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dropped the door…bar and peered into the dark of the next room。
When the morning came； I considered that I had done well and
wisely； and inquired for the means of departure。
〃By the way； khansamah；〃 I said； 〃what were those three doolies
doing in my compound in the night？〃
〃There were no doolies；〃 said the khansamah。
I went into the next room and the daylight streamed through the
open door。 I was immensely brave。 I would； at that hour； have
played Black Pool with the owner of the big Black Pool down below。
〃Has this place always been a dak…bungalow？〃 I asked。
〃No；〃 said the khansamah。 〃Ten or twenty years ago； I have
forgotten how long； it was a billiard room。〃
〃A how much？〃
〃A billiard room for the Sahibs who built the Railway。 I was
khansamah then in the big house where all the Railway…Sahibs lived；
and I used to come across with brandy…shrab。 These three rooms
were all one； and they held a big table on which the Sahibs played
every evening。 But the Sahibs are all dead now； and the Railway
runs； you say； nearly to Kabul。〃
〃Do you remember anything about the Sahibs？〃
〃It is long ago； but I remember that one Sahib； a fat man and
always angry； was playing here one night； and he said to me：
'Mangal Khan； brandy…pani do；' and I filled the glass； and he bent
over the table to strike； and his head fell lower and lower till it
hit the table； and his spectacles came off； and when wethe Sahibs
and I myselfran to lift him he was dead。 I helped to carry him
out。 Aha； he was a strong Sahib！ But he is dead and I； old Mangal
Khan； am still living； by your favor。〃
That was more than enough！ I had my ghosta firsthand；
authenticated article。 I would write to the Society for Psychical
ResearchI would paralyze the Empire with the news！ But I would；
first of all； put eighty miles of assessed crop land between myself
and that dak…bungalow before nightfall。 The Society might send
their regular agent to investigate later on。
I went into my own room and prepared to pack after noting down the
facts of the case。 As I smoked I heard the game begin again；with
a miss in balk this time； for the whir was a short one。
The door was open and I could see into the room。 Clickc1ick！
That was a cannon。 I entered the room without fear； for there was
sunlight within and a fresh breeze without。 The unseen game was
going on at a tremendous rate。 And well it might； when a restless
little rat was running to and fro inside the dingy ceiling…cloth；
and a piece of loose window…sash was making fifty breaks off the
window…bolt as it shook in the breeze！
Impossible to mistake the sound of billiard balls！ Impossible to
mistake the whir of a ball over the slate！ But I was to be
excused。 Even when I shut my enlightened eyes the sound was
marvelously like that of a fast game。
Entered angrily the faithful partner of my sorrows； Kadir Baksh。
〃This bungalow is very bad and low…caste！ No wonder the Presence
was disturbed and is speckled。 Three sets of doolie…bearers came
to the bungalow late last night when I was sleeping outside； and
said that it was their custom to rest in the rooms set apart for
the English people！ What honor has the khansamah？ They tried to
enter； but I told them to go。 No wonder； if these Oorias have been
here； that the Presence is sorely spotted。 It is shame； and the
work of a dirty man！〃
Kadir Baksh did not say that he had taken from each gang two annas
for rent in advance； and then； beyond my earshot； had beaten them
with the big green umbrella whose use I could never before divine。
But Kadir Baksh has no notions of morality。
There was an interview with the khansamah； but as he promptly lost
his head； wrath gave place to pity； and pity led to a long
conversation； in the course of which he put the fat Engineer…
Sahib's tragic death in three separate stationstwo of them fifty
miles away。 The third shift was to Calcutta； and there the Sahib
died while driving a dogcart。
If I had encouraged him the khansamah would have wandered all
through Bengal with his corpse。
I did not go away as soon as I intended。 I stayed for the night；
while the wind and the rat and the sash and the window…bolt played
a ding…dong 〃hundred and fifty up。〃 Then the wind ran out and the
billiards stopped； and I felt that I had ruined my one genuine；
hall…marked ghost story。
Had I only stopped at the proper time； I could have made ANYTHING
out of it。
That was the bitterest thought of all！
The Sending of Dana Da
When the Devil rides on your chest； remember the chamar。
Native Proverb。
Once upon a time some people in India made a new heaven and a new
earth out of broken teacups； a missing brooch or two； and a hair
brush。 These were hidden under bushes； or stuffed into holes in
the hillside； and an entire civil service of subordinate gods used
to find or mend them again； and everyone said： 〃There are more
things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in our philosophy。〃
Several other things happened also； but the religion never seemed
to get much beyond its first manifestations； though it added an
air…line postal dak； and orchestral effects in order to keep
abreast of the times； and stall off competition。
This religion was too elastic for ordinary use。 It stretched
itself and embraced pieces of everything that medicine men of all
ages have manufactured。 It approved and stole from Freemasonry；
looted the Latter…day Rosicrucians of half their pet words； took
any fragments of Egyptian philosophy that it found in the
Encyclopaedia Britannica； annexed as many of the Vedas as had been
translated into French or English； and talked of all the rest；
built in the German versions of what is left of the Zend Avesta；
encouraged white； gray； and black magic； including Spiritualism；
palmistry； fortune…telling by cards； hot chestnuts； double…kerneled
nuts and tallow droppings； would have adopted Voodoo and Oboe had
it known anything about them； and showed itself； in every way； one
of the most accommodating arrangements that had ever been invented
since the birth of the sea。
When it was in thorough working order； with all the machinery down
to the subscriptions complete； Dana Da came from nowhere； with
nothing in his hands； and wrote a chapter in its history which has
hitherto been unpublished。 He said that his first name was Dana；
and his second was Da。 Now； setting aside Dana of the New York
Sun； Dana is a Bhil name； and Da fits no native of India unless you
accept the Bengali De as the original spelling。 Da is Lap or
Finnish； and Dana Da was neither Finn； Chin； Bhil； Bengali； Lap；
Nair； Gond； Romaney； Magh； Bokhariot； Kurd； Armenian； Levantine；
Jew； Persian； Punjabi； Madrasi； Parsee； nor anything else known to
ethnologists。 He was simply Dana Da； and declined to give further
i