To return to our story; the doctor asked the patient who he was.
"I shall tell you that after I have had my roast mutton and the vegetables--" said the boy or rather the ghost.
"But how can we be convinced that you are General ----" asked the doctor.
"Call Captain X---- of the XI Brahmans and he will know," said the ghost, "in the meantime get me the food or I shall kill the patient."
The father of the patient at once began to shout that he would get the mutton and the vegetables. The Doctor in the meantime rushed out to procure some more medical assistance as well as to fetch Captain X of the XI Brahmans.
The few big European officers of the station were also informed and within a couple of hours the sick-room was full of sensible educated gentle men. The mutton was in the meantime ready.
"Lower it into the well in the compound" said the ghost.
A basket was procured and the mutton and the vegetables were lowered into the well.
But scarcely had the basket gone down 5 yards (the well was 40 feet deep) when somebody from inside the well shouted.
"Take it away--take it away--there is no salt in it."
Those that were responsible for the preparation had to admit their mistake.
The basket was pulled out, some salt was put in, and the basket was lowered down again.
But as the basket went in about 5 or 6 yards somebody from inside the well pulled it down with such force that the man who was lowering it narrowly escaped being dragged in; fortunately he let the rope slip through his hands with the result that though he did not fall into the well his hands were bleeding profusely.
Nothing happened after that and everybody returned to the patient.
After a few minutes silence the patient said:--
"Take away the rope and the basket, why did you not tie the end of the rope to the post."
"Why did you pull it so hard" said one of the persons present.
"I was hungry and in a hurry" said the ghost.
They asked several persons to go down into the well but nobody would. At last a fishing hook was lowered down. The basket, which had at first completely disappeared, was now floating on the surface of the water. It was brought up, quite empty.
Captain X in the meantime had arrived and was taken to the patient. Two high officials of Government (both Europeans) had also arrived.