THE DELECTABLE MOUNTAINS. 



163 



through the silence most musical, most melancholy. In- 

 stead of the cold night rain, and the soughing of the blast, 

 the view disclosed a peaceful scene, the moonbeams lying 

 like sheets of snow upon the ruddy highlands, and the 

 stars hanging like lamps of gold from the dome of in- 

 finite blue. I never wearied with contemplating the 

 scene, for, contrasting with the splendours around me, 

 still stretched in sight the Slough of Despond, unhappy 

 Zungomero, lead- coloured above, mud-coloured below, 

 wind-swept, fog-veiled, and deluged by clouds that 

 dared not approach these Delectable Mountains. 



During a day's halt at this sanitarium fresh diversions 

 agitated the party. The Baloch, weary of worrying one 

 another, began to try their 'prentice hands upon the 

 sons of Kamji, and these fortified by the sturdy attitude 

 of Muinyi Kidogo, manfully resolved to hold their own. 

 The asses fought throughout the livelong night, and, 

 contrary to the custom of their genus, strayed from one 

 another by day. And as, 



" When sorrows come, they come not single spies, 

 But in battalions," 



Said bin Salim, who hated and was hated by the Baloch, 

 on account cf their divided interests, began to hate 

 and to be hated by the sons of Ramji. His four 

 children, the most ignoble of their ignoble race, were 

 to him as the apples of his eyes. He had entered 

 their names as public porters, yet, with characteristic 

 egotism and self-tenderness, he was resolved that they 

 should work for none but their master, and that even in 

 this their labour should as much as possible fall upon 

 the shoulders of others. - His tent was always the first 

 pitched and his fire the first built ; his slaves were re- 

 warded with such luxuries as ghee, honey, and turmeric, 



M 2 



