54 MAY 



of the path, and Poppy at the other, while the two 

 others were barking their loudest, and galloping 

 round them. There was evidently a hole under- 

 neath, and something in it; probably a rat; or 

 perhaps a civet cat ; for as I bent down and 

 listened, I could hear a curious noise like a cat's 

 swearing or hissing ; something like a kettle 

 boiling very fast. By frantic scratching and biting 

 of the hard earth with their teeth, the dogs had 

 narrowed the space between them to about one 

 foot, and I could see a small tunnel opening on 

 each side, but could not see through. 



"Whatever can it be?" I asked some of the 

 servants, who were holding teapots, and plates of 

 bread and butter in their hands. 



" It must be a j an our," they said. 



"An animal ! " I knew that before, but every- 

 thing with them is a " janour." Anyhow the noise 

 must end, so I took up a twig from the ground, 

 and inserted it into the hole nearest me ; Nous 

 obligingly making room, knowing perfectly well 

 why I did it, and joining Poppy, who was glueing 

 his nose to the other end. I just shook the stick 

 about for an instant, when Poppy seized the end of 



