JAUNTS IN THE JUNGLE. 53 



I thought the best plan would be to gain the summit 

 of the mountain, and then return on the next morn- 

 ing by the first day's route ; the first part of the 

 work was at last accomplished, and having- dedicated 

 an hour to cutting all the grass I could find on the 

 place to do duty for a mattrass on the top of the 

 rock, I left the full moon standing sentry directly 

 above me, and was soon once more amid the scenes 

 of childhood, surrounded by all I loved and left in 

 Fatherland ! 



The following morning's work was easy. At ten 

 A.M. I had reached the bungalow at the base, loaded 

 with a plentiful supply of feathered game, and never 

 shall I forget the delight I experienced, when in stroll- 

 ing over the space before what was once a door, now 

 covered with jessamine and briars promiscuously, I 

 pounced upon half-a-dozen over-grown beds of mag- 

 nificent ripe strawberries ! 



The fact of the matter was, that the bungalow in 

 question had been built as a country residence some 

 years before by a gallant commandant of the district, 

 who, taking advantage of the mildness of the cli- 

 mate, had laid out the grounds in as English a 

 fashion as was possible ; but contending in vain 

 against his forest neighbours, he at last relinquished 

 gardens, house, and all, in despair. 



However, when the strawberries became invisible 

 from being concealed by a complete covering of 



