A RETURN TO LUXURY 



who did not seem in the least frightened of us. I 

 was surprised to see how large they were. One very 

 big fellow, evidently the chief of the little party — 

 there were eight or nine of them in all — was most 

 inquisitive, and remained after his companions had 

 scampered off. He let me get quite close to him, and 

 had there been enough Hght I should probably have 

 got some unique pictures. Anyway, it was a sight 

 worth seeing. 



It was no small pleasure once more to land at the 

 rubber plantation, where the manager made us, if 

 possible, more welcome than before. After the days 

 of toiHng along in the mud and rain, of forcing one's 

 way through the jungle, after the leeches, the biting 

 ants, the wet clothes, the food eaten anyhow, the 

 manager's bungalow seemed a veritable Paradise. 



Certainly the evening I spent there ranks amongst 

 the pleasantest of my life. Food off earthenware plates, 

 beer out of real glasses, a long chair to lounge in 

 afterwards, and dry things to wear — these may not 

 sound great luxuries to the home-staying man, who has 

 them every day of his life, and would grumble if he did 

 not have them ; but just then, to me, they seemed 

 to represent the very ideal of comfort. 



I was told a story by my host of a man who was 

 invited by a settler to have a glass of bottled beer. 

 The stranger was astonished to discover how cool 

 it was and wanted to know the secret. " Quite 



41 



