34 HAUNTS AND HOBBIES 



I could distinguish, not only the outline of the looking- 

 glass, but also, though certainly faintly, the reflection 

 of my head and face on the surface of the glass. 



The intense heat continued for some days, and then, 

 as is usually the case, it was succeeded by a dust storm. 

 It happened to be a native holiday, and the office was 

 closed. It was about two o'clock in the afternoon. I 

 was sitting reading near the tattie in the drawing-room ; 

 the punkah was swinging above me. According to 

 custom, I had that morning risen early. The heat, 

 the cool breeze from the tattie, the monotonous swing 

 of the punkah, and my early rising, all combined to 

 make me drowsy. Without knowing it, I think I must 

 have fallen into slumber. I was suddenly aroused 

 by the sound of a great commotion in the verandah 

 outside. The servants were rushing about slamming 

 to the doors and shouting to each other. I called out, 

 but in the confusion I could get no answer ; and then 

 I noticed that the room was becoming dark. I rose 

 and went out to ascertain what had happened. 



As soon as I passed into the verandah the cause of 

 the disturbance and of the darkness was revealed. A 

 great dust storm was approaching. The servants were 

 hurrying about closing all the doors and jilmils and 

 letting down the reed blinds before the storm should be 

 on us. 



The appearance of the storm as it approached was 

 very grand. It was coming on from the west, a great 

 cloud of dust, black and solid-looking almost as a wall. 

 This great wall of dust stretched along the entire 

 horizon, and reached upwards to the very firmament. 



