84 CAMPS IN THE CARIBBEES. 



The gentleness of that animal, man, when, upon 

 returning to his domicil, he finds a meal unprepared, 

 is proverbial. He has been known to endure without 

 a murmur, for at least three minutes, by the aid of the 

 morning paper; but I had no paper had not seen 

 one in two months' time and imagine, if possible, 

 the totality of patience necessary to endure the prepa- 

 ration of a breakfast, while, even at the time your ap- 

 petite is raging, and hunger gnawing at your vitals, 

 the potatoes and plantains are slumbering on the hill- 

 side, and the fish still disporting themselves in their 

 watery element. It is not at all wonderful if I said to 

 Mevong, in my placid intervals, that we must have 

 another cook at once, even if we had to send to town 

 for one. He acquiesced in this decision, but said 

 nothing more, for he was as sparing of speech as of 

 muscle, and soon afterward disappeared. 



Thinking he had gone in pursuit of a dove, whose 

 mournful note I had heard above me, I retired to my 

 cabin, after a frugal lunch, to sleep. Later in the 

 afternoon, even after I had prepared all my speci- 

 mens of the morning, and the shadows of the hills 

 were drawing themselves across the valley, he came 

 not. The sun went down, leaving the valley cool and 

 delightful, and darkness drew swiftly near. The 

 stars came out, and all about my cabin was silent as 

 the grave, and dark. My boy had not returned ; 

 I sat in my doorway till late, it must have been nine 

 o'clock, and was about retiring, when my attention 

 was arrested by a noise. It grew louder, and then I 

 saw a light gleam and disappear. I watched for it till 

 again it shone out, at the top of a rising knoll, much 



