haunter:——“Thereisacorpseinthenextroom，andthere’samadgirlinthenextbutone，andthewomanandmanonthatcamelhavejustelopedfromaplacesixtymilesaway，“thehearerwouldnotdisbelievebecausehewouldknowthatnothingistoowild，grotesque，orhorribletohappeninadak-bungalow。
　　Thiscredulity，unfortunately，extendstoghosts。Arationalpersonfreshfromhisownhousewouldhaveturnedonhissideandslept。Ididnot。SosurelyasIwasgivenupasabadcarcassbythescoresofthingsinthebedbecausethebulkofmybloodwasinmyheart，sosurelydidIheareverystrokeofalonggameatbilliardsplayedintheechoingroombehindtheiron-barreddoor。
　　Mydominantfearwasthattheplayersmightwantamarker。Itwasanabsurdfear；becausecreatureswhocouldplayinthedarkwouldbeabovesuchsuperfluities。Ionlyknowthatthatwasmyterror；
　　anditwasreal。
　　Afteralong，longwhilethegamestopped，andthedoorbanged。I
　　sleptbecauseIwasdeadtired。OtherwiseIshouldhavepreferredtohavekeptawake。NotforeverythinginAsiawouldIhavedroppedthedoor-barandpeeredintothedarkofthenextroom。
　　Whenthemorningcame，IconsideredthatIhaddonewellandwisely，andinquiredforthemeansofdeparture。
　　“Bytheway，khansamah，“Isaid，“whatwerethosethreedooliesdoinginmycompoundinthenight？“
　　“Therewerenodoolies，“saidthekhansamah。
　　Iwentintothenextroomandthedaylightstreamedthroughtheopendoor。Iwasimmenselybrave。Iwould，atthathour，haveplayedBlackPoolwiththeownerofthebigBlackPooldownbelow。
　　“Hasthisplacealwaysbeenadak-bungalow？“Iasked。
　　“No，“saidthekhansamah。“Tenortwentyyearsago，Ihaveforgottenhowlong，itwasabilliardroom。“
　　“Ahowmuch？“
　　“AbilliardroomfortheSahibswhobuilttheRailway。IwaskhansamahtheninthebighousewherealltheRailway-Sahibslived，andIusedtocomeacrosswithbrandy-shrab。Thesethreeroomswereallone，andtheyheldabigtableonwhichtheSahibsplayedeveryevening。ButtheSahibsarealldeadnow，andtheRailwayruns，yousay，nearlytoKabul。“
　　“DoyourememberanythingabouttheSahibs？“
　　“Itislongago，butIrememberthatoneSahib，afatmanandalwaysangry，wasplayinghereonenight，andhesaidtome:——
　　’MangalKhan，brandy-panido，’andIfilledtheglass，andhebentoverthetabletostrike，andhisheadfelllowerandlowertillithitthetable，andhisspectaclescameoff，andwhenwe——theSahibsandImyself——rantolifthimhewasdead。Ihelpedtocarryhimout。Aha，hewasastrongSahib！ButheisdeadandI，oldMangalKhan，amstillliving，byyourfavor。“
　　Thatwasmorethanenough！Ihadmyghost——afirsthand，authenticatedarticle。IwouldwritetotheSocietyforPsychicalResearch——IwouldparalyzetheEmpirewiththenews！ButIwould，firstofall，puteightymilesofassessedcroplandbetweenmyselfandthatdak-bungalowbeforenightfall。TheSocietymightsendtheirregularagenttoinvestigatelateron。
　　Iwentintomyownroomandpreparedtopackafternotingdownthefactsofthecase。AsIsmokedIheardthegamebeginagain，——withamissinbalkthistime，forthewhirwasashortone。
　　ThedoorwasopenandIcouldseeintotheroom。Click——c1ick！
　　Thatwasacannon。Ienteredtheroomwithoutfear，fortherewassunlightwithinandafreshbreezewithout。Theunseengamewasgoingonatatremendousrate。Andwellitmight，whenarestlesslittleratwasrunningtoandfroinsidethedingyceiling-cloth，andapieceofloosewindow-sashwasmakingfiftybreaksoffthewindow-boltasitshookinthebreeze！
　　Impossibletomistakethesoundofbilliardballs！Impossibletomistakethewhirofaballovertheslate！ButIwastobeexcused。EvenwhenIshutmyenlightenedeyesthesoundwasmarvelouslylikethatofafastgame。
　　Enteredangrilythefaithfulpartnerofmysorrows，KadirBaksh。
　　“Thisbungalowisverybadandlow-caste！NowonderthePresencewasdisturbedandisspeckled。Threesetsofdoolie-bearerscametothebungalowlatelastnightwhenIwassleepingoutside，andsaidthatitwastheircustomtorestintheroomssetapartfortheEnglishpeople！Whathonorhasthekhansamah？Theytriedtoenter，butItoldthemtogo。Nowonder，iftheseOoriashavebeenhere，thatthePresenceissorelyspotted。Itisshame，andtheworkofadirtyman！“
　　KadirBakshdidnotsaythathehadtakenfromeachgangtwoannasforrentinadvance，andthen，beyondmyearshot，hadbeatenthemwiththebiggreenumbrellawhoseuseIcouldneverbeforedivine。
　　ButKadirBakshhasnonotionsofmorality。
　　Therewasaninterviewwiththekhansamah，butashepromptlylosthishead，wrathgaveplacetopity，andpityledtoalongconversation，inthecourseofwhichheputthefatEngineer-
