62 IBEX SHOOTING 



candle-grease was apparently not inflam- 

 mable, and I could not raise a flame to save 

 my life ! Sol yelled for the bearer ; row 

 enough to awaken the dead. I then lis- 

 tened. Not a sound ! Then I thought I 

 would go to bed ; but if I did I knew that 

 brute of a cat would come back again and 

 wake me up. So I determined to find the 

 matches, as they must be somewhere near 

 the bed. I reached the bed all right, after 

 having trod on my iron teapot and hit my 

 head against a coat-peg in the wall ; but 

 no matches could be found. I bethought 

 me of the small case I always carried in my 

 clothes ; I felt in my coat under my pillow, 

 and threw that away in disgust ; in all my 

 waistcoat pockets, never a sign ! grovelled 

 about on the floor to see if my treasure 

 had fallen, but no result ; and I should 

 have been looking till morning if I hadn't 

 accidentally put my hand into the pocket 

 of the knickers I was wearing, and there 

 was the box ! Then I re-lighted the candle 

 and went towards the bearer's room, next 



