4G THE HUNTING GROUNDS 



would have the desired effect with the khanum 

 sahiba (lady) ? " 



" Hout awa, luon," put in the doctor ; " if that 's 

 your game, I should just guess you'd be better 

 leaving the leetle delicate affair to me, as I 'm in- 

 vited to visit her ladyship this morning." 



" What ? Eh ? What 's that, Saw-bones ? " ex- 

 claimed W . " You going to visit the begum ? 



Why, you old reprobate, you have got the start of 

 us all." 



" Yees ; and this child intends to keep it, too," 

 replied the doctor, with a knowing grin, and a suc- 

 cession of very audible grunts, which, with him, al- 

 ways denoted intense satisfaction. 



" Whatever can be up ? Is she ill ? " asked 

 Mac. 



" No — not vary — that is, I couldna just say that 

 she 's doun-right ill," answered the doctor ; " but 

 she sent for me last night, after dinner, and made 

 me to understand that she was uneasy about her 

 insides, hinting that she thought she had been 

 struck with the evil eye. Weel, ye must know 

 that I didna just remember what the vade mecum 

 prescribes for sich like a disease, and as the medi- 

 cine chest was made up, an' I didna think it was 

 worth while to unpack it, by way of an experiment, 

 I sent her negresship a good big bottle o' stiff gin 

 toddy, a trifle stronger than I was then imbibing, 

 and I reckon she found this potent remedy so 

 conducive to her feelings, that early this morning 



