FUTTEHPORE SIKRI. 
175 
torrents of sulphurous rain gushed from the broken 
clouds. A pitchy darkness enveloped them, and the 
Brahmin wisely counselled that, when the light 
nings again revealed the scene, they should look out 
in all directions for some building, in which they 
might shelter themselves, until the violence of the 
hurricane had abated. At that very instant, a flash, 
if possible more vivid than the former, shot in zig- 
zag courses from the zenith to every point of the ho- 
rizon, and continued for several seconds playing with 
fearful brilliancy over the whole country round. Not 
twenty yards in front of them stood the frowning form 
of the Jaod Bhae ; between themselves and the build’ 
ing was plainly revealed to every man among them 
the figure of a being precisely such as had been de- 
scribed by the affrighted women, and, upon its head, it 
carried one of the identical bhojes of cotton. “ Thieves ! 
thieves ! ” “ Choar-log ! choar! ” roared the tchokedars, 
as, sword in hand, they started to their feet, and 
rushed upon the figure ; but, for a second, impene- 
trable darkness had again surrounded them, and 
though, with the velocity of thought, the flashes were 
renewed, the man, or spirit, whichever it might he, 
and the bale of cotton, had vanished, though he 
seemed almost within the grasp of their extended 
hands. No cover was there at that spot where he 
could lie concealed, even if there had been time to 
have fled a pace or two : the space was open, and 
though strewed with fallen masonry and heaps of 
