The lamps are already lighted, and in one of the larger tents a lady is seated reading. She looks up as Upward enters.
“What sport have you had, Ernest?”
“Only seven brace and a half.”
“Oh come, that’s not so bad. Are you very wet?”
“No—but my Terai hat is about spoiled; wish I had put on another,” flinging off the soaked headgear in question. “These beastly storms crop up every afternoon now, and always at the same time. There’s no fun in going out shooting. Khola, Peg lao.”
The well trained bearer, who has been assisting his master out of his soaked mackintosh, moves swiftly and noiselessly in quest of the needed “peg.”
“Well, I’ll go and change. Where are the girls?”
“In their own tent. Hurry up though. Dinner must be quite ready.”
By the time Upward is dried and toiletted—a process which does not take him long—“the girls” are in. Two of them are not yet out of the short frock stage. These are his own children, and are aged fourteen and twelve respectively. The third, however, who is a couple of years beyond her teens, is no relation, but a guest.
“Did you have any sport, Mr Upward?” says the latter, as they sat down to table.