172 THE EASTEEN HUNTERS. 



and notes. They all seemed as refreshed and in- 

 vigorated as the trees and thickets which sheltered 

 them, and woke up, making the jungle resound with 

 their choruses of joy. 



The hum of myriads of flying insects, too, and the 

 bum. of the earth and tree crickets arose as night fell. 



When dinner was ready, and lights placed on the 

 table, thousands of flying creatures, attracted by the 

 glare, came trooping towards them, and hovered 

 round. The cloth was soon covered with the wings 

 discarded by the flying white ants and other insects. 

 And when the table was moved outside, and the 

 friends sat down to dinner, excessive caution was 

 necessary, and much examination required, before 

 each mouthful was committed to its destination. 

 Covers, too, were obliged to be kept on the tumblers, 

 to protect their contents from the inroads of creeping 

 things. 



This was the most unpleasant effect of the rain, 

 and certainly was one of no mean magnitude. But 

 the air was fresh, and the diners in good spirits, 

 and the other two only laughed as either Mackenzie 

 or Norman, both men of hair, like Esau, extracted 

 some creeping animal from amidst the recesses of 

 his whiskers, and oh, horror ! proclaimed it to 

 be a flying bug a fact soon verified by olfactory 

 evidence. 



