IN THE JUNGLE 



graph, tables, lamps and the like. When the moun- 

 tain chill descended, Home lit a fire in a coal-oil 

 can with a perforated bottom. What little smoke 

 was produced by the clean burning wood lost itself 

 far aloft. Leopard skins and other trophies hung 

 on the wall. We dined in another room at a well- 

 appointed table. After dinner we sat up until the 

 unheard of hour of ten o'clock discussing at length 

 many matters that interested us. Home told us of 

 his personal bodyguard consisting of one son from 

 each chief of his wide district. These youths were 

 encouraged to make as good an appearance as pos- 

 sible, and as a consequence turned out in the extreme 

 of savage gorgeousness. Home spoke of them care- 

 lessly as a "matter of policy in keeping the different 

 tribes well disposed," but I thought he was at heart 

 a little proud of them. Certainly, later and from 

 other sources, we heard great tales of their endur- 

 ance, devotion and efficiency. Also we heard that 

 Home had cut in half his six months' leave (earned 

 by three years' continuous service in the jungle) to 

 hurry back from England because he could not bear 

 the thought of being absent from the first collection 

 of the hut tax! He is a good man. 



We said good-night to him and stepped from the 

 lighted house into the vast tropical night. The little 

 rays of our lantern showed us the inequalities of the 



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