eyes.

"Oh, Lord! sir, here's a rum go," ejaculated Job; and just at that
moment a disturbance ensued, and Mahomed came tumbling between us,
followed by a shadowy form with an uplifted spear.

"Allah! Allah!" howled Mahomed, feeling that he had little to hope from
man, "protect me! protect me!"

"Father, it is a black one," said a voice. "What said
'_She-who-must-be-obeyed_' about the black one?"

"She said naught; but slay him not. Come hither, my son."

The man advanced, and the tall shadowy form bent forward and whispered
something.

"Yes, yes," said the other, and chuckled in a rather blood-curdling
tone.

"Are the three white men there?" asked the form.

"Yes, they are there."

"Then bring up that which is made ready for them, and let the men take
all that can be brought from the thing which floats."

Hardly had he spoken when men came running up, carrying on their
shoulders neither more nor less than palanquins--four bearers and two
spare men to a palanquin--and in these it was promptly indicated we were
expected to stow ourselves.

"Well!" said Leo, "it is a blessing to find anybody to carry us after
having to carry ourselves so long."

Leo always takes a cheerful view of things.

There being no help for it, after seeing the others into theirs I
tumbled into my own litter, and very comfortable I found it. It appeared
to be manufactured of cloth woven from grass-fibre, which stretched and
yielded to every motion of the body, and, being bound top and bottom to
the bearing pole, gave a grateful support to the head and neck.

Scarcely had I settled myself when, accompanying their steps with a
monotonous song, the bearers started at a swinging trot. For half an
hour or so I lay still, reflecting on the very remarkable experiences
that we were going through, and wondering if any of my eminently
respectable fossil friends down at Cambridge would believe me if I were
to be miraculously set at the familiar dinner-table for the purpose
of relating them. I do not want to convey any disrespectful notion or
slight when I call those good and learned men fossils, but my experience
is that people are apt to fossilise even at a University if they follow
the same paths too persistently. I was getting fossilised myself, but
of late my stock of ideas has been very much enlarged. Well, I lay and
reflected, and wondered what on earth would be the end of it all, till
at last I ceased to wonder, and went to sleep.