186 THE HUNTING GROUNDS 



My servant, "Five Minutes," upon whom tlie 

 task of getting us up in the morning usually de- 

 volved, was well aware that at this period " sahib- 

 log" (masters) are somewhat in the same humour 

 as " bears with sore heads ; " for many a boot, 

 candlestick, and empty soda-water bottle had he 

 dodged in his time whilst attempting to rouse some 

 heavy sleeping " sub " for parade after a public 

 night at mess ; and, being a wide-awake nigger, he 

 now never exposed himself in this somewhat peril- 

 ous undertaking without having first provided him- 

 self with some emollient and resuscitating mixture 

 calculated to better the human feelings, such as 

 well-cooled claret-cup, soda and brandy, or " tiger's 

 milk," which served better than any " soft words," 

 the nigger knew, "to allay wrath." As the latter 

 concoction was considered the most effective, I give 

 the recipe ; and if ladies with surly husbands 

 would only try " Five Minutes's " dodge, of admin- 

 istering a dose of " tiger's milk " before they asked 

 for " the needful " to settle the little account of 

 crinoline, &c., they would find it acted upon the 

 milk of human kindness far better than all the 

 wheedling and soft sawder which husbands (too 

 soon, alas !) get accustomed to. Eecipe — Beat up 

 the yolks of three eggs well with half a pint of 

 brandy, a wine-glass of sugar, a bit of lemon-peel 

 cut thin, and a dozen cloves and cardamums ; add 

 a quart of new milk, mix well, grate in the third of 

 a nutmeg, and serve it in a tankard, of which the 



