8 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SHIKAR 



that looked like wood-lice, almost covering the ground 

 under the mango trees. Beyond in the open there 

 were none. I have never seen or heard of the 

 ground wood-lice anywhere else. 



The friendly patel was called and I told him it 

 was impossible to stay in this spot; we must have 

 shade, and the only shade to be had was in this 

 mango tope. The servants could not bear themselves ; 

 the horse was stamp, stamping all night long, and 

 sleep was impossible. 



He thought for a time, and then said : 



" Will the sahib come and live in the temple ? " 



" May I live in the temple? " 



He thought I might, but the several heads of the 

 Hindus and Mohammedans would have to be con- 

 sulted ; he was one among them and would give his 

 sanction. There was a hasty conclave and there 

 were one or two small points to which I was asked 

 to agree, and then, in a few minutes, the whole camp 

 was shifting up to the temple. 



The temple was a big building with enormously 

 thick walls, standing on a hill with a long flight of 

 steps to climb up to it easy steps, but many of them. 

 Shelters were made for the horse and servants below, 

 close to the village. My bedroom had open arch- 

 ways and carved ornamental window frames; and 

 the dining-room was anywhere in the spacious, open, 

 centre court where the shade happened to fall. 



And so it was that ground wood-lice obtained 

 lodgings for me, and the dogs too, in a combined 

 Hindu-Mussulman temple ! 



When all things were settled, we turned our 



