We arranged our own rugs and pillows ous, and I wrapped my little girl and in them, and gave the order to start. myself up in all the rugs I had. At I have no doubt we looked very pictur- intervals we stopped at villages and esque in the red light of the setting changed the entire set of coolies. sun. To each dooly there were four Whenever this occurred there was coolies, naked except for a rag round always the same jabbering, squabbling, the waist and a dirty turban over long, and grumbling as when we first started, matted hair. There were also two and the same delay before we could get extra men who ran alongside; one car-away. After the cold began I took adried a torch and the other a hookah. vantage of the first stoppage to get out These spare men relieved the others of my dooly and go to M., as I was now and then. Every man had a anxious to see how she bore the change. bundle with him containing, I suppose, To my distress I found that while my food - it certainly was not clothes teeth were chattering with cold she and these were deposited on the top of was burning with fever. I could do the dooly. I thought we should never nothing for her; the only hope was to get off. All the men talked, shouted, get on as fast as possible, so I got in and gesticulated at once. I could not again, feeling very anxious about her, understand a word they said, but and once more we began our slow progluckily they could understand me; so ress. I noticed that at the next haltI pretended to get into a great rage, ing-place the quarrelling and grumbling threatened all manner of things I cer- were worse than usual; at the next tainly could not have performed, and worse still, and there was a very long finally we slowly moved out of the delay before we started at a pace of compound. When I saw the pace we about a mile an hour. Finally, I felt were going at, and thought that we had my dooly put down, and a dead silence fifty miles before us, I felt in despair; followed. Surprised at this, I got out it seemed as if the first ten miles would and looked about; the dawn was just take the whole night at that snail's breaking, and a lovelier sight than met pace. It was fearfully hot, and the my tired eyes it would be hard to dust raised by the men's feet was imagine. We were in the midst of a choking; the children were all crying, deep and gloomy forest of enormous and M. and myself were quite ex- deodars and pines. On one side of the hausted. At last we got out of the road these rose sheer above our heads, village, the dust grew less, the beggars clinging to the face of the mountain ; who had followed us whining for cop- on the other side the ground fell away pers gradually left us, and the coolies in a steep precipice, clothed still with slightly mended their pace. Sleep was pines, but one could see over them. out of the question; the swinging mo- In the distance, yet looking quite close, tion of the dooly, the creaking of its rose peak after peak covered with etercrazy wood-work, the grunts and groans nal snow; sharp edges stood out like of the coolies, the smell of their abom- swords, glittering and clear as icicles; inable torches, and the flashing of the tender blue shadows were flickering light in one's eyes combined to make aud dying amongst them; the summit this impossible. Hour after hour we of each glorious peak was tipped with lay and endured it as best we could, a faint pink stain, as if a rosebud were and many times I said to myself, about to burst and could not make "Would God it were day !" About up its mind whether it would be white midnight a tremendous change came or crimson. In the great peace and over the atmosphere; we were toiling silence the voices of many cataracts up a steep ascent, and I should say the could be heard calling to each other thermometer must have dropped thirty across the wild ravines, and I could see degrees. It was delightful; for the them falling in broken rainbows at this first time for many weeks I drew a full instant, touched by the growing sun. breath, but it was dreadfully danger- For a few minutes I stood entranced;

I forgot my husband left alone in the heat, forgot my crying babies, my sick friend, and my own overwhelming exhaustion, while I drank in this delicious spectacle, and gathered up a fresh supply of courage to get through the rest of our weary journey. Then I turned to wrestle with present conditions. I inquired what had happened that we were put down like this in such a lonely place. I felt rather alarmed, for there were fully twenty-five coolies, and I had only one man on whom I could rely.

