FURTHEPv EXPERIENCES OF MR. STALE. 
♦ 
the hillock.” A few minutes took us round to the 
bungalow, which was a very different construction 
to one of the present time. The master soon under- 
stood the unpleasant plight of his visitors, called 
out to the boy, not to reserve any rice and curry 
for himself, but to bring the whole of it in — sharp. 
The sooner the better for himself, as he would have 
all the more time left to cook a further supply for 
his own use. The rice and curry were soon placed 
in position, and just as soon placed in their proper 
position, which means, “ found their level,” and, as 
a rule, as beer and spirits were not always kept in 
stock, in the jungle, some good strong tea followed 
the rice and curry, on the “ down trail,” followed 
up by pipes and tobacco and a long talk. What is 
to be done about beds ? There are no spare ones, 
not even a couch ; so master asks us to hold the 
light, and bring it out into the back Terandah. 
“The cracked tumbler lamp” is grasped, and 
our host seizes a table knife, proceeding 
in advance. He walks up to a large bale of dark 
looking stuff, tightly corded up, he applies the 
knife to the cords, and they separate, with a loud 
snap, and a large quantity of thick, warm Bombay 
cumblies, as if by magic, lie at our feet. Some half 
dozen of these are laid down on the mud floor, so 
as to form bed and mattress all in one, some more 
are rolled up at the foot, to be used as a top 
covering, as many as we will. Our host then opens 
an almirah, and brings out a lot of old clothes 
(clean). These he rolls up in another cumblie, and 
places it down, as a pillow, and our double bed is 
complete, for we both turn in, on the floor, to- 
gether. These was no need to coax the “ drowsy 
god,’ for he was watching to grasp his willing 
victim, who had no recollection at all, as to how 
he managed it, only, when at day light next morn- 
ing, a general hum and talking was heard outside, 
followed up by the well-known sound of “calling 
the roll, the victims started up in bewildered 
amazement, under a sudden impression that they had 
“slept in,’’ and that the conductor was performing 
their duties. Morning coffee, or tea, is an older in- 
stitulion than even planting itself, so old that on the 
estates, before they produced coffee, we had of 
necessity to drink tea. Whether we preferred it or 
not, it was Hobson’s choice, tea or nothing. But 
what they drink on the tea plantations before the 
leaf is ready for plucking, we have never heard. 
Probably, they just do as we did, buy or borrow 
some from a neighbour, or act on the same principle 
as we did, although the practical action was different, 
buy and use coffee because they had no tea, although 
