tiful flowers that, provided I could book my return by the next ship, I would willingly make a second voyage for the sake of once more seeing their like.
On occasion, however, of the especial visit to which I have just referred our stay was unexpectedly prolonged, at the intended moment of departure, by the startling intelligence that our nag had slipped his halter in the night and disappeared from his stable. We were not many hours in suspense about him, for in the course of the afternoon Khourabene rode up to our inn, mounted on the runaway. It seemed that the horse had lost but little time in getting over the twenty miles which lay between the hostelry and our house, and having re-entered his own yard, with a flying mane and tail erect, was instantly laid hold of by our native, who desired no better task than that of compelling the deserter to return to his duty.
Khourabene passed the remainder of the day in great dignity, sauntering about the inn door in the character of our groom, as we were simple enough to imagine, until we were undeceived by overhearing him decline to fetch water when the landlady asked him to do so, on the plea that he was "gentleman fellow, all same master." However, with a nice distinction of what his rank could or could not permit, he did not refuse her next request, namely, that he should shoot some parroquets.
Now it so happened that our horse, in common with many that are foaled and reared in the bush, had a defect in the hind quarters which, in colonial parlance, is called "a dropped hip," that is, one hip stands lower than the other, having either been injured by a kick from another colt or by striking violently against a tree when a troop
