nd Fritz, from within the
hut, perceiving that they were about to depart upon some new expedition,
managed partially to coax himself out of his ill-humour; and, sallying
forth from his hiding-place, trotted silently after them.

CHAPTER FORTY THREE.

THE PAPER-TREE.

To the great delight of the party, it turned out just as Karl had
conjectured. The thicket that he had spoken of was composed chiefly of
daphne shrubs--judging by the appearance of the fallen leaves, and some
berries that still remained on the branches, Karl believed them to be of
this species. But the bark was also a characteristic: being exceedingly
tenacious, and moreover of a strongly acrid taste--so much so as to
cauterise he skin of Ossaroo's mouth, who had been foolish enough to
chew it too freely.

After duly examining the leaves, berries, and bark, the botanist came to
the conclusion that the shrub must be a true daphne; and so in reality
it was--that species known in Nepaul as the _Daphne Bholua_--from which,
as already stated, the Nepaulese manufacture a coarse, but soft paper.

As soon as this point was determined to their satisfaction, they
resolved upon carrying Caspar's hint into execution--by trying the
experiment of a paper kite.

But for Karl's practical education--which had made him acquainted not
only with the botanical characters of plants and trees, but also with
their uses--and in some cases with the mode of using them--the mere
discovery of the daphne would have availed them nothing. As it stood in
the thicket, it was no more like paper than any of the trees that grew
around it. Indeed, there were many others that would have yielded bark
in broader flakes than it, and much more resembling paper: for that of
the daphne, stripping off as it did in narrow pieces, looked like the
last thing in the world of which to make a kite out of. But Karl knew
the process by which it could be metamorphosed into paper; and without
further delay, he entered upon the performance--the others placing their
services at his disposal, and acting in obedience to his orders.

The knife-blades of all three were called into requisition; and in an
incredibly short space of time, some scores of the little trees were
stripped of their bark--from their roots up to the lower branches. The
trees themselves were not cut down; as that was not necessary. They
could be peeled more readily, as they stood; and for this reason they
were left standing.