TEMPTING PROVIDENCE. 27 



almost all the men were away up the hill fetching the dead 

 jurrow, and it was too late when they returned to commence 

 it. We, however, indulged in a stiff jorum of hot whisky- 



Kookerie, or Goorkha knife. 



toddy before we retired to rest, as a precaution against the 

 damp malarious night air. When I say retired, I mean 

 that we merely rolled ourselves up in our blankets, and, in 

 order to avoid the heavy drippings that fell like rain from 

 the trees, lay down on an open patch of soft dry sand, in 

 which, by the way, we had noticed during the day the fresh 

 footprints of a tiger. But 



"Inspiring bold John Barleycorn, 

 What dangers thou canst make us scorn ! 

 Wi' tippenny we fear nae evil ; 

 Wi' usquabae we'll face the devil ! " 



Consequently we thought little of tigers, malaria, or any- 

 thing else, and were soon wrapt in profound slumber. 



On awaking in the morning, we found ourselves envel- 

 oped in a cold damp fog, through which we could scarcely 

 see twenty yards, and with our outer coverings and even our 

 hair saturated with moisture. Being down in this hot 

 humid valley at all in September, about the worst time of 



