ELEPHANT AND HIPPOPOTAMUS 



net, the cursed insects did not relax their operations on 

 my body, but continued to bite vigorously. I was 

 properly pinned down by the ruins of the structure. The 

 chair had been carried away from under me, but in spite 

 of the wreck of my temporary home, I was compelled to 

 laugh outright, for it all seemed so ludicrous — for the 

 moment. 



I yelled to the boys, who pretended not to see the 

 catastrophe, as they did not relish the job of coming out 

 in the rain to help me re-erect the shelter. 



In a few minutes I managed to get free from the 

 ruins and mosquito net, and crossing over to the hut, I 

 dragged the supposed sleeping beauties out. Each of 

 them rubbed his eyes and looked blankly at me, some of 

 them whom I had not yet disturbed actually broke out 

 with a chorus of snoring in spite of the water which was 

 running down their backs ! It was all very cleverly 

 acted, but failed to have the desired effect, for I roused 

 the whole crowd and made them set to work rigging up 

 my hut again. The rain was still coming down in a deluge, 

 one boy who was holding up the side of the wrecked hut, 

 apparently began to drowse, and the wind proved too 

 much for him, with the result that he was sent spinning 

 over still clinging to the framework which fell on him 

 and pinned him to the ground. Another came cringing 

 up to me and whined that he was sick, oh ! so sick ! — of 

 course all humbug — and in two shakes I had him at work 

 with the axe cutting fresh corner posts. 



Fortunately the stores were all in a heap raised from 

 the ground on blocks of timber and covered with a heavy 

 sail firmly roped down, so nothing suffered. Salem, with 

 his old puckered face fringed with a sort of stage sailor's 

 beard, was frantically shouting himself hoarse and 

 bordered on the barking stage ! Presently he tripped 

 over a tent peg and lay clad in just an old jersey and a 

 piece of cloth worn like a kilt, one hand clutching his old 



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