TALES & SKETCHES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 914, 6 September 1889, Page 7

TALES & SKETCHES.

THE HAUNTED JUNGLE. O ' A LEGEND OP NORTH CEYLON. IN' THREE CHAPTERS. CHAPTER 111. The Breaking op the Spell. When the day dawned, if. found the piisari still in the temple offering prayers and supplications to the god for deliverance from the spell he was under. As soon as it was sufficiently light for him to see his way, he left the temple and went down into the village A hope had risen in his breast that his prayers may have been answered, and he was anxious to ascertain whether he was still invisible. The hope was soon dispelled. As he passed the door of a hut, an old man came out yawning and stretching his arms, and though the piisdri stood right before him, took no notice of him. Filled with despair, the piiadri went to his own house and sat in the porch, a prey to the gloomiest, most miserable thoughts. He occupied himself in watching Yallee. The overwhelming grief and agitation of the preceding day had passed off, leaving her listless, unhappy, and restless. She was trying to attend to her household duties ; but her thoughts were elsewhere, for she sighed frequently and her eyes filled with tears very often. Every now and then she went to the door and glanced out. On one such occasion she uttered an exclamation of surprise. Ou looking out, the piisari saw several men and women whom he recognised as some of his relatives, who lived in a village at some dis tance, coming towards him. , Gn entering the house, one or two of the newcomers saluted Vallee curtly and coldly, but the rest took no notice of her. Abashed and pained by their conduct, Vallee retired to a corner and waited to see what they had come for. It was soon evident they had heard of the pus&ri’s disappearance, and they were come to see about his property; being persuaded he would never come back. After a while, they began to examine the house and to make a sort of rough inventory of what it contained. * What are you doing, uncle ?’ asked Vallee of one of them, a thin, ferrety.faced man, who was her father’s brother. The man made no reply. Presently he caught sight of the piisati’s strong-box in a corner of the hut, and turning to her, abruptly demanded the key. ‘My father keeps if,’ she replied. ‘Do not name your father to us !’ said her, uncle sharply. ‘ We have cast him off; we disown him.’ * But not his property, it appears,’ retorted Yallee with spirit. ‘And I tell you, Sinnan Ummiyan, it will not be well for you when-my father comes home and hears what you have said of him !’ ‘ Dare you mock me, daughter of a raurdarer !’ exclaimed her, uncle, as he gave her a sharp box on the ear. Vallee did not cry out or burst into tears, but drawing herself up walked silently and proudly out of the house and disappeared into the jungle. Great was the disgust of the piisari at the conduct of his rapacious and selfish relatives and his indignation at their treatment of his daughter. Muttering wrathfully to himself that he would make them regret it if he ever regained his human form, he got up and went out after Vallee. As he entered the jungle at the spot where he had seen her disappear, he heard a voice that he instantly recognised—it was that of Valan Elvivan. Vallee had just met her lover. ‘ What is the matter, sweet one ?’ he heard Valan say. ‘ Are you crying tor your father ?’ ‘ Aiyo, aiyo !’ wailed the girl. ‘I shall never see him again !’ ‘Do not give way to such thoughts, little one,’ replied Valan. ‘He will certainly return. He has probably gone to some distant village on sudden and important business.’ ‘O Valan.’ exclaimed Vallee, ‘then you don’t think—you do not believe that he—killed the headman ?’ c No, I do not, Puliya knows, ’ returned her lover gravely. * ’Twas some stranger, no doubt, that did the rascally deed. Your father will doubtless return soon and prove his innocence. Were those some of your people who came to your house just now?’ he added. t Vallee explained who they were, and told him of her uno'e’s treatment of her. ‘ Never mind, child,’ he said soothingly, when she had finished speaking. ‘ Should anything have happened to your father, and he not return, I will take you to my house as my wife ; and we will go and live in some distant village where nothing is known about either of us, and no one can say malicious things of us. What say you, sweet one ?' Vallee made no reply and no protest when he tenderly embraced her. They continued to talk together for some minutes. When they separated, the piisari followed Valan home, as he wished to see what his enemy was doing. As they entered the house, the piisari saw.lyau hastily hide some money be had been fingering, in hia waist-cloth. Valan, too, saw his brother’s action ; lie did not say anything, however, t li he had deposited his jungle-knife in a corner; then, without look- 1 ing round, he said quietly : ‘ Elder brother, where did you get that money ?’ ‘ What money ?’ blustered Iyan. * That which you have in your waistcloth.’ ‘I have had a debt repaid,' growled Iyan after a short pause. ‘What debt?’ persisted Valan. ‘I did not know anyone owed you anything.’ Iyan grunted angrily, but made no answer. ‘ Where were you the day before yesterday, when the mudliya was murdered?’ continued Valan in a stern, grave tone, and looking keenly at his brother. ‘And why,’ he continued, when he received no answer, ‘ did you change your cloth when you came

