d rice to Ava. They were very heavily taxed but, as a rule, were
exempt from conscription. Nevertheless they had, on the present
occasion, been forced to labour at the stockades, and in
transporting food for the troops.

Their forest villages were small. They consisted of little huts,
erected either in trees shorn of their branches, or upon very
strong poles. These abodes were only accessible by rough ladders,
formed by nailing pieces of wood across the trees or poles. This
was absolutely necessary, on account of the number of tigers that
infested the forest. The village where they had halted was,
however, built upon the ground; but was surrounded by a strong
stockade. The people assured Stanley that none of the fugitives
from Mophi had come that way.

There had, they said, been many, after Bandoola's defeat; but they
had seen none, of late. They declared that they had far greater
fear of these than they had of the English; for that they plundered
wherever they went and, if they could not obtain enough to satisfy
their expectations, burnt the houses, and often killed many of the
inhabitants. The villagers volunteered to keep watch all night, at
the gate of the stockade; although they said that there was no fear
of anyone approaching, as strangers could not find their way
through the forest, in the dark and, even could they do so, the
fear of tigers would prevent them from making the attempt. Stanley
agreed to pay some of them to watch, but also stationed one of his
own men as sentry, relieving him every three hours.

An hour after they reached the village, they saw one of the war
boats rowing rapidly up the stream; and had no doubt that it was
bearing a message from Bandoola, saying that he had repulsed the
attack of the British. Beyond hearing the howling of tigers in the
forest, Stanley passed the night undisturbed, except when he went
to change the sentry. Meinik took his share of watching; and
Stanley, himself, relieved him an hour before daybreak.

By the time the sun rose, the horses had been fed and breakfast
taken. After riding some miles, the country became more open.
Cultivated fields succeeded the dense forest. The ground was
higher, and little groups of huts could be seen, wherever a small
elevation rose above the general level. The change was very
welcome, for they were able to travel faster, and there was less
chance of their coming suddenly upon a party of the disbanded
troops.

Presently, just as