He begged me to steal forth at once and come with him.

When I refused, he groaned despairingly and left me with the words: 'Believe not anything they say about us or the property.' I closed the shutter and went back to bed.

But it was hot.

I rose again and opened both the windows so as to secure whatever breeze there was, and, after a long spell of angry tossing due to sandflies, fell asleep.

When I awoke the room was full of daylight and a murmur which I first mistook for that of insects, but soon found out to be the voice of a considerable crowd of human beings.