of the Old World. 97 



ground, just where the branches and arms began 

 to shoot, and almost immediately we heard an extra- 

 ordinary kind of sneeze coming from the same quarter. 

 We started up and seized our guns, but could see 

 nothing, for the whole fork of the tree was covered 

 with masses of various kinds of parasitical plants. 



4 Look out Harry !' cried M , ' there is some beast 



in that tree ; most likely a leopard lying in wait for 

 deer/ Having warned our people to move out of the 

 way, we walked carefully round, trying to discover 

 where the brute lay hid ; but all was now still, and we 

 could see nothing from below. I got up one of the 

 many branches thrown out by the parent stem, and 

 looked carefully among the mass of vegetation which 

 rested on the fork of the tree, still I could perceive 

 nothing. I then got down and climbed upon the 

 shoulders of a stout cooly, with a couple of men 

 holding me by the calves of my legs, so as to keep 

 me steady, and rifle in hand I made them walk up 



close to the foot of the tree, M standing near 



ready to cover me with his fire should any beast 

 make a spring. Still I could see nothing. Bidding 

 one of the coolies hand me up some stones, I 

 threw them in the thickest parts of the masses of 

 creepers, when I distinctly heard a low grunting. 

 I desired the coolies to go to that part from whence 

 the noise appeared to proceed, and, after a careful 

 investigation, I thought I saw a pair of bright eyes 



H 



