FLIGHT FROM THE PRINCE'S CASTLE 319 



As the afternoon wore on, and the shadows grew — 

 night fell early now — and we never got clear of the 

 forest or passed the huts of the woodland Theosophists, 

 it was borne in on us that we were very decidedly 

 bushed. The ponies, grass-fed animals, were weary, 

 and hardly moved. They carried biggish loads. 

 Cecily and I had a rifle apiece on board, our shot guns, 

 revolvers, sleeping-bags and bourkas ! 



A night in the open faced us, so we hobbled the horses 

 to graze, and set to work accumulating wood for an 

 all-night fire. We toasted our pheasant for supper, 

 and sometimes he fell into the ashes. Once he became 

 so very disreputable we had to dip him in the river 

 and commence roasting operations afresh. 



We slept very badly, though the night was calm and 

 serenely beautiful. To begin with, it was bitterly cold, 

 and the wild is so wild at night. 



Some little earth creature diligently ticked away 

 beneath my head, love signalling, I expect. I tried 

 to locate him, but he was too deep for me in more 

 senses than one. Then as I closed my eyes at last : 



" Too-whoo-op ! " 



A ghostly winged presence, with lamp-like eyes, 

 swept low to earth, almost touching Cecily as she lay 

 in the dark shadows. 



" Too-whoo-op ! " with a forlorn drop on the last 

 note. 



Ali called the eagle owl " leopard of the night," a very 

 beautiful simile, as were many of his similes; apt, too, 

 for of all the night fliers the habits of the keen, silent, 

 watchful, feathered Nemesis of the wilderness closely 



