124 THE EASTEEN HUNTERS. 



dandled her babes in the midst of a thriving city. 

 All these old trees have seen generations pass away, 

 and still live to look down on the waste which has 

 succeeded the thriving haunts of a dead race." 



" Hear, hear ! " said the unsentimental Mackenzie, 

 with mock applause. "Not so bad that, Norman. 

 We must get you to give a lecture on the subject 

 when we return to Jehangeerpore. That touch 

 about the mother dandling her unborn babe no, I 

 don't mean unborn," he said, correcting himself, 

 " her babes would bring down a round of plaudits 

 from the women. But it's all nonsense, you know!" 



" Mac," retorted Norman, " you are incorrigible. 

 You are about as susceptible of sentiment or romance 

 as a hyaena. What a confoundedly tough-minded 

 chap you are, breaking in on my fancies with your 

 unpleasantly material way of viewing things ! I 

 don't believe you have an atom of imagination." 



" Haven't I ? Now I strongly imagine just at 

 present that we had better be moving, or we shan't 

 have time to stir up our friend in the cave, and 

 reach camp by dinner time. And I must confess 

 that the substantial merits of mug have more charms 

 for me than any amount of ancient towns which 

 have disappeared." 



As there could be no denying that the practical 

 Mackenzie was correct in his estimate of the limited 



