The Journal of a Sporting Nomad 



much so, that beds had to be made up in the 

 after-hold for many of those who otherwise 

 would have been left behind. I thought I was 

 doing something wonderfully smart by offering 

 one of the engineers a sovereign for the use of 

 his cabin. He was good enough to consent to 

 this, but said, " I should keep the light burning 

 throughout the night if I were you ! " On being 

 asked why, he told me that there were such things 

 as bugs (my pet aversion), and that so long as a 

 light was about they would not put in an appear- 

 ance. I had already paid my sovereign, which 

 I now decided to lose without taking advantage 

 of his hospitality, and therefore slept, or rather 

 tried to do so, on the floor of the smoking- 

 room. 



On my arrival in Leith I had to pass through 

 Edinburgh on my way south, and remained 

 in that city for the night. I was very much 

 amused by the remarks made by various passen- 

 gers and others who had never seen a cast of 

 hooded falcons on their box cadge before. 

 Some suggested they were peacocks, and others 

 thought they must be parrots. I got weary at 

 length of saying what the birds were, for 

 they did not seem ever to have heard of 

 falconry. 



It may be that my travels and big-game days 

 are finished, that there is nothing left to me but 



memories and the trophies on the wall, but 



296 



