112 THE HUNTING GROUNDS 



On hearing this I drew in my breath, gave a deep 

 sigh, and declared " that the gifted woman who was 

 hid from my sight by the cruel screen spoke like a 

 book ; and that although pretty women were as nu- 

 merous as the hairs of one's beard, yet an observant 

 man might travel from country to country until his 

 hair was white without finding or even hearing of 

 such a paragon of perfection as she whose hospi- 

 tality we were then enjoying." 



Just at this moment two jugglers entered the circle, 

 during an interval between the dances ; and one of 

 them placed before him a large earthen jar, over the 

 mouth of which a piece of skin was tightly stretched, 

 so as to form a kind of drum, which he beat with 

 two small sticks, keeping time to a curious mono- 

 tonous song, in which he exhorted his companion 

 to display the utmost of his talents, so as to amuse 

 the noble gentlemen, if he did not wish to eat dirt 

 and have his face blackened. 



The other replied that, Fate helping him, he 

 would receive great presents from the truly chari- 

 table gentlemen on account of the great feats he 

 would perform ; and, after having beaten his breasts 

 and uttered sundry cabalistic incantations, he rum- 

 maged in a bag containing the implements of his 

 profession and produced a queer-shaped doll, which, 

 when touched with his wand, appeared to utter 

 curious squeaks and groans. 



This he designated Madras Eamasawmy, and he 

 proceeded to inform us that it was by means of his 



