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AN ANSWER TO PRAYER.
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them next evening. Here I met General Sibbald, as already stated, hurrying down in a fury; too late, thank God! to carry out his purpose to prevent the departure. We rested till the heat of the day subsided, and then I started with my family again. We reached the first Chowkee safely, changed bearers, and then entered the Terai—a belt of deep jungle, about twenty miles wide, around the Himalayas, reeking with malaria, and the haunt of tigers and elephants. The rank vegetation stood in places like high walls on either side. At midnight we reached that part of it where the bearers are changed. The other palankeens had their full complement of men; but, of the twenty-nine bearers for whom I paid, I could only find nine men and one torch-bearer; and this, too, in such a place! Darkness and tigers were around us; the other palankeens were starting one after another, each with its torch to frighten away the beasts, the bearers taking advantage of the rush to extort heavy “bucksheesh.” All but two had gone off, and there we were with three dooleys and only men enough for one, and no village where we could obtain them nearer than twelve miles. What to do I knew not. I shall never forget that hour. At length I saw there was but one thing to be done; I took the two children and put them into the dooley with Mrs. Butler; a bullock-hackrey, laden with furniture, was about a quarter of a mile ahead, with its light fading in the distance; desperation made me energetic; at the risk of being pounced upon, I ran after the hackrey, and by main force drove round the four bullocks and led them back, sorely against the will of the five men in charge of it. But I insisted that they must take Ann (our servant) and me, with what little baggage we had with us. I put her and the luggage up, the driver grumbling all the while about his heavy load and the delay. I then turned around to see Mrs. Butler off, but her bearers did not stir. I feared they were about to spoil all. They were exhausted by extra work, and might have even fairly refused to carry two children with a lady; and to have taken either of them on the hackrey was impossible. I dreaded the bearers would not go. Delay seemed ruinous to the only plan by which I could get them on at all. If