Page:Life in India or Madras, the Neilgherries, and Calcutta.djvu/245

Rh quite a stir. Men stared, dogs barked, and women peeped out of their doors. But the romance was brought to a sudden close before we reached the city-gate, by the falling of the shelf of Mr. Scudder's palankeen upon his feet. The palankeen proved too old and weak for our work. Nothing could be done but turn about and retrace our steps. By one o'clock in the morning, a new one had been procured, and we were off again for a run of twenty-seven miles to Stree-permatoor. Leaving the city by the Elephant gate, we turned westward, and our bearers, with more subdued voices, moved soberly through the country. The night was warm, but the motion, though disliked by many, was to me most soothing. Gazing at the twinkling stars and the dim outlines of trees upon the dark sky, revery soon gave place to sleep.

The bearers stopped once to eat, but otherwise scarcely halted till they reached the end of their run. The work, to a stranger, seems hard, but is far from oppressive, if the stages are not too long. In fact the men grow fat on a march. The ordinary run for a night is twenty-two to twenty-eight miles, but, if pressed, they will go fifty miles in a single night.