84 CAMPS IN THE CARIBBEES. 
The gentleness of that animal, man, when, upon 
returning to his domicil, he finds a meal unprepared, 
is proverbial. He has been known to endure without 
a murmur, for at least three minutes, by the aid of the 
morning paper; but I had no paper — had not seen 
one in two months’ time — and imagine, if possible, 
the totality of patience necessary to endure the prepa- 
ration of a breakfast, while, even at the time your ap- 
petite is raging, and hunger gnawing at your vitals, 
the potatoes and plantains are slumbering on the hill- 
side, and the fish still disporting themselves in their 
watery element. It is not at all wonderful if I said to 
Meyong, in my placid intervals, that we must have 
another cook at once, even if we had to send to town 
for one. He acquiesced in this decision, but said 
nothing more, for he was as sparing of speech as of 
muscle, and soon afterward disappeared. 
Thinking he had gone in pursuit of a dove, whose 
mournful note I had heard above me, I retired to my 
cabin, after a frugal lunch, to sleep. Later in the 
afternoon, even after I had prepared all my speci- 
mens of the morning, and the shadows of the hills 
were drawing themselves across the valley, he came 
not. The sun went down, leaving the valley cool and 
delightful, and darkness drew swiftly near. The 
stars came out, and all about my cabin was silent as 
the grave, and dark. My boy had not returned; 
I sat in my doorway till late, it must have been nine 
o’clock, and was about retiring, when my attention 
was arrested by a noise. It grew louder, and then I 
saw a light gleam and disappear. I watched for it till 
again it shone out, at the top of a rising knoll, much 
