78 JUNE 



water-jug, which he has been known to render 

 innocuous by sleeping under an umbrella. When 

 a punkah-wallah is newly engaged he takes care 

 to begin well, and it was "once in May" that 

 the Professor first slept under one, after having 

 steadfastly resisted through several sweltering 

 nights. In the morning I asked him how he 

 slept. "Ah," said he, "it was lovely. I felt as 

 if I could crawl down the rope and kiss the 

 punkah- wallah ! " 



Once when he was very young the master 

 cautiously descended the stairs to interview the 

 sleep-robber, for another purpose than to kiss him. 

 With one slipper on his foot and the other in 

 his hand, he slily crept along the verandah; but 

 the punkah-wallah saw him coming, flung down 

 his rope, bounded over the rails out into the garden, 

 and fled through the gate like a deer ; the master 

 ran after him, up one street, down another, all in the 

 dead of night, but he didn't catch that miscreant. 

 He had to return after this midnight exercise in 

 his night garments, a hotter and a wiser man ; and 

 now when chastisement is necessary, he wakes up 

 the door-keeper to do it for him, which is more 



