A WILDERNESS LABORATORY 167 



And sure enough, we saw Persai'd pulling the 

 purple-striped socks, which had been Sam's de- 

 light, over the unaccustomed ankles of the 

 groom. These were followed by cheap white 

 tennis shoes, causing another ejaculation on the 

 part of Sam. 



" Hello, shoes! " I heard him murmur to him- 

 self. 



Sam always personified those parts of his 

 environment which touched his feelings most 

 deeply, whether clothes, curries, thorns, or gravi- 

 tation. When unloading the tent-boat a few 

 nights before, he had left his shoes on the bank; 

 and during a trip up the hill to Kalacoon they 

 had vanished. For a moment I was not sure 

 that Sam, like the hero in some melodrama, 

 would not rise and forbid the marriage. Then 

 I heard him chuckling and knew that his sense 

 of humor and regard for our evening's enter- 

 tainment had nobly overcome what must have 

 been a very real desire to possess again those 

 gorgeous articles of attire. And, besides, I felt 

 sure that the morrow would witness a short, 

 pithy interview regarding these same articles, 

 between Sam and either Madhoo or Persai'd. 



Clad now in this added glory, the groom 



