the various acts of oppression which he committed, none
dared to approach the chief's mansion even in broad daylight. In order
to exorcise the Bhut, Jogis, Fakirs and Brahmans were sent for from
many different places; but whoever attempted the cure was immediately
assailed by the Bhut in the chief's body, and that so furiously
that the exorcist's courage failed him. The Bhut would also cause
the chief to tear the flesh off his own arms with his teeth. Besides
this, four or five persons died of injuries received from the Bhut;
but nobody had the power to expel him. At length a foreign Jyotishi
(astrologer) came who had a great reputation for charms and magic,
and the chief sent for him and paid him honour. First he tied all
round the house threads which he had charged with a charm; then he
sprinkled charmed milk and water all round; then he drove a charmed
iron nail into the ground at each corner of the mansion, and two at the
door. He purified the house and continued his charms and incantations
for forty-one days, every day making sacrifices at the cemetery to the
Bhut's spirit. The Joshi lived in a room securely fastened up; but
people say that while he was muttering his charms stones would fall
and strike the windows. Finally the Joshi brought the chief, who had
been living in a separate room, and tried to exorcise the spirit. The
patient began to be very violent, but the Joshi and his people spared
no pains in thrashing him until they had rendered him quite docile. A
sacrificial fire-pit was made and a lemon placed between it and the
chief. The Joshi commanded the Bhut to enter the lime. The possessed,
however, said, 'Who are you; if one of your Deos (gods) were to come,
I would not quit this person.' Thus they went on from morning till
noon. At last they came outside, and, burning various kinds of incense
and sprinkling many charms, the Bhut was got out into the lemon. When
the lemon began to jump about, the whole of the spectators praised
the Joshi, crying out: 'The Bhut has gone into the lemon! The Bhut
has gone into the lemon!' The possessed person himself, when he saw
the lemon hopping about, was perfectly satisfied that the Bhut had
left his body and gone out into the lemon. The Joshi then drove the
lemon outside the city, followed by drummers and trumpeters; if the
lemon left the road, he would touch it with his stick and put it into
the right way again. On the track they sprinkled mustard and salt and
finally