course we replied most energetically in the negative.

Then they plied us with a thousand questions, of which we could
understand nothing more than that they had reference to the
recent movements of the French, against whom they seemed to
cherish the most fierce hatred. So eager were they to obtain
information on this point, that they still continued to propound
their queries long after we had shown that we were utterly unable
to answer them. Occasionally we caught some indistinct idea of
their meaning, when we would endeavour by every method in our
power to communicate the desired intelligence. At such times
their gratification was boundless, and they would redouble their
efforts to make us comprehend them more perfectly. But all in
vain; and in the end they looked at us despairingly, as if we
were the receptacles of invaluable information; but how to come
at it they knew not.

After a while the group around us gradually dispersed, and we
were left about midnight (as we conjectured) with those who
appeared to be permanent residents of the house. These
individuals now provided us with fresh mats to lie upon, covered
us with several folds of tappa, and then extinguishing the tapers
that had been burning, threw themselves down beside us, and after
a little desultory conversation were soon sound asleep.



CHAPTER ELEVEN

MIDNIGHT REFLECTIONS--MORNING VISITORS--A WARRIOR IN COSTUME--A