DANGEROUS FORDING. 



439 



a new paii- of cMlanas^ of the prevailing pattern, 

 made in Acliin. They are sliort-legged trousers^ fast- 

 ened at tlie waist and reacliiiig nearly to the knee. I 

 projx>sed that we exchange, Lut he declined to do 

 that, and insisted on my keeping possession of my 

 own habit, and using the article I desired, and in 

 that costume I travelled till I came back to his 

 village. In one place the torrent rolled up against a 

 high precipice, but there chanced to be a horizontal 

 crevice some distance above the water, and there, 

 where scarcely a monkey would think of venturing, 

 we were obliired to crawl alonej as best we could. 

 This danger passed, we had to cross back and Ibrth 

 over rapids by leaping fif>m rock to rock, some of 

 which were above and some just beneath the surface 

 of the boiling ton-ent. Then we came to an area of 

 higli grass. The tall native, in accordance with the 

 rajah's orders, marching ahead with the sword 

 grasped in his right liand, and its naked, rusty blade 

 resting on his bare arm, was, indeed, the personi- 

 fication of bra\'eiy ; but, as I had little faith in the 

 necessity of such a doughty warrior, I began to ridi- 

 cule liis appearance to the rajah, when suddenly our 

 brave gave an ugly nasal grunt, and, brandishing his 

 sword high over his head, brought it down with a 

 heavy cutting stroke on some object in front of him. 

 " What is the matter ? " every one asked. " A great 

 snake was crossing the road ! " an agreeable thing to 

 hear, considering that I liad no clothing on below 

 the knee ; but, while he was flouiishiug his weapon 

 and getting ready to strike, the reptile had glided 

 away in the tall grass. 



