A WOULD-BE ESTATE PROPRIETOB OF THE 
OLDEN TIME. 
umbrella, and a good stout long pole. But be forgot — 
one is always sure to forget something on these trips — 
he forgot, or perhaps had not been told of their need, 
leech-gaiters. The carriage was called, and was driven up 
to the door. Mr Diddler entered, settled down, arranged 
the awning, made himself comfortable. Crack goes the 
whip, away rattled the trap, soon leaving Kandy far 
in the rear. All was novelty to our friend ; every turn 
of the road presented some new and charming view 
in the grand scenery wdiich at every point burst 
upon his admiring gaze, until, without any acci- 
dent, or untoward result, he arrives at the point on the 
high road, where his guides were to be in waiting ; 
and, strange to relate, there they were, they were 
actually waiting for him, instead of the usual course 
of events, under similar circumstances, his having to 
wait for them for some uncertain and indefinite 
period of time. The carriage was despatched to the 
nearest rest-house, which was not very far off. Mr Did- 
ler mounted the stout pony, told his guides to move 
on in advance, and so far all arrangements were highly 
satisfactor}^ They proceeded along a well-beaten track 
across some patana lands until they arrived at the 
edge of a jungle. His guides told him he could 
ride for some distance inside the forest, and he need 
not dismount. They proceeded in front, and wi:h. their 
billhooks cleared away any obstructing branches. Mr 
Diddler was delighted : what a cool, pleasant ride ! 
not a ray of sun penetrated the dense foliage 
overhead, the sighing of the wind through the branches 
overhead, the occasional roar of a waterfall as a moun- 
tain stream dashed over its rocky bed, the sudden 
chattering of monkeys, as they suddenly came upon 
a whole troops of them, perched on the branches 
of some tall overspreading trees, and then the rush 
of alarm as they chattered and leaped from tree to 
tree, which caused such a rocking and shaking of the 
jungle as actually to dislodge some dry dead branches, 
requiring them to take care of their heads. In fact 
the monkeys took such wild and frantic leaps that 
our traveller was under the impression the whle 
troop had been seized with a general snicidal mania. 
Then the rush would suddenly stop, a short w'ay in 
advance, and our traveller saw the tree on which 
they had settled ; the path ran right under it, so wdien 
he came up he stopped and peered up into the tree, but 
could see no monkeys at all ! Where could they 
have gone to? It was very odd. He passed on, mus- 
ing on this curious incident, but no sooner had he 
proceeded a few paces than rush, crash, there they 
were again, tumbling over one another on the top 
