be done to appease it. Some
suggested that upon every tree trunk should be scratched appealing
messages, which the Nat might read; others were in favour of placing a
huge heap of spears and swords near the spot where the embodied Nat had
been seen in order that it might be tempted to destroy all those who
urged it to injure them. The messages and weapons, however, when placed
for the Nat to observe did no good, for one dreadful night a rattling
was heard of the bamboos, which lay before one of the Kachyen's huts,
and the man, going hastily to see what caused it, was swiftly carried
away in the darkness without apparently uttering a single cry! For many
nights in succession a similar scene was enacted, for he at whose door
the dire summons came dared not refuse to answer it lest the whole
household might perish.

"Nothing more was ever seen of those thus strangely carried off, and the
Kachyens, each of whom feared that his own end might come next,
determined to consult some famous Buddhist priests who dwelt not far
from them, and who held charge over the famous marble slabs which the
great War Prince of Burmah had caused to be engraved concerning their
illustrious traditions. The man whom ye saw me conversing with by the
stockade was the one whom the tribe intrusted with the task; but the
priests, after much consideration among themselves of the object of his
visit, refused to have anything to do with such a tragic affair, and
thereupon dismissed their suppliant.

[Illustration: "THE BUDDHIST PRIESTS."]

"This Kachyen, when sorrowfully returning towards the hills, fearing
that the tribe would destroy him because of his non-success, chanced to
meet on his way a Mogul, to whom he repeated the story. The latter,
laying his hand on his red-dyed and fierce-looking beard, advised the
Kachyen to enter a hole in the mountain side and to consult a famous
Maw-Sayah, or juggler, who dwelt there. This juggler promised assistance
if the tribe would pay him a great reward in the event of his success,
and when they agreed to this he entered the village and waited for dusk
to arrive. Again the dreadful rattling was heard, and another Kachyen
stepped out to meet his fate. None of the tribe dared to look at what
transpired, except the juggler, and he too disappeared! The next
morning, however, he came into the village and called its inhabitants
together. When they had solemnly agreed to his conditions, he stated
that the Nat was bent u