BENEATH TROPIC SEAS 



wind, cool and bracing, ran up the valley beneath 

 me, laden with the scent of pines which were grow- 

 ing still higher and as yet invisible. Junonia but- 

 terflies fluttered under my horse's hoofs, no differ- 

 ent, as far as I could see, from those of Sandukphu, 

 warming themselves on the rocks in full view of 

 Everest. We pushed past tall blackberries and 

 flaming cardinal flowers. 



Our objective, the gendarmerie at Furcy, was 

 on an out jutting ledge, the land dropping steeply 

 away in every direction except the saddle of the 

 trail. As I rested on the verandah grackles clacked 

 in the distance and great doves cooed from the pines. 



I walked far down to a stream in the bottom 

 valley, a tiny stream meandering among an out- 

 cropping of volcanic rocks, which formed jolly 

 swimming holes and tinkling waterfalls. A north- 

 ern water-thrush dipped here and there. Every- 

 where were the same eagle ferns which I had seen 

 in China, India, in the woods of New Jersey and 

 in the Malay States. As regards fish my trip 

 was a complete failure, for not a minnow swam 

 here, but I forgot this in the next second in the 

 strange familiarity of my surroundings. Beetles, 

 striders and water boatmen there were in abun- 

 dance and many small aquatic snails. 



Before dinner time we were glad to have logs 

 roaring in the fireplace, and when we walked in 

 the cold wind of early evening we needed all the 

 sweaters and coats which, with such reluctance, 

 we had strapped to our saddles. 



112 



