11 SHELTER AT SHITKURI 27 



and thence passed into a small room about 15 feet 

 square, where a fire was burning on a raised structure 

 of stones and clay about 3 feet high. As there was 

 no outlet for the smoke except a small window, about a 

 foot square, and the door we had come in by, the room 

 was pretty full of smoke. So J ebb and I sat down on 

 a plank that happened to be on the floor, and begged 

 that the fire might be put out. Most of the wood was then 

 taken away, and a few pieces of resinous pine lighted and 

 held for us, while we took off our wet boots and socks. 



Jebb had a little stew in his canteen which he got 

 heated and offered to share with me, but I preferred to 

 wait for dinner, as I guessed my man would produce 

 something, no matter what the difficulties were. So Jebb 

 ate his stew, with his bare feet on a convenient log to keep 

 them off the dirty floor, and then lay down as he was on 

 some grass which was lying in a corner of the room, pulled 

 his lui over him and, soldier-like, was soon fast asleep. 



Meantime, sitting on my lui, I had put on a pair of 

 dry socks which were in the bag my tiffin coolie had 

 been carrying, while he kept the light going by starting 

 fresh bits of pine as the others burnt out. Presently 

 some of the coolies began to drop in. J ebb's Madrassi 

 boy arrived with his master's bedding and a lantern. 

 The latter was a great blessing, as it enabled me to dis- 

 pense with the smoky resinous pine, by the light of which 

 I had begun to write a letter, while the former was un- 

 packed and some blankets flung over their sleeping owner. 

 My bedstead also arrived and a table, but no bedding. 

 Shortly after, my cook sent in an excellent dinner of 

 soup, boiled fowl, potatoes, eggs, chupatties, and marma- 



