GEEGORT VOLUNTEERS 85 or something of that sort from one of the natives here ? or, if he will sell it, buy one. I will pay when I return; it will always come in useful. If you cannot get a shovel, a hoe will do. Ah ! I had better give you a dollar, the man might not trust you.”

He then walked down to the river, and found the black corporal sitting tranquilly by the side of his baggage. The man stood up and saluted, and on Gregory saying that he had now a house, at once told ofi two soldiers to carry the things.

Arriving at the hut he found Zaki hard at work shovelling the rubbish through the doorway. Just as he came up, the boy brought down his tool with a crash upon a little brown creature that was scuttling away.

“ What is that, Zaki ? ” “ That is a scorpion, bey ; I have killed four of them.” “ That is not at all pleasant,” Gregory said ; “ there may be plenty of them up among the boughs overhead.”

Zaki nodded. “ Plenty of creatures,” he said, “ some snakes.”

“ Then we will smoke them out before I go in. When you have got the rubbish out, make a fire in the middle, wet some leaves and things and put them on, and we will hang a blanket over the window and shut the door. I will moisten some powder and scatter it among the leaves, and the sulphur will help the smoke to bring them down.”

This was done, the door closed, and as it did not fit at all tightly the cracks were filled with some damp earth from the water-course.

“ What did you pay for the shovel, Zaki ? ” ‘Half a dollar, bey; here is the other half.” “ Well, you had better go and buy some things for yourself. To-morrow I will make other arrangements. Get a fire going out here. There is a sauce-pan and a kettle, so you can boil some rice or fry some meat.”

Gregory then went again to the officer who was acting as