ace; and somehow
I did not feel pleased any more than I did at the major taking such
pains to have me looked after like a little boy.

"These young chaps are so thoughtless," continued the major. "They run
into danger before they know where they are, and then, when they are in
the midst of it, they forget to be cool."

"Oh, I shall be careful, sir," I said pettishly.

"You think so, of course," said the major. "I suppose you will not be
back till quite late. Like an escort to meet you?"

"Oh no, it is not necessary," said Brace.

"Hullo! Where's Barton?" cried the doctor. "Any one seen him?"

"Not coming," said the major quietly.

"Not coming?"

"No; he sent me a line last thing to say he preferred not to go."

I heard Brace draw his breath in a hissing way, and then he hesitated
and descended from the buggy to speak to the major, who said aloud--

"No, no! If he likes to turn disagreeable, let him. There, be off, and
a good day's sport to you. Here, Vincent, try if you can't manage a
skin rug for yourself this time, and don't any of you waste your charges
on small game. You are sure to scare the big away."

We promised, and five minutes after were going at a pretty good pace
along the main road, each vehicle with a native driver, and a man
running at the horses' heads as well.

We had about fifteen miles to go along the road to a point where
elephants or horses would be in waiting for us, sent by the rajah from
his jungle palace. Then we should leave the buggies and the main road,
to follow a track leading up to the rajah's place, where he often went,
to be out of the heat and dust of the city, in which every pair of feet
was kicking up the dust all day long, till it was as if the lower part
of the town was shrouded in a dense stratum of fog twelve or fourteen
feet thick.

We had been riding for some time at a rapid rate before we began to note
a change in the surroundings. First a tree would stand out in a pale
grey ghostly way; then a clump of high cane-like grass would loom out
like something solid, and then, on turning round, I could see a pale
grey light in the sky, which rapidly turned to pale crimson, and then to
deep ruddy gold, as up came the sun almost at once, the change from
night to day being rapid there.

For some little time now we had been ascending; and getting into a part
clear of trees, we were suddenly aware of a tent pitched in the shade of
a mango tope, and close by, qu