A POLITE PROPOSAL. 347 



narrow passages until they gained an upper room 

 above the fort walls, and commanding an extensive 

 prospect of the adjacent country. The new comers 

 were not sorry to exchange the stifling atmosphere 

 and unpleasant odours through which they had 

 passed for the comparative freshness of this upper 

 region. Chairs were here arranged, and they took 

 their seats in the same order as on the former 

 occasion ; that is to say, the hosts were on one 

 side and the guests on the other, several of the 

 household standing behind and around. 



'The health inquiries exhausted, the chief ex- 

 plained how rejoiced was his heart at the meeting. 

 Mackenzie then thanked his host for making in- 

 quiries about the game in the neighbourhood. The 

 chief assured him that he and all his people were 

 much at the service of the Sahibs ; and proposed, 

 or rather hinted, that he himself should accompany 

 them in their beat on the morrow. 



The hunters, however, had no idea of being 

 hampered in any such way. They well knew that 

 sport was not likely to be enjoyed, or any order 

 kept, with a lot of tag-rag and bobtail, such as 

 would certainly accompany their masters. Little 

 encouragement was therefore given to these hints, 

 which were made out of mere politeness, as no 

 doubt the proposers themselves would have been 



