NO SLEEP, 
<30urse of proceedings adopted in procuring a fresh 
stick, as has been before described. At last, as the 
shades of evening approached, our horsekeeper, who 
knows the country, points out the estate to which 
we are destined, apparently yet far off, up on a 
steep ridge, but, as the ascent is commenced, over 
stones, rocks, such roads, the wretched old pony begins 
to “fig up,” he now steps out briskly, picking his 
way over, and across portions of road, with perfect 
ease, where we would have some difficulty in getting over 
on foot. What a wonderful animal ! He won’t move a 
step on the plain well-kept public highway, but as soon 
as he gets on a break-neck rugged jungle path, more 
like a water-course than anything else, he pegs along 
bravely; the pony, like many of his riders, knows very 
well what he is about ; he knows from many a past 
experience, that now the bungalow and stable is not 
far off, and that darkness is not far off, and that it 
will serve no end, but quite the contrary, to lag be- 
hind and refuse to move. This is what is called 
animal instinct, which in many cases approaches the 
borders of reasoning power. Ho much so, that some 
have said it is reason, but, had it been reason, the 
pony would have reasoned earlier in the day, and 
not only saved himself many a dig of the spurs, and 
application of sticks, and have arrived at his journey’s 
end a few hours earlier, and had a good feed of paddy, 
gram and guinea grass, instead of sticking out his 
fore-legs on the edge of the road, refusing to 
move, and eating dried-up grass, full of earthy roots. 
We have met, in our clay, a good many of the human 
species, of somewhat of the same disposition as this 
pony, and if reasoning educated men at times are 1 o 
be met with acting during the journey of life they 
are on in the same way we need not be surprised at 
the actions of a dumb animal. A hearty welcome 
from our friend soon makes us forget the miseries of ^ 
•the day, and we spend the evening very cheerily to- 
gether ; but our friend is living a rough life, he has 
no spare bed-room. What use would it be, when he 
has no spare bed ? The couch in the sitting-room 
will answer the purpose. Tired and weary with the' 
exertions of the day, we soon retire for the night, on 
the couch ; after possibly about an hour’s sleep we" 
awake, and sleep no more that night. The rnattrass 
is as if it were full of knots and stones, as if all the 
hair in it had become calcined, and resolved itself 
into rough pebbles ; this was bad enough, but we began 
to feel very itchy in the skin, with an inclination to 
► cratch. What could it be, was it the exertions on* 
he long journey, bringing out a rash? No, it was 
