inly," said Frank. "It does look a weird
procession."

"Seems a mad sort of a set out altogether, sir: three British gentlemen
and a respectable servant going out for a ride in the night in a place
like this a-top of these excruciating animals, along with so many silent
blacks dressed in long white sheets. It all seems mad to me, sir, and
as if we ought to be in bed. I fancy I am sometimes, and having
uncomfortable dreams, like one does after cold boiled beef for supper,
and keep expecting to wake up with a pain in the chest. But I don't,
for there we are sneaking along in this silent way with our tall
shadders seeming to watch us. Ugh! It's just as if we were going to do
something wicked somewhere."

"It's all so strange, Sam," said Frank quietly. "You are not used to
it."

"That's true enough, sir, and I don't feel as if I ever should be. Just
look at this thing! It's like an insult to call it a saddle. Saddle!
why it's more like--I don't know what; and I've been expecting to have
an accident with this stick-up affair here in front. How do you get on
with your legs, sir?"

"Pretty well," said Frank, smiling. "I've managed better during the
past ten minutes."

"I wish you'd show me how you do it, sir, for I get on awfully, and I'm
that sore that I'm beginning to shudder."

"It's a matter of use, Sam. Try and sit a little more upright, like
this."

"Like that, sir?" said the man, excitedly. "No, thankye, sir. It's bad
enough like this. I suppose I must grin and bear it. Here, I've tried
straightforward striddling like one would on a donkey, but this beast
don't seem to have no shape in him. Then I've tried like a lady,
sitting left-handed with my legs, and then after I've got tired that way
for a bit, and it don't work comfortable, I've tried right-handed with
my legs. But it's no good. Bit ago I saw one of these niggers shut his
legs up like a pocket foot-rule, and I says to myself, `That's the way,
then;' so I began to pull my legs up criss-cross like a Turk in a
picture."

"Well, did that do?" said Frank, listening to the man, for the remarks
kept away his own troubled thoughts.

"Nearly did for me, sir. I had to claw hold like a kitten to the top of
a basket of clothes, or I should have been down in the sand, with this
wicked-looking brute dancing a hornpipe in stilts all over me. Ugh, you
beast! don't do that."

"What's the matter?" said Frank, as the man shuddered and exclaimed