FROM TONKIN TO INDIA 



the hovel fed them before their departure, and nothing more 

 comic can be conceived than to see this brace of goitred imbeciles 

 on their knees receivinsr beakfuls of food from their nurse. This 

 done, the column set forward. 



Wild camellias abounded by the way, and with the change 

 of ilora I observed also new fauna, scarlet paroquets and birds 

 of turquoise blue. Plants and insects were of no less brilliance, 

 and it was interesting to note the law of adaptation and protective 

 colour that everywhere exists. Our quadrupeds were jaded : my 

 own horse, skittish enough at the start, was now dead beat ; 

 every few yards he stopped, and could hardly be induced to 

 move although I dismounted and endeavoured to drag him 

 forward. There was still one more hill before us ; this time he 

 could not breast it. Down he went. Outstretched limbs and 

 glazing eye showed all was over. Often as I had had to lose 

 other animals, it cost me a pang to leave behind this good 

 servant, whose final struggles had not quite availed to land 

 him at the stage's end. 



Dinner over, I examined our prisoners. Miserable tattered 



objects they were : one maimed and embellished with a huge 



goitre like the pouch of a pelican ; the other halt and with his 



eyes bulging out of his head. They might have been fugitives 



from the Court of Miracles, fit to figure in one of Victor Hugo's 



dramas. Just now, having had a meal and a smoke, they were 



helping our mafous, who promptly seized so rare a chance of 



orettino- their work done for them. As it rained heavily and 



a rest was imperative for the mules, we decided on a stoppage 



for a day. The captives were released, — -of course, without the 



recovery of the bo.x, ^ — and they went their way home quite 



contented. They had been well treated, and for very little would 



66 



