. + +The eventful night came and went. In the morning Jogesh came out and we +anxiously inquired what his wife had said. + +"She told me the questions" said Jogesh sadly "but she said she would +never visit me again here." + +The questions were of greater importance and so we wanted to have a look +at them. Jogesh had noted these down on the back of a theatre programme +(or hand bill--I really forget which) and showed the questions to us. +There were eleven of them--all likely questions such as Major ---- might +ask. To take the questions down and to learn the answers was the work of +an hour, and in spite of our scepticism we did it. And we were glad that +we did it. + +When the paper was distributed, we found that the questions were +identically those which we had seen that very morning and the answers to +which we had prepared with so much labour only a few hours before. + +The matter came to the notice of the authorities who were all European +gentlemen. The eleven answer papers were examined and re-examined, and +finally Jogesh was sent for by Col. ---- the Principal to state how much +truth was there in what had been reported, but Jogesh prudently refused +to answer the question; and finally the Colonel said that it was all +nonsense and that the eleven students knew their Materia Medica very +well and that was all. In fact it was the Colonel himself who had taught +the subject to his students, and he assured all the eleven students that +he was really proud of them. The ten students were however proud of +Jogesh and his mystic wife. It was decided that a subscription should be +raised and a gold necklace should be presented to Jogesh's wife as a +humble token of respect and gratitude of some thankful friends, and this +plan was duly executed. + +Jogesh is now a full-fledged doctor and so are all the other ten who had +got hold of the Materia Medica paper. + +After the incident of that night Jogesh's wife had an attack of brain +fever and for some time her life was despaired of, and we were all so +sorry. But, thank God, she came round after a long and protracted +illness, and then we sent her the necklace. + +Jogesh told us subsequently that his wife had given him an Indian +charm-case with instructions to put it on with a chain round the neck +whenever he required her. Immediately he put on the chain, to which this +charm-case was attached, round his neck, he felt as if he was in a +trance and then his wife came. Whether she came in the flesh or only in +spirit Jogesh could not say as he never had the opportunity of touching +her so long as she was there, for he could not get up from the bed or +the chair or wherever he happened to be. On the last occasion she had +entreated him not to press her to tell the questions. He had, however, +insisted and so she had dictated to him the examination paper as if from +memory. The theatre programme was the only thing within his reach and he +had taken down all the questions on that, as he thought he could not +rely upon his own memory. Then she had gone away; but before going she +had walked up to him, unbuttoned his _kurta_ (native shirt) at the chin, +and removed the charm-case from the chain to which it was attached. Then +she had vanished and the charm case had vanished too. The chain had, of +course, remained on Jogesh's neck. Since that eventful night Jogesh had +had no mystic communion with his wife during his stay in Calcutta. + +She refused to discuss the subject when Jogesh afterwards met her at +Dacca. So the mystery remains unsolved. + + * * * * * + +Talking of questions and answers reminds me of an incident that took +place on one occasion in my presence. + +A certain Mohammedan hypnotist once visited us when I was at College. + +There was a number of us, all students, in the hostel common-room or +library when this man came and introduced himself to us as a +professional hypnotist. On being asked whether he could show us anything +wonderful and convincing he said he could. He asked us to procure a +teapoy with 3 strong legs. This we did. Then he asked two of us to sit +round that small table and he also sat down. He asked us to put our +hands flat on the table and think of some dead person. We thought of a +dead friend of ours. After we had thus been seated for about five +minutes there was a rap on the leg of the teapoy. We thought that the +hypnotist had kicked the leg on his side. + +"The spirit has come" said the hypnotist. + +"How should we ascertain?" I asked. + +"Ask him some question and he will answer" said the hypnotist. + +Then we asked how many from our class would obtain the university degree +that year. + +"Spirit", said the hypnotist "as the names are mentioned one rap means +pass, two mean plucked"; then he addressed the others sitting around +"see that I am not kicking at the leg of the teapoy." + +Half a dozen of the boys sat down on the floor to watch. + +As each name was mentioned there came one rap or two raps as the case +might be till the whole list was exhausted. + +"We can't ascertain the truth of this until 3 months are over" said I. + +"How many rupees have I in my pocket" asked one of the lookers-on. + +There came three distinct raps and on examining the purse of the person +we found that he had exactly 3 rupees and nothing more. + +Then we asked a few more questions and the answers came promptly in. +"_Yes_" and "_No_" by means of raps. + +Then according to the hypnotist's suggestion one student wrote a line +from Shakespeare and the ghost was asked what that line was. + +"As the plays are named rap once at the name of the play from which the +passage has been taken" said the hypnotist, solemnly addressing the +Spirit. + +"Hamlet" + +No reply + +"King Lear" + +No reply + +"Merchant of Venice" + +No reply + +"Macbeth" + +One loud rap. + +"Macbeth" said the hypnotist "now which Act." + +"Act I" + +No reply + +"Act II" + +No reply + +"Act III" + +No reply + +"Act IV" + +No reply + +"Act V" + +One loud rap. + +"Scene I" + +No reply. + +"Scene II" + +No reply. + +"Scene III" + +One loud rap. + +"Now what about the lines" said the hypnotist. + +"Line one--Two--Three ... Thirty nine" + +No reply. + +"Forty" + +One loud rap + +"Forty one" + +One loud rap + +"Forty two" + +One loud rap + +"Forty three" + +One loud rap + +"Forty four" + +One loud rap + +"Forty five" + +One loud rap + +"Forty six" + +No reply + +A copy of Shakespeare's Macbeth was at once procured and opened at Act +V, Sec. III, line 40. + + "Can'st thou not minister to a mind diseased, + Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow, + Raze out the written troubles of the brain, + And with some sweet oblivious antidote, + Cleanse the stuff'd bosom of that perilous stuff, + Which weighs upon the heart?" + +This was what we read. + +The student was then asked to produce his paper and on it was the +identical quotation. + +Then the hypnotist asked us to remove our hands from the top of the +teapoy. The hypnotist did the same thing and said "The Spirit has gone." + +We all stared at each other in mute surprise. + +Afterwards we organized a big show for the benefit of the hypnotist, and +that was a grand success. + +Lots of strange phenomena were shown to us which are too numerous to +mention. The fellows who had sat on the floor watching whether or not it +was the hypnotist who was kicking at the teapoy-leg assured us that he +was not. + +The strange feats of this man, (hypnotist astrologer and thought-reader +all rolled into one) have ever since remained an insoluble mystery. + + + + +THE MESSENGER OF DEATH. + + +We have often been told how some of us receive in an unlooked-for manner +an intimation of death some time before that incident does actually +occur. + +The late Mr. W.T. Stead, for instance, before he sailed for America in +the Titanic had made his will and given his friends clearly to +understand that he would see England no more. + +Others have also had such occult premonitions, so to say, a few days, +and sometimes weeks, before their death. + +We also know a number of cases in which people have received similar +intimation of the approaching death of a near relation or a dear friend +who, in most cases, lives at a distance. + +There is a well-known family in England (one of the peers of the realm) +in whose case previous intimation of death comes in a peculiar form. +Generally when the family is at dinner a carriage is heard to drive up +to the portico. Everybody thinks it is some absent guest who has arrived +late and my lord or my lady gets up to see who it is. Then when the +hall door is opened it is seen that there is no carriage at all. This is +a sure indication of an impending death in the family. + +I know another very peculiar instance. A certain gentleman in Bengal +died leaving four sons and a widow. The youngest was about 5 years old. +These children used to live with their mother in the family residence +under the guardianship of their uncle. + +One night the widow had a peculiar dream. It seemed to her that her +husband had returned from a long journey for an hour or so and was going +away again. Of course, in her dream the lady forgot all about her +widowhood. + +Before his departure the husband proposed that she should allow him to +take one of the sons with him and she might keep the rest. + +The widow readily agreed and it was settled that the youngest but one +should go with the husband. The boy was called, and he very willingly +agreed to go with his father. The mother gave him a last hug and kiss +and passed him on to the father who carried him away. + +The next moment the widow woke. She remembered every particular of the +dream. A cold sweat stood on her forehead when she comprehended what +she had done. + +The boy died the next morning. When she told me the story she said that +the only consolation that she had was that the child was safe with his +father. A very poor consolation indeed! + +Now this is a peculiar story told in a peculiar fashion; but I know one +or two wonderful stories which are more peculiar still. + + * * * * * + +It is a custom in certain families in Bengal that in connection with the +_Durga pooja_ black-male goats are offered as a sacrifice. + +In certain other families strictly vegetarian offerings are made. + +The mode of sacrificing the goat is well known to some readers, and will +not interest those who do not know the custom. The fact remains that +millions of goats are sacrificed all over Bengal during the three days +of the _Durga pooja_ and on the _Shyama pooja_ night, (_i.e._ _Diwali or +Dipavali_). + +There is however nothing ominous in all this, except when the +"sacrificial sword" fails to sever the head of the goat from the trunk +at one deadly stroke. As this bodes ill the householder