home that night, and wash the one you had been wearing? And why, too, did you 2* ‘ Mind your own business !' interrupted Iyan fiercely, as he got up and walked oat. ‘You had better not spy on me, Valan Eluvan; or I will make you repent it!’ For some minutes after his brother had gone, Valan sat looking thoughtfully out of the doo-, evidently turning something over in his mind; then he got up and carefully searched the hut, examining with great care a cloth he found in a corner. He appeared not to be satisfied with what he saw, for he shook his head, and muttered two or three ti res to himself in a tone of sorrow and misgiving. : , t v The whole of that day "the piisari wandered restlessly about, spending moat of the time, however, in and about his own house. By noon, his relatives had quite settled down in his house. It was clear they had no expectation of his ever returning, and had, therefore, constituted themselves his heirs. They did not treat Vallee with cruelty or harshness, but simply ignored her, or treated her as if she was dependent on them. Early in the afterneon, the young headman whom the piisari had seen at Mdukiim the previous day, came to the village armed with a warrant. He was accompanied by several men, who searched his house carefully, but of course found nothing to incriminate him. They seized, however, the pueari’B gun, and two or three jungle-knives that were in the house. Vallee's distress and indignation at the action of the headman and bi 3 satellites was great; but she restrained herself, and made no protest or remark of any kind. Tho piis&ri learned from the conversation of the * unwelcome visitor? that men had been sent to all the neighbouring villages in search of him. Night at length came on. The pusari hung about the village till every one had retired to rest. . Suddenly the idea occurred to him to go iii search of the pieasi village in the haunted jungle. He started off at once, and before long found himself in a part of the jungle which he knew could not be very far from the scene of'his dreadful night’s adventure. But though he wandered about all night and climbed two or three trees, in the hope of seeing the glare of the magic fire, he found nothing. Though he knew himself to be invisible, and therefore perfectly safe, he could not overcome the sensation of fear when ho heard the fierce cries of wild beasts in the dark, lonely forest. He listened anxiously to the crashing and trumpeting of a herd of elephants in the jungle near him, and to the grating roar of a leopard seeking its prey. He fairly fled when he heard the whimpering of a couple of bears coming along the path towards him. When the morning broke, he returned to the village. Several days passed, and the piisari remained invisible to mortal eyes. He suffered neither from hunger nor thirst nor fatigue, and required no sleep. Aimlessly and ceaselessly, he wandered about, sunk in the lowest depths of misery and despair. His great wish was to find the pisasi village again, as he hoped that, in some way, the spell might be - removed from him. Night after night he entered the forest and wandered about till daybreak with eyes and ears open for any sign of the presence of pisaais; but though, before long, he knew every path and game-track, and almost every tree for miles round, he could not find again the haunted jungle. Sometimes, when tired of his fruitless midnight wanderings, he would go to the rice-fields and sib by the blazing fires in the watch-huts and listen to the talk of the men and boys guarding the crops from the wild beasts. During the day he haunted the village, entering all the huts unseen, and listening to the conversation of the villagers. Often he laughed to himself as he overheard secrets disclosed, weaknesses exposed, and designs laid bare, by men and women who thought themselves alone and safe from eavesdropping. The excitement about the murder of the headman soon died out, and it ceased to be the absorbing theme of conversation in the ’ village. The piiadri was supposed to have got safely off to some distant country with his booty. During this time, the j luari watched his enemy unceafeirigly, his feelings of hatred and desire for vengeafice growing deeper every day. Iyan was ffio cunning a villain to excite suspicion by showing his ill-gotten wealth, and he had not as yet profited much by his crime. Every evening the piisari watched him go ipto the jungle and gloat over the money and jewels he had hidden in the hollow tree. The pusari alsc kept an untiring, loving watch over (his daughter. His brother and family had by this time taken complete possession of his house and property. Vallee felt keenly their rapacious proceedings aud unkind treatment of her, for her father more than once saw her, with tears of mortification and indignation iD her eyes, rush out of the house into the jungle. But she very often met there one who dried her tears quickly and easily. Valan appeared to be always on the watch for her, and met her so often and so openly, that it soon became the talk of the village. Many sneered at him for a fool to think of marrying a portionless girl, a* they now thought her, and also the daughter of a murderer. It soon became clear to the piisari that matters were coming to a crisis, and that Valan, stung into resentment and defiance by the remarks of the villagers, and pitying Vallee’s distress and unhappiness, would soon make her his wife and take her away. Valan’s generous and honourable conduct towards his daughter, and his expression of belief in his innocence, had completely won the piisari’s heart. He saw with approval and pleasure the relations between the two, and the thought that his daughter would soon be provided for, helped in considerable measure to reconcile him to-his unhappy fate. It happene t one night that the piisari in one of his nocturnal rambles found himself at the river. It was now the height of the hot season, and the river was almost dry. Near where the path orossed the river was a small pool, the only water for miles around ; to this the pusari went, and seated on the bank above, watched the wild animals coming to drink. It was a bright moonlight night, and the light reflected from the white sandy bed of tbe river made everything clearly visible.- First came a pair of porcu” pines, which played about and chased each other, rattling their quills noisily, till the sudden appearance of an old she-pear with a