　　Sahib’stragicdeathinthreeseparatestations——twoofthemfiftymilesaway。ThethirdshiftwastoCalcutta，andtheretheSahibdiedwhiledrivingadogcart。
　　IfIhadencouragedhimthekhansamahwouldhavewanderedallthroughBengalwithhiscorpse。
　　IdidnotgoawayassoonasIintended。Istayedforthenight，whilethewindandtheratandthesashandthewindow-boltplayedading-dong“hundredandfiftyup。“Thenthewindranoutandthebilliardsstopped，andIfeltthatIhadruinedmyonegenuine，hall-markedghoststory。
　　HadIonlystoppedatthepropertime，IcouldhavemadeANYTHING
　　outofit。
　　Thatwasthebitterestthoughtofall！
　　TheSendingofDanaDaWhentheDevilridesonyourchest，rememberthechamar——
　　NativeProverb。
　　OnceuponatimesomepeopleinIndiamadeanewheavenandanewearthoutofbrokenteacups，amissingbroochortwo，andahairbrush。Thesewerehiddenunderbushes，orstuffedintoholesinthehillside，andanentirecivilserviceofsubordinategodsusedtofindormendthemagain；andeveryonesaid:“Therearemorethingsinheavenandearththanaredreamedofinourphilosophy。“
　　Severalotherthingshappenedalso，butthereligionneverseemedtogetmuchbeyonditsfirstmanifestations；thoughitaddedanair-linepostaldak，andorchestraleffectsinordertokeepabreastofthetimes，andstalloffcompetition。
　　Thisreligionwastooelasticforordinaryuse。Itstretcheditselfandembracedpiecesofeverythingthatmedicinemenofallageshavemanufactured。ItapprovedandstolefromFreemasonry；
　　lootedtheLatter-dayRosicruciansofhalftheirpetwords；tookanyfragmentsofEgyptianphilosophythatitfoundintheEncyclopaediaBritannica；annexedasmanyoftheVedasashadbeentranslatedintoFrenchorEnglish，andtalkedofalltherest；
　　builtintheGermanversionsofwhatisleftoftheZendAvesta；
　　encouragedwhite，gray，andblackmagic，includingSpiritualism，palmistry，fortune-tellingbycards，hotchestnuts，double-kernelednutsandtallowdroppings；wouldhaveadoptedVoodooandOboehaditknownanythingaboutthem，andshoweditself，ineveryway，oneofthemostaccommodatingarrangementsthathadeverbeeninventedsincethebirthofthesea。
　　Whenitwasinthoroughworkingorder，withallthemachinerydowntothesubscriptionscomplete，DanaDacamefromnowhere，withnothinginhishands，andwroteachapterinitshistorywhichhashithertobeenunpublished。HesaidthathisfirstnamewasDana，andhissecondwasDa。Now，settingasideDanaoftheNewYorkSun，DanaisaBhilname，andDafitsnonativeofIndiaunlessyouaccepttheBengaliDeastheoriginalspelling。DaisLaporFinnish；andDanaDawasneitherFinn，Chin，Bhil，Bengali，Lap，Nair，Gond，Romaney，Magh，Bokhariot，Kurd，Armenian，Levantine，Jew，Persian，Punjabi，Madrasi，Parsee，noranythingelseknowntoethnologists。HewassimplyDanaDa，anddeclinedtogivefurtherinformation。Forthesakeofbrevity，andasroughlyindicatinghisorigin，hewascalled“TheNative。“HemighthavebeentheoriginalOldManoftheMountains，whoissaidtobetheonlyauthorizedheadoftheTeacupCreed。Some，peoplesaidthathewas；butDanaDausedtosmileanddenyanyconnectionwiththecult；explainingthathewasan“independentexperimenter。“
　　AsIhavesaid，hecamefromnowhere，withhishandsbehindhisback，andstudiedthecreedforthreeweeks；sittingatthefeetofthosebestcompetenttoexplainitsmysteries。Thenhelaughedaloudandwentaway，butthelaughmighthavebeeneitherofdevotionorderision。
　　Whenhereturnedhewaswithoutmoney，buthispridewasunabated。
　　Hedeclaredthatheknewmoreaboutthethingsinheavenandearththanthosewhotaughthim，andforthiscontumacywasabandonedaltogether。
　　HisnextappearanceinpubliclifewasatabigcantonmentinUpperIndia，andhewasthentellingfortuneswiththehelpofthreeleadendice，averydirtyoldcloth，andalittletinboxofopiumpills。Hetoldbetterfortuneswhenhewasallowedhalfabottleofwhisky；butthethingswhichheinventedontheopiumwerequiteworththemoney。Hewasinreducedcircumstances。Amongotherpeople’shetoldthefortuneofanEnglishmanwhohadoncebeeninterestedintheSimlacreed，butwho，lateron，hadmarriedandforgottenallhisoldknowledgeinthestudyofbabiesandExchange。TheEnglishmanallowedDanaDatotellafortuneforcharity’ssake，andgavehimfiverupees，adinner，andsomeoldclothes。Whenhehadeaten，DanaDaprofessedgratitude，andaskediftherewereanythinghecoulddoforhishost——intheesotericline。
　　“Isthereanyonethatyoulove？“saidDanaDa。TheEnglishmanlovedhiswife，buthadnodesiretodraghernameintotheconversation。Hethereforeshookhishead。