During the evening the hurt had been forgotten but as soon as he was in bed it was found that he could not sleep.  The matter was reported to the Superintendent who finding that there was really nothing the matter with him suggested that the affected parts should be washed with hot water and finally wrapped in heated castor leaves and bandaged over with flannel. (This is the best medicine for gouty pain—­not for hurt caused by a hockey stick).

There was a castor tree in the compound and a servant was despatched to bring the leaves.  In the meantime a few of us went to the kitchen, made a fire and boiled some water.  While thus engaged we heard a noise and a cry for help.  We rushed out and ran along the verandah (corridor) to the place whence the cry came.  It was coming from the room of Prayag, one of the boarders.  We pushed the door but found that it was bolted from inside, we shouted to him to open but he would not.  The door had four glass panes on the top and we discovered that the upper bolt only had been used; as a matter of fact the lower bolts had all been removed, because on closing the door from outside, once it had been found that a bolt at the bottom had dropped into its socket and the door had to be broken before it could be opened.

Prayag’s room was in darkness.  There was a curtain inside and so we could see nothing from outside.  We could hear Prayag groaning.  The Superintendent came up.  To break the glass pane nearest to the bolt was the work of a minute.  The door was opened and we all rushed in.  It was a room 14’x12’; many of us could not, therefore, come in.  When we went in we took a light with us.  It was one of the hurricane lanterns—­the one we had taken to the kitchen.  The lamp suddenly went out.  At the same time a brickbat came rattling down from the roof and fell near my feet, thus I could feel it with my feet and tell what it was.  And Prayag groaned again.  Dr. M.N. came in, and we helped Prayag out of his bed and took him out on the verandah.  Then we saw another brickbat come from the roof of the verandah, and fell in front of Prayag a few inches from his feet.  We took him to the central lawn and stood in the middle of it.  This time a whole solid brick came from the sky.  It fell a few inches from my feet and remained standing on its edge.  If it had toppled over it would have fallen on my toes.

By this time all the boarders had come up.  Prayag stood in the middle of the group shivering and sweating.  A few more brickbats came but not one of us was hurt.  Then the trouble ceased.  We removed Prayag to the Superintendent’s room and put him in the Doctor’s bed.  There were a reading lamp on a stool near the head of the bed and a Holy Bible on it.  The learned Doctor must have been reading it when he was disturbed.  Another bed was brought in and the Doctor passed the night in it.

In the morning came the police.

They found a goodly heap of brickbats and bones in Prayag’s room and on the lawn.  There was an investigation, but nothing came out of it.  The police however explained the matter as follows:—­