«ub on her back put them to flight. The bear drank and shuffled off ; and then, with noiseless, Btoalthy step, a leopard glided out of the jangle into the moonlight. It looked about with its cruel, round gleaming eyes for a few moments, and then, lying down on ats stomach, lapped its fill of water. Afterwards came a herd of wild pigs, suspicious •and wary, followed by a number of graceful spotted deer. As these were drinking, a eiight noise in the distance caused them all to throw up their heads and listen in attitudes of alarm, and then to disappear in the jungle like shadows. A few moments later, with heavy but silent-tread, a herd of elephants came along the river and drank at the pool, throwing copious showers of water over themselves with' their trunks afterwards. The piisari had i by this time quite lost all fear of wild animals, so he sat and watched them with pleasure and in perfect security. Suddenly the piisari started to his feet, and with starting eyes and beating heart, gazed at something in the distance that had caught his eye. It was a brilliant glare of Sight over the trees. It' was* tho pisilsi village at last ! Without a moment's hesitation, and breathless with anxiety, he hurried off in the direction of the light, going straight through the jungle towards it. Nearer and nearer appeared the light, till at last, with joy end exultation in his heart, he stepped out of the jungle into the wellremembered enchanted bazaar. But instead of the unearthly silence that bad reigned in the bazaar the last time he was there, it was now filled with uproar. No particular sounds were distinguishable; but horrid ' shrieks and yells, awful execrations and hideous sounds of every sort filled the air. Instead of taking no notioe of him as before, the pisasis glared balefully at him, and seemed to snarl and show their teeth. The creatures in the shape of cattle and dogs followed him threateninglyand numbers of evil-looking birds and loathsome creatures with wings flapped and fluttered about hi 3 head.. But undaunted and undeterred, the pusiri walked steadily on, searching for the old she pisilsi’s stall where he had drunk the magic potion. At last he found it. There sat the old hag, blinking and leering with the same hollow gourd of water before her. Seizing it, the piisari drained it to his lips, and in spite of the awful din that instantly arose, drained it to the bottom. A 3 he put it down empty, be fell to the ground insensible. It was daylight when he recovered and staggered to his feet. He remembered instantly what had happened during the night, and was filled with intense anxiety to ascertain whether his experiment had broken the spell that had bound him. He gazed at his arms and legs, and it seemed to him that they v. ere real flesh and blood. He pinched them, and was sure he had felt the sensation. A thrill of joy passed through him, for he felt certain that he had recovered his human form. Taking his bearings by the sur>, he made his way rapidly through the jungle to the river. As he descended the bank, he came upon a herd of deer, and it was with rapture that he saw them gaze in alarm at him and then dash hastily away. As he walked along the ’ bed of the river, he noticed with intense satisfaction that he now had a shadow ! There wus no longer any doubt, and in the gladness of his heart, the piisdri began to sing at the top of his voice. As he turned into the path leading to Pandiyan, he caught sight of a man coming towards him ; a moment later, he saw it was Valan Eliivan. On seeing the pueari, the young man stopped and looked at him in astonishment. After a moment’s hesitation, he came forward. ‘ Why iya, where have you been ?’ he exclaimed. ‘ I cannot tell you now, Valan,’ replied the piisari. ‘ I am anxious to get to Pandiyan. Come with me, and I will tell you all.’ ‘Then you are nob afraid to go to the village, iya ?’ said Valan hesitatingly. ‘No. Why should I?’ ‘Have you not heard, then, of the murder of the mudliya ana what is said about it ?’ * Yes, yes ! I know all about it, and who the murderer is.’ Valan glanced quickly and searchingly at the piisari. * Ay, and I know more than that,' continued the piisari, returning his glance with a smile. ‘I know how you have been making love to my daughter in my absence, and heard every word you said to her !’ Valan looked puzzled and confounded, but said nothing ; and the two walked on together in silence, each buried in his own thoughts. Valan was wondering whether the piisari could possibly have been hidden in the jungle near his house all the time, and thus overheard his interviews with Vallee. He was also trying to account for his friendly manner towards him,'so different from his former behaviour. He could not help feeling that the piisari was only feigning friendliness, and that lie had some deep design in view, especially .when he thought over his remark, that he knew who was the murderer of tbe headman ; and who that was he felt only too sure—his own brother, and the other’s deadly enemy. Meanwhile, - the piisari, filled with joyful thoughts and anticipations, strode along at suck a rate that Valan could scarcely keep up with him. At length they reached Pandiyan. A number of the villagers were standing about, and they no sooner saw who it was that accompanied Valan than the cry was raised : ‘The piisAri has come back!’ and men, women, and children came running out of the houses, filled with astonishment and excitement. Vallee, however, was not to be seen, though both the men looked round for her. Without taking notice of anybody, the piisari walked through the village, pant his own house, to Iyan Eliivan’s hut. Valan followed, grave and silent. The puaari’s face was hard and stern as he entered the house. A glance round showed him there was no one there ; it was, however, in great disorder, and something lying on the floor caught bis eye. It wais. a torn fragment of cloth, and near ib lay a knife, its point stained with blood. The piisari picked them up and examined them; then, without a word, and followed by Valan and an intensely curious and excited but silent crowd of villagers, he left the hut, and entering the jungle at its back, made his way to the hollow tree where Iyan had

(hidden the Valuables he had robbed the mudliya of. As the party neared the spot, | a loud cry rose from the villagers, for lying fat the foot of the tree was a dark object; it I was the body of Iyan Eliivan ! [ Uttering an exclamation of horror, Valan knelb beside his brother and laid his hand 1 upon his heart. The body was still quite ! warm, but Iyan was quite dead. His right hand was bound up with a‘‘strip of cloth. On this being unwound by Valan, a couple of small punctured wounds were discernible in the fleshy part of the fchilmb. Cries of, ‘ltis a snake-bite l He has been bitten by a snake !’ rose from the villagers crowding round, for they all recognised the marks. Meanwhile the piisari, with the assistance of a stick, had drawn the bundle out of a hollow in the tree. With it came the freshly shed skin of a cobra, and it was at once seen how Iyan had come by his death-. A cobra had taken up its abode in the hollow where lyau had placed his ill-gotten treasure, and on hia attempting to withdraw it, had bitten him in the hand, lyau hai then gone back to bis house, and lanced and washed the wound and bouud up his hand ; but feeling the approach of death had. crawled back to the tree, but for what purpose was never known, and had there expired. Openiog tbe bundle, the pu?;iri displayed to the astonished gaze of the villagers the mouey and jewels it contained. E/ery one of them knew at once that it wa3 the stolen property of the murdered headman ; but h w it came to bo hidden in the tree and what Iyan had to do with it they were at a loss to guess. And now the pit Ari spoke, and in a few words told them all that had happened to him since they had last seen him. They listened eagerly and attentively, and believed every word. They frequently interrupted his story of what he had seen in the village with exclamations of horror and amazement, and when he had finished, they one and all loudly expressed their aaiisfac tion at his retain, and belief in his innocence. The whole party then returned to the village, carrying the body of Iyan, and taking with them the recovered treasure. The piisari went at once in search daughter, and soon found her in the thrashing-ground in the fields winnowing rice. The meeting was a very happy one. Vallee’s delight and joy knew no bounds. Could it have been possible to increase her happiness at her fathor’s return, the assurance he now gave her of regard for Valan Eliivan and his approval of him as her future husband, would have done so. The piisAri’s next step was to go home, accompanied by Vallee, and iu, a few cold, bitter words, to upbraid his relatives for their conduct and order them to leave his house at once. Ashamed and abashed, they went away without any attempt at explanation or apology. That afternoon the young headman who had before inquired into the murder arrived at BaudiyAn and at once instituted inquiries. The result was that the piisAri’s innocence was established and the dead man's guilt proved. Tbe headman took charge of the stolen properly. ‘Truly, iya,’ he said to the piisari as he departed, ‘ you have much to be thankful for. Only by the favour of Piiliya have you escaped from the wiles of the pisasis, and from the snare that Iyan Eliivan laid for you. ’Tis well, indeed to be a favourite of the god. May you be happy and prosper !’ Before many days, Valan and Vallee were married, and went to live in an adjoining village. Relieved by the death of his enemy from constant worry and irritation, the piiaari’s temper greatly improved. In course of time he became so much respected and popular, that he was elected headman of the district. The secrets he learned when he wandered about the village invisible, proved to be of great value to him, as he was often able to turn his knowledge to account in his dealings with his fellow-villagers. He became a man of substance. The piisAri’s adventure was the subject of conversation through the whole country round for many weeks, and for a long time not a man, woman, or child, dared enter the jungle after nightfall. Bat though in course of time the fear of the pisasis wore off, and on several occasions villagers were lost in the forest and wandered about there all night, no one ever found again the Haunted J ungle. [The End.]