CHAPTER VI.

PREPARING TO BE A SAILOR.

During the conversation just recorded the boys by no means neglected their luncheon, for both of them had been very hungry, and by the time they arrived at an understanding in regard to Alaric's engagement not a crumb of food nor a drop of milk was left before them. While to Bonny Brooks this had proved a most welcome and enjoyable repast, to Alaric it marked a most important era of his life. To begin with, it was the first meal he had ever paid for out of his own pocket, and this alone was sufficient to give it a flavor that he had never discovered in the rich food by which his appetite had heretofore been tempted.

Then during this simple meal he had entered upon his first friendship with a boy of his own age, for the liking that he had already taken for Bonny Brooks was evidently returned. Above all, during that brief lunch hour he had conducted his first independent business operation, and now found himself engaged to fill a responsible position in active life. To be sure, he was only taken on trial, but if good intentions and a determination to do his very best could command success, then was his position assured. How fortunate he was, after all! An opening, a chance to prove what he could do, was all that he wanted, and behold! it was his within the first hour of his independent life. How queer that it had come through his baseball too, and how strangely one thing seemed to lead to another!

Now Alaric was impatient for a sight of the vessel that was to be the scene of his future labors, and anxious to begin them. He had so little idea of what a sloop was that he even wondered if it would be propelled by sails or steam. He was inclined to think that it must be the latter, for Bonny had spoken of his craft as carrying passengers, and Alaric had never known any passenger boats except such as were driven by steam. So he pictured the _Fancy_ as a steamer, not so large as the _Empress_, of course, but fairly good-sized, manned by engineers, stokers, stewards, and a crew of sailors. With this image in his mind, he regarded his companion as one who had indeed attained a lofty position.

So busy was our hero with these thoughts that for a full minute after the lads left the bake-shop he did not utter a word. Bonny Brooks was also occupied with a line of thought that caused him to glance reflectively at his companion several times before he spoke. Finally he broke out with:

"I say, Rick Dale, I don't know about taking you for a sailor, after all. You see, you are dressed altogether too fine. Any one would take you for the captain or maybe the owner if you were to go aboard in those togs."

"Would they?" asked Alaric, gazing dubiously down at his low-cut patent-leather shoes, black silk socks, and light trousers accurately creased and unbagged at the knees. Besides these he wore a vest and sack-coat of fine black serge, an immaculate collar, about which was knotted a silk neck-scarf, and a narrow-striped cheviot shirt, the cuffs of which were fastened by gold sleeve-links. Across the front of his vest, from pocket to pocket, extended a slender chain of twisted gold and platinum, at one end of which was his watch, and at the other a gold and platinum pencil-case.

"Yes, they would," answered Bonny, with decision; "and you've got to make a change somehow, or else our bargain must be called off, for you could never become a sailor in that rig."

Here was a difficulty on which Alaric had not counted, and it filled him with dismay. "Couldn't I change suits with you?" he asked, anxiously. "I shouldn't think mine would be too fine for a first mate."

"Not if I know it," laughed Bonny. "They'd fit me too much one way and not enough another. Besides, they are shore togs any way you look at 'em, and not at all the things to go to sea in. The Cap'n would have a fit sure if you should go aboard dressed as you are. So if you want to ship with us, I'm afraid you'll have to buy a new outfit."

"But I haven't any money, and you say they won't charge things in this town."

"Of course they won't if they don't know you; but you might spout your ticker and make a raise that way."

"Might what?"

"Shove up your watch. Leave it with your uncle, you know, until you earned enough to buy it back."

"Do you mean sell it?"

"No. They'd ask too many questions if you tried to sell it, and wouldn't give much more, anyway. I mean pawn it."

"All right," replied. Alaric. "I'm willing, only I don't know how."

"Oh, I'll show you quick enough, if you really want to do it."

As Alaric insisted that he was willing to do almost anything to procure that coveted sailor's outfit, Bonny led him to a mean-looking shop, above the door of which hung three golden balls. The dingy windows were filled with a dusty miscellany of watches, pistols, and all sorts of personal property, while the opening of the door set loose a musty odor of old clothing. As this came pouring forth Alaric instinctively drew back in disgust; but with a sudden thought that he could not afford to be too fastidious in the new life he had chosen, he conquered his repugnance to the place, and followed Bonny inside.

A gaunt old Hebrew in a soiled dressing-gown stood behind a small counter. As Alaric glanced at him hesitatingly, Bonny opened their business by saying briskly:

"Hello, uncle! How are you to-day? My friend here wants to make a raise on his watch."

"Led's see dot vatch," replied Mr. Isaacs, and Alaric handed it to him, together with the chain and pencil-case. It was a fine Swiss chronometer, with the monogram A.D.T. engraved on its back; and as the pawnbroker tested the quality of its case and peered at the works, Alaric noted his deliberate movements with nervous anxiety. Finally the man said,

"I gifs you den tollars on dot vatch mit der chain und pencil trown in."

