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The jungle was already in sight; and the bushes growing out of each side the hedge, made it look like a thick grove everywhere.

Large trees met overhead, and formed a covered, leafy walk, through which the sun could not pierce. There was no one to be seen near, and no sound but that of the beetles and grasshoppers chirping in the hedgerows, except that of the rustling of the boughs, where some monkeys were amusing themselves at play.

Every now and then Harry would see the comical face of one peering from behind a bunch of leaves, and grinning at him. Some of the mothers were holding their young in their arms, just as mammas do their children, and he could not help bursting out laughing when he saw one of these monkeys, who had quarrelled with another, fly up a tree after her to box her ears, whilst the poor baby monkey held on very tight with its arm round her waist, looking very much frightened.

'Oh! look, papa-do just look at that big monkey! now she is beating the little monkey; and look, papa, at the old monkey with the grey beard! Does he not look wise?'

The gibbering and chattering of the monkeys as they ran after each other in the trees, and skipped from bough to bough, would have amused Mr. and Mrs.

Brisbane at any other time, but now it was only Harry's heart that was light enough to take pleasure in watching them. His parents were too busy taking the horse out of the shafts, and arranging to ride him, even to listen to their little boy's remarks.

Mr. Brisbane had handed mamma and baby and Harry out of the buggy; and as soon as she had laid Cyril down in a safe place by the road-side, she began to help her husband to undo the harness, so that they might leave the gig. It was of no use to them any longer, because the forest path had become too narrow for the wheels to pass along it. They took everything off the pony except his headstall, and then Mr. Brisbane got one of the cushions from the carriage, and fastened it on his back by means of the reins, which he wound round and round his belly, to make a kind of saddle to sit on, for a horse's back is very slippery, and not at all easy to keep from falling off when bare.

Whilst the Pegu cropped a mouthful of grass, Mr Brisbane undid his sash, that he might tie the baby with it to his waist; and when he was ready, mamma lifted Cyril-still asleep on the turf where she had laid him very gently from off it, so as not to awake him, and held him whilst his papa made him safe with the sash. When he had finished, and baby was firmly tied on, he looked very funny,-something like

a lady with a dress in the last fashion, all sticking out behind.

But the smile was

Poor mamma, spite of her grief, could not help a smile as Mr. Brisbane prepared to get on Rufus, with Cyril at his back, in this odd way. soon changed to tears, for just as she was going to help Harry up, some one, hidden in the brushwood near, threw a large stone at the pony, which made him first throw up his head and snort, and then dart off as fast as he could back again towards Delhi. Harry was thrown violently to the ground, but he was not hurt. There were no reins to Rufus's headstall, so that Mr. Brisbane could not stop him; and it was only because he was such a good rider that he was not thrown, but he stuck his knees into the pony's sides, and did not fall off.

Mrs. Brisbane saw the horse tear away with her husband and her baby-saw them going off farther and farther from her, and yet she could do nothing to stop them. She held out her tender arms, but still the pony ran farther away. She feared her husband might be thrown, and baby dashed to pieces; but no, he still went on, appearing smaller and smaller as the distance increased between them, until his scarlet coat became a little speck-far, far away at last-and he and all disappeared out of sight. Then she felt sick, and a

cold shiver of despair came over her. She sat down just outside the edge of the jungle, for she had no longer strength to stand; and she buried her head in her hands, and sent up a great cry to Heaven for 'God to have mercy upon' her.

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THE FOREST.

M

RS. BRISBANE sat for a while without moving, with her head in her hands.

She

did not look up even when Harry said to her, 'Mamma, why has papa gone away and taken baby? Is he not coming back again for us? Mamma, tell me?'

Then Harry waited a few moments, hoping he should see his father returning on Rufus; but he could see nothing, though his eyes went all round and far awayeverywhere.

'Mamma,' he said again,' is papa coming back again soon?'

Mrs. Brisbane raised her head, and her eyes looked quite dim, as she replied, 'We shall never see them any more, I fear.'

Just as she was speaking they heard a rustling near,

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