270 



ADVENTURE WITH A PEIEST. Chap. XIII. 



Tung-a returned laughing, and told me tliere was 

 no danger ; tlie man was not mad, but that it was 

 partly fear and partly curiosity which made him 

 act in the manner he was doing, and further, that 

 I was the first specimen of my race he had seen. 



During the time I was at dinner, and for some 

 time after, in addition to some of the more respect- 

 able who were admitted into the room, the doors 

 and windows were completely besieged w^ith 

 people. Every little hole or crevice had a number 

 of eager eyes peeping through it, each anxious to 

 see the foreigner feed. Having finished my 

 dinner and smoked a cigar, much to the delight of 

 an admiring audience, I politely intimated that it 

 was getting late, that I was tired with the exer- 

 tions of the day, and that I was going to bed. 

 My inside guests rose and retired, but it seemed to 

 me they only went outside to join the crowd, and 

 they were determined to see the finale ; they had 

 seen how I eat, drank, and smoked my cigar, and 

 they now wanted to see how and in what manner 

 I went to bed. My temper was unusually sweet 

 at this time, and therefore I had no objection to 

 gratify them even in this, providing they re- 

 mained quiet and allowed me to get to sleep. A 

 traveller generally does not spend much of his 

 time over the toilet, either in dressing or undress- 

 ing, so that in less time than I would take to 

 describe it I was undressed, the candle was put 

 out, and I was in bed. As there was nothing 

 more to be seen the crowd left my window, and as 