one ayah and the three children on to the dâk bungalow and send back fresh coolies for us. At first they refused, but I pressed it urgently, for I was terrified at the idea of keeping the children without food. They were good fellows, and when they saw how grave the situation was they agreed. I was very pleased, and tied the children securely into the dooly, as the ayah could not possibly hold all three. They were in the act of lifting it when I went to the edge of the road and stood But I put on the bravest face I could, on the parapet for a final look for help. and soon found I had nothing to fear To my joy I saw a number of figures from the coolies themselves. It seems moving along towards us. I showed that at neither of the last two halting- these to the coolies, and they decided places could any men be found to re- that these were fresh men in search of place them. They had brought us work. I was delighted, and as soon as three stages instead of one, and were we could be quite sure of this I untied utterly worn out; to go further, they the babies again. I had not at all liked said, was impossible. I looked closely the idea of sending on the children or at them and saw that they were speak- of being left there ourselves, but there ing the truth; their dejected faces and seemed no alternative. Our new allies listless attitudes showed great fatigue. arrived and professed their willingness I next asked where we were, and to my to take us on, so I thanked my former dismay heard that we were seven miles coolies and gave them a liberal backfrom the nearest dâk bungalow and sheesh, and we parted with mutual seventeen from our destination. Here satisfaction. In about two hours we was a predicament; to walk was hope-reached the dâk bungalow, and deter less, we had no food or drink, M. was mined to stay there a night and day to ill, I was not much better, and the recruit; we all felt we could not face children were asking for milk and those doolies again at once. It was bread. I spoke quietly to the men, wonderful how quickly we all revived said we would wait half an hour at in the delicious cool air; one long sleep any rate, and told them I was sorry to worked miracles for us all; the chil see how tired they were. They bright-dren began to eat as children should, ened up a little when I praised them and even to play and laugh again, and for doing so much, and, pulling them- we were happy in watching them. selves together, produced the hookah, lighted up, and began to pass it round. Then I went to poor M.; the fever had gone, but she was as weak as a baby. I covered her up for fear of another chill and then examined our resources - half-a-dozen biscuits, about a pint of milk, and a little sherry. It was better than nothing. I felt as if we were on a raft at sea and I doling out the last provisions. I divided the milk and biscuits amongst the children and quieted them for a time; the sherry I shared with M. When the half-hour was over I went to the men and promised them treble pay if they would take

The next day we did the remaining ten miles and reached our queer little doll's house, clinging to the mountain-side like a swallow's nest. But that and our life there I will not now describe; I only intended to tell of our night's journey in the doolies.

The next night which I recall to mind was passed under far more disas trous circumstances. We had been some weeks at Simla when it became necessary for my husband to return to Lahore for a few days on some business connected with the office. It was the middle of the monsoon, the rain had been exceptionally heavy, and floods

were reported in every direction. I did not like his going, as I knew the roads would be very bad; but as it had to be done I determined to go too, and see the waterfalls along the cart-road from Simla to Kalka. He objected to my going, but I was firm, and he at length agreed. The fact is, I was sick of Simla; sick of the meaningless round of gaiety and amusement so called; tired to death of the endless squabbles of the various private theatrical companies, of the perpetual talk of dress, and discussion of scandal about ladies so elderly that one had much ado to speak of the matter with becoming gravity. I therefore hailed with delight the prospect of a week's escape from these botherations.

weeds, and flowers innumerable struggled up to the light. At every turn of the road we would find a waterfall perhaps a majestic, thuudering cataract, perhaps only the tiniest silver thread smothered under the crowding foliage, but always charming and sweet, till I was tired of exclaiming at their beauty. We could see for miles over narrow valleys and steep ravines clothed with every shade of green, and dotted here and there with trim gardens and white bungalows, or with the rough cultivation and mud hovels of the rude hill tribes.

