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angry； and then he laughed for five minutes。
〃I had thought；〃 he said； 〃that they would have come to me。 In
another week I would have shown that I sent the Sending； and they
would have discrowned the Old Man of the Mountains who has sent
this Sending of mine。 Do you do nothing。 The time has come for me
to act。 Write as I dictate； and I will put them to shame。 But
give me ten more rupees。〃
At Dana Da's dictation the Englishman wrote nothing less than a
formal challenge to the Old Man of the Mountains。 It wound up：
〃And if this manifestation be from your hand； then let it go
forward； but if it be from my hand； I will that the Sending shall
cease in two days' time。 On that day there shall be twelve kittens
and thenceforward none at all。 The people shall judge between us。〃
This was signed by Dana Da； who added pentacles and pentagrams； and
a crux ansata； and half a dozen swastikas； and a Triple Tau to his
name； just to show that he was all he laid claim to be。
The challenge was read out to the gentlemen and ladies； and they
remembered then that Dana Da had laughed at them some years ago。
It was officially announced that the Old Man of the Mountains would
treat the matter with contempt； Dana Da being an independent
investigator without a single 〃round〃 at the back of him。 But this
did not soothe his people。 They wanted to see a fight。 They were
very human for all their spirituality。 Lone Sahib； who was really
being worn out with kittens； submitted meekly to his fate。 He felt
that he was being 〃kittened to prove the power of Dana Da；〃 as the
poet says。
When the stated day dawned； the shower of kittens began。 Some were
white and some were tabby； and all were about the same loathsome
age。 Three were on his hearth…rug； three in his bathroom； and the
other six turned up at intervals among the visitors who came to see
the prophecy break down。 Never was a more satisfactory Sending。
On the next day there were no kittens； and the next day and all the
other days were kittenless and quiet。 The people murmured and
looked to the Old Man of the Mountains for an explanation。 A
letter； written on a palm leaf； dropped from the ceiling； but
everyone except Lone Sahib felt that letters were not what the
occasion demanded。 There should have been cats； there should have
been catsfull…grown ones。 The letter proved conclusively that
there had been a hitch in the psychic current which； colliding with
a dual identity； had interfered with the percipient activity all
along the main line。 The kittens were still going on； but owing to
some failure in the developing fluid； they were not materialized。
The air was thick with letters for a few days afterwards。 Unseen
hands played Gluck and Beethoven on finger…bowls and clock shades；
but all men felt that psychic life was a mockery without
materialized kittens。 Even Lone Sahib shouted with the majority on
this head。 Dana Da's letters were very insulting； and if he had
then offered to lead a new departure； there is no knowing what
might not have happened。
But Dana Da was dying of whisky and opium in the Englishman's go…
down； and had small heart for new creeds。
〃They have been put to shame；〃 said he。 〃Never was such a Sending。
It has killed me。〃
〃Nonsense；〃 said the Englishman； 〃you are going to die； Dana Da；
and that sort of stuff must be left behind。 I'll admit that you
have made some queer things come about。 Tell me honestly； now； how
was it done？〃
〃Give me ten more rupees；〃 said Dana Da； faintly； 〃and if I die
before I spend them； bury them with me。〃 The silver was counted
out while Dana Da was fighting with death。 His hand closed upon
the money and he smiled a grim smile。
〃Bend low；〃 he whispered。 The Englishman bent。
〃Bunniamission schoolexpelledbox…wallah （peddler）Ceylon
pearl merchantall mine English educationoutcasted； and made up
name Dana DaEngland with American thought…reading man andand
you gave me ten rupees several timesI gave the Sahib's bearer
two…eight a month for catslittle； little cats。 I wrote； and he
put them aboutvery clever man。 Very few kittens now in the
bazaar。 Ask Lone Sahib's sweeper's wife。〃
So saying； Dana Da gasped and passed away into a land where； if all
be true； there are no materializations and the making of new creeds
is discouraged。
But consider the gorgeous simplicity of it all！
IN THE HOUSE OF SUDDHOO
A stone's throw out on either hand
From that well…ordered road we tread；
And all the world is wild and strange；
Churel and ghoul and Djinn and sprite
Shall bear us company to…night；
For we have reached the Oldest Land
Wherein the Powers of Darkness range。
From the Dusk to the Dawn。
The house of Suddhoo； near the Taksali Gate； is two…storied； with
four carved windows of old brown wood； and a flat roof。 You may
recognize it by five red hand…prints arranged like the Five of
Diamonds on the whitewash between the upper windows。 Bhagwan Dass；
the bunnia； and a man who says he gets his living by seal…cutting；
live in the lower story with a troop of wives； servants； friends；
and retainers。 The two upper rooms used to be occupied by Janoo
and Azizun and a little black…and…tan terrier that was stolen from
an Englishman's house and given to Janoo by a soldier。 To…day；
only Janoo lives in the upper rooms。 Suddhoo sleeps on the roof
generally； except when he sleeps in the street。 He used to go to
Peshawar in the cold weather to visit his son； who sells
curiosities near the Edwardes' Gate； and then he slept under a real
mud roof。 Suddhoo is a great friend of mine； because his cousin had
a son who secured； thanks to my recommendation； the post of head…
messenger to a big firm in the Station。 Suddhoo says that God will
make me a Lieutenant…Governor one of these days。 I daresay his
prophecy will come true。 He is very； very old； with white hair and
no teeth worth showing； and he has outlived his witsoutlived
nearly everything except his fondness for his son at Peshawar。
Janoo and Azizun are Kashmiris； Ladies of the City； and theirs was
an ancient and more or less honorable profession； but Azizun has
since married a medical student from the North…West and has settled
down to a most respectable life somewhere near Bareilly。 Bhagwan
Dass is an extortionate and an adulterator。 He is very rich。 The
man who is supposed to get his living by seal…cutting pretends to
be very poor。 This lets you know as much as is necessary of the
four principal tenants in the house of Suddhoo。 Then there is Me；
of course； but I am only the chorus that comes in at the end to
explain things。 So I do not count。
Suddhoo was not clever。 The man who pretended to cut seals was the
cleverest of them allBhagwan Dass only knew how to lieexcept
Janoo。 She was also beautiful； but that was her own affair。
Suddhoo's son at Peshawar was attacked by p