A RICKETY HAMMOCK 197 



Govind seized the table, and everything else that 

 he could see, and took it into the hut. I stood with 

 my back against the door on the windy side, trying 

 to keep it shut. There was no rain that time and 

 it blew itself out in about half an hour. The next 

 storm was worse : for one thing the post office at 

 a place called Kadgi was blown away ! I never 

 heard where it was blown to or if it was ever found 

 again, but I had to post my letters after that at 

 another office. There was violent rain and thunder 

 as well. I was in my tent going to bed when the 

 storm burst. I held on to the tent pole and flapping 

 canvas, and the servants came running and held on 

 outside to ropes or whatever they could catch hold 

 of. They called for the shikaris and extra men to 

 help, as they could not manage alone. Then down 

 came deluges of rain, and one extra big squall blew 

 the whole tent down over me and would have blown 

 it quite away if they had not hung on to it. It was 

 pouring in torrents and I crawled out and splashed 

 through a small flood to get into the friendly shelter 

 of a hut near, soaked of course to the skin. The 

 servants brought load after load of dripping things 

 which they threw down in a sodden mass in the hut 

 veranda. They are good, the Indian servants, on 

 these occasions, never thinking of themselves and 

 doing all they can for one's comfort. They were 

 very cold, wet and miserable themselves, and I soon 

 found quinine to give them. They had a rainproof 

 place to go to, and I wrapped myself up in the shikar 

 hammock which had been lying in the hut, and was, 

 I think, the only dry thing I had. It rained all 



