HereeverythingseemedeasyenoughThesandhillsrandowntotheriveredge，itistrue，buttherewereplentyofshoalsandshallowsacrosswhichIcouldgallopPornic，andfindmywaybacktoterrafirmabyturningsharplytotherightorleftAsIledPornicoverthesandsIwasstartledbythefaintpopofarifleacrosstheriver；andatthesamemomentabulletdroppedwithasharp“whit“
closetoPornic’shead。
Therewasnomistakingthenatureofthemissile-aregulationMartini-Henry“picket。”Aboutfivehundredyardsawayacountry-boatwasanchoredinmidstream；andajetofsmokedriftingawayfromitsbowsinthestillmorningairshowedmewhencethedelicateattentionhadcomeWaseverarespectablegentlemaninsuchanimpasse？ThetreacheroussandslopeallowednoescapefromaspotwhichIhadvisitedmostinvoluntarily，andapromenadeontheriverfrontagewasthesignalforabombardmentfromsomeinsanenativeinaboatI’mafraidthatIlostmytemperverymuchindeed。
AnotherbulletremindedmethatIhadbettersavemybreathtocoolmyporridge；andIretreatedhastilyupthesandsandbacktothehorseshoe，whereIsawthatthenoiseoftheriflehaddrawnsixty-fivehumanbeingsfromthebadger-holeswhichIhaduptillthatpointsupposedtobeuntenantedIfoundmyselfinthemidstofacrowdofspectators-aboutfortymen，twentywomen，andonechildwhocouldnothavebeenmorethanfiveyearsoldTheywereallscantilyclothedinthatsalmon-coloredclothwhichoneassociateswithHindumendicants，and，atfirstsight，gavemetheimpressionofabandofloathsomefakirsThefilthandrepulsivenessoftheassemblywerebeyondalldescription，andI
shudderedtothinkwhattheirlifeinthebadger-holesmustbe。