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Show ‘men; all had come to pay their respects to the paper enthusiast from beyond the seas. T had been at the cottage only a short time when I overheard th villagers talking among themselves regarding "the meeting." Lvmun present that cold, damp nq,ln seemed concerned with one topic only iscus e on every hand. thumlly T wa somewhat curious as to the part I mlgh[ have to phy "the meeting, but I knew that sooner or later I should understa The wcrvmg of hot tea and sugar-curds over, most of the villagers too their departure, promising to return early the following morning. I wa fatigued «md ventured to hint that I should not beave per onal bedding, which the coolies had carricd upon th miles, was unrolled and spread upon a wooden bench which occupied on xoom of the dirt-floored cottage, ingeniously constructed of bamboo an mango wood. An adjoining room was piled high with reams and rolls o handmade paper, the product of the district. Several of the gentleme remained with me while T prepared for bed, and when I removed my shoe they thoughtfully covered them with bamboo mats, explaining the whil that scorpions and tarantulas were abundant and that it was their deligh to spend the night hidden in shoes and surprise the owner in the mornin by sinking their spring-like claws into his unwary feet. The oil lamp wa Lefc burning in the little room, and as I lay on the hard bed T amused myself by watching the lizards crawl up and down the walls andacross t rattan ceiling. These small grey reptiles have a habit of discharging thei tails at will, '\nd it was not unusual while in bed to be awakened by havin irop in my face. One idle day in central Tndia I was fascilizar across the room of a clay-floored hut simpl dropped his wiggling appendage unde the nose of the scampering cat, to the amazement of the astonished an bewildered feline. Nature has a way of rencwing the tails of these India lizards in a surprisingly short period Digtal image © 2005 MarriottLibrary Universit of Utah, All rihts reserved |