THE EFFECTS OF "JADO." 97 



guise of ascertaining the truth, and punishing the 

 perpetrator of some supposed bewitchment." 



" And," continued Norman, " often the slightest, 

 most puerile reason is quite sufficient to induce a 

 man to bring the accusation. Anything which will 

 give a colouring to the enmity one person may 

 entertain for another any pretext is sufficient to 

 make others agree with him that he is under an evil 

 influence. If a man gets some ache or pain for 

 which he can't account, or which will not succumb 

 to the nostrums of the village barber, he very fre- 

 quently sets it down to ' Jado,' or some spell which 

 has been worked on him. And if he has any grudge 

 against some poor, harmless old woman, she has 

 every chance of being accused of having bewitched 

 him." 



"Is it always the old women who get the credit?" 

 inquired Hawkes. 



" Not always. Any one who is an enemy of the 

 sufferer, old or young, of either sex, may be sus- 

 pected ; but it is usually the old women who are 

 supposed to be gifted with the power. And as long 

 as they can sway others through fear of its being 

 exercised on them, it's all right, and they reap the 

 benefit of it. But when they are believed to have 

 really done so, it sometimes goes hard with them." 



" Ah ! then," exclaimed Hawkes, " I suppose there 