to appease the +deity, to whose wrath such failure is imputed, sacrifices another goat +then and there and further offers to do penance by sacrificing double +the number of goats next year. + +But what is more pertinent to the subject I am dealing with is the +sacrificing of goats under peculiar circumstances. Thus when an epidemic +(such as cholera, small pox and now probably plague) breaks out in a +village in Bengal all the principal residents of the place in order to +propitiate the deity to whose curse or ire the visitation is supposed to +be due, raise a sufficient amount by subscription for worshipping the +irate Goddess. The black he-goat that is offered as a sacrifice on such +an occasion is not actually slain, but being besmeared with "_Sindur_" +(red oxide of mercury) and generally having one of the ears cropped or +bored is let loose, _i.e._ allowed to roam about until clandestinely +passed on to some neighbouring village to which, the goat is credited +with the virtue of transferring the epidemic from the village originally +infected. The goats thus marked are not looked upon with particular +favour in the villages. They are generally not ill-treated by the +villagers, and when they eat up the cabbages, etc. all that the poor +villagers can do is to curse them and drive them away--but they return +as soon as the poor owner of the garden has moved away. Such goats +become, in consequence, very bold and give a lot of trouble. + +When, therefore, such a billy-goat appears in a village what the +villagers generally do is to hire a boat, carry the goat a long distance +along the river, say 20 or 25 miles and leave him there. Now the +villagers of the place where such a goat is left play the same trick, so +it sometimes happens that the goat comes back after a week or so. + +Once it so happened that a dedicated goat made his unwelcome appearance +in a certain village in Bengal. + +The villagers hired a boat and carried him about 20 miles up the river +and left him there. The goat came back after a week. Then they left him +at a place 20 miles down the river and he came back again. Afterwards +they took the goat 50 miles up and down the river but each time the goat +returned like the proverbial bad penny. + +After trying all kinds of tricks in their attempt to get rid of the goat +the villagers became desperate. So a few hot-headed young men of the +village in an evil hour decided to kill the goat. Instead of killing the +goat quietly (as probably they should have done) and throwing the body +into the river, they organised a grand feast and ate the flesh of the +dedicated goat. + +Within 24 hours of the dinner each one of them who had taken part in it +was attacked with cholera of a most virulent type and within another 24 +hours every one of them was dead. Medical and scientific experts were +called in from Calcutta to explain the cause of the calamity, but no +definite results were obtained from these investigations. One thing, +however, was certain. There was no poison of any kind in the food. + +The cause of the death of about 30 young men remains a mystery. + +This was retribution with a vengeance and the writer does not see the +justice of the divine providence in this particular case. + + * * * * * + +In another village the visit of the messenger of death was also marked +in a peculiar fashion. + +Two men one tall and the other short, the tall man carrying a lantern, +are seen to enter the house of one of the villagers; and the next +morning there is a death in the house which they entered. + +When, for the first time, these two mysterious individuals were seen to +enter a house an alarm of thieves was raised. The house was searched +but no trace of any stranger was found in the house. The poor villager +who had given the alarm was publicly scolded for his folly after the +fruitless search, for thinking that thieves would come with a lighted +lantern. But that poor man had mentioned the lighted lantern before the +search commenced and nobody had thought that fact "_absurd_" at that +time. + +Since that date a number of people has seen these messengers of death +enter the houses of several persons, and whenever they enter a house a +death takes place in that house within the next 24 hours. + +Some of the witnesses who have seen these messengers of death are too +cautious and too respectable to be disbelieved or doubted. Your humble +servant on one occasion passed a long time in this village, but he, +fortunately or unfortunately, call it what you please, never saw these +fell messengers of death. + + * * * * * + +In another family in Bengal death of a member is foretold a couple of +days before the event in a very peculiar manner. + +This is a very rich family having a large residential house with a +private temple or chapel attached to it, but the members never pay a +penny to the doctor or the chemist either. + +In many rich families in Bengal there are private deities the worship of +which is conducted by the heads of the families assisted by the family +priests. There are generally private temples adjoining the houses or +rooms set apart for such idols, and all the members of the family and +especially the ladies say their prayers there. + +Such a temple remains open during the day and is kept securely closed at +night, because nobody should be allowed to disturb the deity at night +and also because there is generally a lot of gold and silver articles in +the temple which an unorthodox thief may carry away. + +Now what I have just mentioned was the custom of the particular +house-hold referred to above. + +One night a peculiar groan was heard issuing from the temple. All the +inmates of the house came to see what the matter was. The key of the +temple was with the family priest who was not present. He had probably +gone to some other person's house to have a smoke and a chat, and it +was an hour before the key could be procured and the door of the temple +opened. + +Everything was just as it had been left 3 or 4 hours previously. The +cause or origin of the groans was never traced or discovered. + +The next morning one of the members of the family was suddenly taken ill +and died before medical aid could be obtained from Calcutta. + +This was about fifty years ago. Since then the members of this family +have become rather accustomed to these groans. + +If there is a case of real Asiatic cholera or a case of double pneumonia +they don't call in a doctor though there is a very capable and learned +medical man within a mile. + +But if once the groans are heard the person, who gets the smallest +pin-prick the next morning, dies; and no medical science has ever done +any good. + +"The most terrible thing in this connection is the suspense" said one of +the members of that family to me once. "As a rule you hear the groans at +night and then you have to wait till the morning to ascertain whose turn +it is. Generally however you find long before sunrise that somebody has +become very ill. If not, you have to wire to all the absent members of +the family in the morning to enquire--what you can guess. And you have +to await the replies to the telegrams. How the minutes pass between the +hearing of the groans till it is actually ascertained who is going to +die--need not be described." + +"You must have been having an exciting time of it" I asked this young +man. + +"Generally not, because we find that somebody is ill from before and +then we know what is going to happen" said my informant. + +"But during your experience of 25 years you must have been very nervous +about these groans yourself at times," I asked. + +"On two occasions only we had to be nervous because nobody was ill +beforehand; but in each case that person died who was the most afraid. I +was not nervous on these occasions myself, for some reason or other." + +These uncanny groans of the messenger of death have remained a mystery +for the last fifty years. + + * * * * * + +I know another family in which the death of the head of the family is +predicted in a very peculiar manner. + +There is a big picture of the Goddess Kali in the family. On the night +of the _Shyama pooja_ (_Dewali_) which occurs about the middle of +November, this picture is brought out and worshipped. + +The picture is a big oil painting of the old Indian School and has a +massive solid gold frame. The picture is a beauty--a thing worth seeing. + +All the year round it hangs on the eastern wall of the room occupied by +the head of the family. + +Now the peculiar thing with this family is that no male member of the +family dies out of his turn. The eldest male member dies leaving behind +everybody else. The next man then becomes the eldest and dies afterwards +and so on. + +But before the death of the head of the family the warning comes in a +peculiar way. + +The picture of the goddess is found hanging upside down. One morning +when the head of the family comes out of his bed-room and the +youngsters go in to make the room tidy, as they call it, (though they +generally make the room more untidy and finally leave it to the +servants) they find the famous family picture hanging literally +topsyturvy (that is with head downwards) and they at once sound the +alarm. Then they all know that the head of the family is doomed and will +die within a week. + +But this fact does not disturb the normal quiet of the family. Because +the _pater familias_ is generally very old and infirm and more generally +quite prepared to die. + +But the fact remains that so long as the warning does not come in this +peculiar fashion every member of the house-hold knows that there is no +immediate danger. + +For instance it is only when this warning comes that all the children +who are out of the station are wired for. + +Every reader must admit that this is rather weird. + +THE END + + + + +ADVERTISEMENTS + + +_BY THE SAME AUTHOR._ + +THE + +MYSTERIOUS TRADERS + +Being the adventures of a gang of swindlers who robbed the rich only. + +PRICE SIX ANNAS. + +Of all Booksellers, and of Railway Bookstalls. + +ALLAHABAD: + +A.H. WHEELER & CO. + +_SIXTH EDITION JUST OUT._ + +Mr. and Mrs. JOHN BROWN AT HOME. + +A series of amusing sketches of Station Life in India. + +ONE RUPEE. + +Of all Booksellers, and of Railway Bookstalls. + +ALLAHABAD: + +A.H. WHEELER & CO. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Indian Ghost Stories, by S. Mukerji + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK INDIAN GHOST STORIES *** + +***** This file should be named 17113.txt or 17113.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/7/1/1/17113/ + +Produced by David Starner, Martin Pettit and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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