One of the places where we changed was built on a sharp spur of the mountain, jutting out into a valley. While they were putting in the fresh horses and the coachman was taking a hasty pull at his hookah we walked out to the edge and looked over at the mass of tree-tops below. On three sides was a sheer precipice, perhaps five hundred feet; on one side nothing could be seen, for a cloud was slowly climbing the wall of rock and envelop

Accordingly we took seats in the mail-cart instead of hiring a private tonga, because we thought that if any difficulty should occur on the road greater efforts would be used to extricate and forward the mails than for an ordinary passenger tonga. With light hearts we took our places early one morning, little dreaming what was being everything in thick grey mist. A fore us. From Simla to Umballa is a shower had just passed, and the sun drive of about a hundred miles, and suddenly shone out brilliantly. With we intended to go straight through a magic touch the perfect arch of a with the mails; at Umballa we in- rainbow was flung on to the surface of tended to take the train to Lahore. mist. The arch was reflected in the The first fifty miles forms the descent, cloud below it, and formed a complete and the rest is on level ground. The circle, the most lovely ring that could tongas are driven at breakneck speed, be dreamt of. We moved forward to and a most horrible horn is blown examine this beauty more closely, and nearly the whole time to warn every behold! two huge black figures stood one to get out of the way, which for in the ring, veritable spectres of the their own sakes they take care to do. Brocken set in a rainbow frame. We At every five or six miles we pulled up stood and stared for an instant before to change the horses, and immediately we realized that it was our own unstarted off again full gallop. The worthy shadows that his majesty the views and the immediate surroundings sun had thus condescended to glorify. were indescribably lovely all the way. It was a strange sight, and one I can In spring and autumn these hills are never forget. It lasted only a few barren enough, but now in the rains seconds, and before we had finished a rank vegetation grew everywhere; wondering at it the figures and the long green fronds of fern waved over rainbow faded away, and all was blank our heads from the steep banks, enor-grey mist. The mails could not be mous creepers ran riotously up the delayed for all the rainbows in the great trees or recklessly flung them- Himalayas, and in another minute we selves over the precipices, thousands were jolting along the road again. We of wild roses turned their innocent passed a number of small landslips, pink faces towards us, tall grasses, and hundreds of coolies were at work

clearing the remains of them off the along in it like straws. Through the road, but we got through without any roar of the waters could be heard a stoppage; only once, as we tore along constant grinding, crashing noise. It the road, a thunderous crash sounded was the stones and boulders hurrying behind us, and we saw a tree, a boulder along the river-bed, and knocking as big as our cart and horses, and a against it and each other. The prosquantity of loose earth come slithering pect looked so gloomy that the coachdown the hill. The boulder took the man and the mahout declared we must road at a single leap, and we heard it wait half an hour and see if it went go crashing into the forest below. We down at all. Accordingly, we sat looked at each other and gasped, and down and watched it. I marked a the coachman turned grey under his little stone just out of reach of the chocolate skin; but the next instant we whisked round a corner, and I had wholly forgotten the circumstance till I began to write this article.

water. At the end of half an hour my stone was covered, and it was evident that the crossing must be now or never, as the stream was rising rapidly. About three in the afternoon we While we waited the natives had got reached Kalka, and were then at the the mail-bags and our small amount of end of the descent, and had only level luggage on to the elephant, and in anground before us. For this I felt other five minutes we had mounted, thankful, as there would be a more and the mahout was urging the eleroomy carriage and much less jolting phant into the water. She was a young for the rest of the way. We were female, and evidently did not like the allowed half an hour there for some look of things at all. Her twitching ears food and a wash, and all too soon our and occasional deep shudder showed new conveyance came round with the how nervous she was. Slowly and mail-bags already strapped on the top. cautiously feeling her way, she venWe had still fifty miles before us, and tured step by step into the water, the the second half of that would have to mahout urging her on with words of be done in the dark; but that did not praise and endearment. To me each trouble us. What I really felt anxious moment seemed an hour. At last we about was crossing the Ghugger. This neared the middle of the stream; the is a stream whose couduct is eccentric water almost reached the howdah, and and irregular to the verge of lunacy; its pressure was forcing the elephant in fact, it is impossible to predict what down the current. Every instant a it may do in the next twenty-four boulder came crashing against her legs, hours. I had heard our coachman and the poor beast was evidently dreadmaking anxious inquiries of the driver fully frightened. Once she gave a of the ascending mail as to its condi-shrill trumpet, a plain cry for help. I tion and temper. "The water is very was very sorry for her, but all our lives deep," was the reply. "With the now depended on her courage and greatest difficulty we came through." This sounded bad, but natives so frequently make mountains of molehills that I still hoped for the best. We strained our eyes as we approached, and long before we reached the bank I saw the big restless form of an elephant standing under a tree. My heart sank, for this meant that the stream was too high for the carriage, and when we reached the Ghugger I felt dismayed indeed. It was in its worst mood, just a foaming, raging torrent; small trees and bushes were rushing

