The White Goat 263 



to bed, turned down the bed clothes, and saw 

 there, not what I feared, but cockroaches to the 

 number of several thousand, I should think. 

 They scampered frantically, jostling each other 

 like any other crowd. Then I lifted one pillow 

 and watched more cockroaches hurry under the 

 neighboring pillow for shelter. Then I saw that 

 the walls, ceiling, and floor were all quivering 

 and sparkling with cockroaches. So I told the 

 landlord downstairs. I said that if he had no 

 other room, I would throw my camp blankets 

 on the office table and sleep there if he had no 

 objection. He was sympathetic, and explained 

 that the cockroaches must have come up from 

 the kitchen which was below my room. This 

 was Saturday night, and every Saturday night 

 the cook put powder in the kitchen ; so that must 

 have sent them up. This explanation was given 

 me in a voice full of condolence. And I replied 

 that very likely this was how they came and that 

 sleeping in bed with so many at a time would 

 be impossible. He entirely agreed with me. 

 ' Yes,' he said, ' cockroaches is hell.' . . . 



" So I unrolled my blankets and the landlord 

 helped me make my bed on his office table, lift- 

 ing the inkstands and newspapers for me. . . . 



