A BOLTER GETTING IN SUPPLIES. 
something was heard gurgling in his throat : what it 
could be was not diificult to say, because he had both 
hands flat up against his mouth ! Mr, Skulk’s light 
dinner served to sharpen up his brain. He went to 
the pigeonholes above the office table, and looked 
at a hole ticketed ‘‘ Kandy Accounts.” He examined 
them, and at once saw who the shop-kee2)er was, 
with whom his host dealt. The next morning he 
tells the boy to S2)eak to the kangani, and get 
two coolies to go to Kandy for supplies, but these 
functionaries, being quite well uj) ' to what was the 
game, re])lj that it cannot be done. “ Master would 
be angry and ininish them. ” Mr. Skulk is not to be 
beaten. He writes a letter by post to Mr. Baux, 
asking him to send up, hired coolies a number of 
articles, which need not be here specified, ^Aacing 
t hem and tlie hire to the debit of his host, and, as 
there were no postage stam2)s in the house (tliere 
were plenty, but all locked uj)), the double postage 
of this letter could be also “put dowui.” In due time 
the hired coolies arrived, with the loads, took their 
receipt from Mr. Skulk, and dej)arted. 
In due time also the host turned up, and instead 
of finding that Mr. Skulk was starved out, and gone 
as he fully expected, to his astonishment there was 
his visitor still sitting at the verandah table smok- 
ing a cheroot ; on the table stands several black 
bottles, a tumbler, a goglet of water, and even what 
our host seldom saw in his own bungalow, plates of 
bread, butter, and cheese. 
Mr. Skulk gets up, shakes hands heartily with 
his host, and now himself plays the host : “What will 
he take to eat and drink ? Don’t be bashful ; there ’s 
plenty in the house”; and he throws open the doors 
of the sideboard, and there are displayed rows of black 
bottles, jars of jam, cheese, potted meats, <*^'c. The 
host inquires where has all this come from : “Have 
you had a remittance and taken this plan of shewing 
your gratitude for past favors ?” Mr. Skulk promptly 
disclaims all idea of shewing gratitude : that sort of 
thing is not in his line. “The fact is just this, 
knowing that you would be sure to be back 
soon and unexpectedly, I just took the liberty of a 
fi-iend in laying in a stock of provender to welcome 
you back. Of course it is all at your own expense, 
and you may consider yourself lucky that I was here 
to do it. An old traveller like me, let me alone 
for foraging!” “ So it seems,” said the host bitterly, 
“at the expense of others. I’ll just tell you wffiat 
what it is, Mr. Skulk, as we are having a tiff, I 
have had enough of your company, and you just wMk 
out of this to-morrow morning, and that ’s plain 
