"SOMETHING HOT" UNDER DIFFICULTIES. 109 



rushed out into the open like a flock of frightened sheep. 

 They must have thought me the Great Phairshon whom 

 Professor Aytoun tells of, who went forth to plunder and 

 to ravish. But I was determined not to be done in that 

 way, for I wanted milk, so made several efforts to parley 

 with them, hut all was of no avail : the nearer I ap- 

 proached the hillside, the faster they retreated up it, so 

 I had to return without the luxury I coveted. What 

 nationality they belonged to, what language they spoke, 

 I know not ! Their scream was English, if an English 

 school-girl screams in English, for there was a strong 

 similarity between the two, and they were fair-com- 

 plexioned. 



Next day after this adventure it rained in torrents. 

 It was useless to try and keep a fire lighted, so we sat 

 all day, for it was impossible to treck, inside the wagon, 

 which was worse than clammy actually wet diversify- 

 ing the time between munching biscuits, smoking, and 

 grumbling at the hard treatment the world gave us. 



It must have been about eight in the evening, 

 possibly later, for it was getting dark, when Morris said, 

 " What would I not give for something hot ?" Strange 

 coincidence ! I was thinking at the moment of the same 

 thing. So remembering where there was a half-empty 

 deal box that was once filled with candles, with a 

 grin of destruction on my face, I procured it, rent it 

 asunder, deliberately split it up into tiny pieces, and, re- 

 gardless of wind and rain, went to the sheltered side of 

 the wagon, and boiled a kettle of water ; and while the 

 chocolate was being dissolved in our dealers (tins with 

 the handle at the side that hold a pint), Morris called 

 from within, " Look out, old man ; remember we have 

 one hundred pounds of loose powder on board!" Scarcely 



