56 
THE GOLDEN RIVER. 
said it was a magic stone, and that they could 
see pictures of the future in it. This caused 
great excitement, and the whole group drew 
nearer, and even the tomboy ceased to wave her 
brown legs in the air. I asked if anyone would 
like to look at it, and handed it to our hostess, 
who took it as one might a snake of doubtful 
family. I explained it was best to put it on 
some dark material, and the fair girl ran to 
get a black scarf. The crystal was a large 
pear-shaped drop, quite clear and colourless. 
The woman sat staring at it, whilst the girls 
watched anxiously, and even the young men 
seemed a little nervous. But no pictures came, 
though one by one each of the spectators asked 
to try. 
At this moment an old Indian woman who 
had been sitting huddled in the verandah 
smoking a cigar and listening, came in, and 
asked permission to hold it. I put it into 
her wrinkled brown hand, and she gazed 
intently at it, whilst we watched her silently. 
Suddenly she cried out that there was some¬ 
thing moving in the crystal, then that she saw 
the figure of a white woman swathed in white 
draperies, kneeling in a crouching position, as 
if in supplication. She imitated the attitude, 
whilst her audience shivered in delightful 
horror. ‘And now the figure is altering its 
position, 5 she cried, and imitated it straighten¬ 
ing up, the head thrown back and the arms 