firmness. Ouce she refused to proceed and tried to turn back, but the mahout soothed and comforted her, and inch by inch we drew over to the opposite shore. I am sure she was as relieved as any of us when at last we were on dry land again. Here another carriage was waiting. Once more the mails were unloaded and re-loaded. The letters for England were in those bags, and I wished they could tell the tale of their adventures in all the quiet English homes for which they were bound.

We now proceeded a long way with- through the carriage window I could out further trouble, but we had lost a dip it into the water, and so could great deal of time, and night had closed ascertain whether it rose or not. in on us. Still, we made good progress Luckily it did not, or this article would and were nearing Umballa, and had, in have remained unwritten. Next to fact, arrived at the last halting-place, the rising of the water we dreaded about six miles from the city. Need-most an invasion of snakes. There less to say we were very tired and stiff, must have been many swimming about and eagerly looking forward to the end in that flood, and at any moment one of our long drive. They took out the might enter the carriage; we could horses as usual and led them away to neither have seen nor heard it. Oh! the stable yard; we were half asleep, how slowly that dreadful night wore and it was some time before we became on; how we longed for the dawn! aware that no attempt was being made We had some dry matches, and every to put in fresh horses, and, what was now and then struck one to see how still more singular, there was perfect the time was getting on; it seemed not silence in the stable yard instead of the | to get on at all. About two o'clock in usual incessant chattering. After wait- the morning I found I could barely ing a few minutes my husband got out reach the water with my hand; it was and went to see what was the matter. going down, therefore, and that was He was away some time, and I heard a something, but by that time I was so considerable amount of language all utterly exhausted that I did not care the while he was there. Presently a what happened next. But everything, pair of horses was led out very slowly even such nights, must come to an and with much grumbling, and my hus-end, and at last the dawn broke. I band returned and told me that a flood was too tired to look about me, but it was reported ahead and the men had appeared that we had actually been on refused to proceed; but it was impos- the road all the time- - not that that sible for me to stay there, there was made any difference, for we could not no sort of accommodation, and he had have moved had we known of it. insisted on going ou. Well, the horses were put in finally, and the coachman got on and started; we drove a short distance, and then found we were driv-other start. We were only a few miles ing through water. This got deeper from Umballa, and though we had of and deeper, and it was running through course missed the night mail we should the bottom of the carriage like a mill-he in plenty of time for the day mail, race; it was quite dark, but we could feel and hear it. It became apparent very soon that we could not go on, and neither could we turn back. We were off the road-that was clear-and it was hopeless to find it again in the darkness. The horses were let go and promptly swam away, and returned, doubtless, to their stables. Here was a Accordingly I hung up my pleasant state of things! Standing in clothes to dry and thankfully lay dowu five feet of water, in inky darkness, and went instantly to sleep. I awoke without a notion where we were, and, after what seemed about ten minutes' what was worse, the suspense as to sleep, and, looking at my watch, found whether the flood was rising or falling. to my horror and amazement that it If it rose another foot we should infal- was past twelve, and there was my libly be swept away; as it was, we husband sound asleep, and we had were wet through and most miserably missed the day mail train also. Of cold and hungry. By putting my hand course I immediately woke him up and

The horses were now brought back and re-harnessed, with no end of kicking and splashing, and we made an

and have a few hours to spare for much-needed rest and food. We got into Umballa about six, and the train would leave at nine. How glad I was to get into an hotel and see a room with a big fire in it! My husband made me promise to get an hour's sleep, saying he would wake me in time.