12 THE IMAGE OF WAR 



clear to the reader. The house was a peculiar one, 

 consisting, as it did, of three distinct and detached 

 buildings. The principal one consisted of our sitting- 

 room, flanked right and left by two bedrooms. This 

 sitting-room had double doors, both in front and 

 behind, but the latter, never being used, were securely 

 locked, and a table stood in front of and against them. 

 About fifteen feet behind this building stood another, 

 the rooms in which were ajDpropriated as dining-room, 

 spare bedroom, and bath-room. This building was 

 always closed and locked after dinner had been cleared 

 away, and it was so now. Parallel with it, and a few 

 yards to its left, stood a third building, containing the 

 kitchen, servants' quarters, &c. This was also closed 

 at the time, the servants being all indoors. The night 

 was fine and still. 



As I lay reading my back was towards the disused 

 folding-doors and the two little windows which flanked 

 them. Suddenly, without any warning, the little 

 room echoed with the sound of a violent blow, 

 delivered on these doors. I did not trouble to move, 

 but called in the usual Ceylon way, " Boy ! " 



" Sir ! " came the reply, and I heard the kitchen 

 door opened, and directly after my head servant 

 entered the room. 



"What's the meaning of this?" I asked angrily. 

 " Do you think my room is the place for you fellows 

 to play the fool in ? " 



" I don't understand, sir. All the servants are in 

 the kitchen." (My servant spoke English perfectly, if 

 not quite so idiomatically as I have written.) 



" Then, what was that noise ? " 



" Yes, sir ; I heard the noise. I thought it was 

 master." 



