262 ROUGHING IT IN SOUTHERN INDIA 



however, Rollo was none the loser. Such was the fine old 

 fellow, my bodyguard during his master's absence. 



The huts we were living in up here were of split bamboo. 

 The bamboos — a very large sort, five or six inches across — 

 were struck on the joints with a heavy mallet, splitting 

 them along their whole length ; they were then flattened 

 out and interlaced, forming very strong, hurdle-like walls 

 which were impervious to rain, the shiny side being placed 

 outwards, and the whole very closely set. On foggy or 

 cold nights dhurries l were hung round inside. The thatched 

 roofs were very thick, with wide eaves, and round the huts 

 were deep trenches, as it rained heavily at times. In this 

 connection I may mention a simple yet ingenious native 

 contrivance for catching the (in some places) most precious 

 rain-water. Large bamboos are split once, and arranged 

 in graduated lengths on a slant, and askew, in suchwise as 

 to carry it by so many converging streams into the receptacle 

 below. In countries where they grow bamboos seem to be 

 wanted at every turn and for every purpose. 



When F. went down the weather was bright and the 

 nights were not cold enough for the dhurries to be wanted, 

 so through the interstices of the hut-sides I could see the 

 red glow of the camp fire round which the men taking turns 

 to watch spread themselves like the spokes of a wheel, 

 now and again stirring the logs into flame with their bare 

 feet to warn night prowlers to keep their distance. 



Much preferring the noisiest songs and merriment to 

 silence, I had seen that every one was provided with 

 luxuries ad libitum, but they only went to sleep the sooner 

 for their happy evening ; and presently the camp became 

 profoundly still, not an eye in it open except my own and 

 those of the watchers, while to my wakeful nerves the forest 

 around was full of exaggerated sound, though it might be 

 only the cry of a night bird or the creaking of a bough. I 



1 See p. 24, chap. ii. 



