Vernon's aunt - being the oriental experiences of Miss Lavinia Moffat (1894) (14586472740)

Identifier: vernonsauntbeing00cote (find matches)
Title: Vernon's aunt : being the oriental experiences of Miss Lavinia Moffat
Year: 1894 (1890s)
Authors: Cotes, Everard, Mrs., 1861-1922
Subjects:
Publisher: London : Chatto & Windus
Contributing Library: Scott - York University Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Ontario Council of University Libraries and Member Libraries



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ophy, and his under jaw 172 VERNON S AUN7 moving from side to side in rhythmic unionwith his reflections. In the daytime onecould walk round him, but at night, evenwith a lantern, he was visionary, problem-atic, uncertain. I tumbled over one camelin the dark, and it was an experience whichneither he nor I will ever forget. It seemedto be a miraculous escape for both of us.Nothing could induce me, however, to makethe details public. There was also a python which tried todomesticate itself, but I am happy to say mynephew drew the line at boa-constrictors.This one made itself comfortable under theground-cloth of his tent, which undulatedone morning, while he was shaving, in amanner that attracted his attention. In myopinion it is to the honour of the family thatVernon finished shaving, and then calledRadabullub to his assistance, for the undu-lations were large. Between them they des-patched the creature, and I saw the corpse.It was ten black feet long, and as thick as a VERNONS AUNT 173
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THEY DESPATCHED THE CREATURE 174 VERNONS AUNT mans arm, and there was no reason what-ever, except the special Providence whichwatches over old maids in the tropics, whyit should not have crawled into my tent r instead of Vernons. I might mention, too,the centipedes that I found drowned occa-sionally in the water-jug, and the leaves andtwigs and flowers that crept about with legsand antennae, and the other queer thing inspectacles that sat up and folded its arms,and caught mosquitoes on the tent wall when j_^the lamps were lit; but while I have endeav-oured to fill up the interval, as it were, withthese things, I feel that Mr. Bux and thedenouement can no longer be delayed. You may be sure that I awaited furthercommunications feverishly, but none reachedme. Once my natural curiosity got thebetter of me, and I asked Radabullub if anygentleman lived in the neighbourhood by thename of Bux. Radabullub immediatelymentioned Mahomed Bux, Ali Bux, MirKassim Bux, Moniroddin Bux, and various VER