Alaric would have accepted this offer at once, but Bonny knew better.

"Ten nothings!" he cried. "You'll give us fifty dollars, uncle, or we'll take it down to Levi's."

"Feefty tollar! So hellup me grashus! I vould be alretty bankrupted of I gif feefty tollars on effery vatch. Vat you dake me for?"

"Take you for an old fraud," replied the unabashed first mate of the Fancy. "Of course you would be bankrupted, as you ought to have been long ago, if you gave fifty dollars on every turnip that is brought in; but you could well afford to advance a hundred on this watch, and you know it."

"Vell, I tell you. I gifs t'venty-fife."

"Fifty," said Bonny, firmly.

"Dirty, und not von cent more, so hellup me."

"Fifty."

"Dirty-fife?"

"We'll split the difference, and call it forty-five."

"I gifs you fordy oud of charity, seeing you is so hart up."

"It's a bargain," cried Bonny. "Hand over your cash."

"How could you talk to him that way?" asked Alaric, admiringly, as the boys left the shop, he minus his watch and chain, but with forty dollars and a pawn-ticket in his pocket.

"I couldn't once," laughed Bonny, "but it's one of the things poor folks have to learn. If you are willing to let people impose on you they'll be mighty quick to do it, and the only way is to bluff 'em from the start."

The next place they entered was a sailors' slop-shop, in which were kept all sorts of seafaring garments and accessories. Here, advised by Bonny, Alaric invested fourteen dollars and seventy-five cents in a blue knit jersey, or sweater, a pair of stout woollen trousers, two flannel shirts, two suits of heavy underclothing, several pairs of cotton socks, and a pair of canvas shoes.

Expressing a desire to make a change of clothing at once, he was shown a retired corner where he might do so, and from which he emerged a few minutes later so altered in appearance that it is doubtful if his own father would have recognized him.

"That's something like it!" cried Bonny.

"Isn't it?" replied Alaric, surveying himself with great satisfaction in a mirror, and fully convinced that he now looked so like a sailor that no one could possibly mistake him for anything else. "Don't you think, though, that I ought to have the name of the sloop embroidered across the front of this sweater? All the sailors I have ever seen had theirs fixed that way."

"I suppose it would be a good idea," replied Bonny, soberly, though filled with inward laughter at the suggestion. "But perhaps you'd better wait until you see if the ship suits you, and whether you stay with us or not."

"Oh, I'll stay," asserted Alaric. "There's no fear but what I will, if you'll only keep me."

"Going yachting, sir?" asked the shopkeeper, politely, as he carefully folded Alaric's discarded suit of fine clothing.

"No, indeed," replied the boy, scornfully. "I'm going to be a sailor on the sloop _Fancy_, and I wish you would send these things down to her at once."

Ere the man could recover from his astonishment at this request sufficiently to reply, Bonny interrupted hastily:

"Oh no, Rick! we'll take them with us. There isn't time to have 'em sent."

"I should guess not," remarked the shopkeeper, in a very different tone from the one he had used before. "But, say, young feller, if you're going to be a sailor you'll want a bag, and I've got a second-hand one here almost as good as new that I'll sell cheap. It come to me with a lot of truck from the sale of a confiscated sealer; and seeing that it's got another chap's name painted on it, I'll let you have it for one bob tuppence-ha'penny, and that'll make even money between us."

Thus saying, the man produced a stout canvas bag, such as a sailor uses in place of a trunk. The name plainly painted across it, in black letters, was "Philip Ryder"; but Alaric said he didn't mind that, so he took the bag, thrust his belongings, including his cherished baseball, into it, and the two boys left the shop.

"By-the-way," asked Alaric, hesitatingly, "don't I need to get some brushes and things?"

"What for!"

"Why, to brush my hair, and--"

"Oh no," interrupted the other. "There's a comb on board, and, besides, we can't stop for anything more. I've been gone so long now that I expect the old man is madder'n a wet hen by this time."

So Bonny led the way to the wharves, and to a narrow slip between two of them that just then was occupied by but a single craft. She was a small sloop, not over forty feet long, though of good beam, evidently very old, and so dingy that it was hard to believe she had ever been painted. Her sails, hanging unfurled in lazy jacks, were patched and discolored; her running rigging was spliced, the standing rigging was sadly in need of setting up, her iron-work was rusted, and her spars were gray with age.

"There's the old packet," said Bonny, cheerfully.

"Where?" asked Alaric, gazing vaguely down the slip and utterly ignoring the disreputable craft close at hand.

"Why, right here," answered the other, a trifle impatiently. "Don't you see the name _Fancy_ on her stern? She isn't much to look at, I know, but she's a hummer to go, and a mighty good sea-boat. She's awfully comfortable, too. Come aboard and I'll show you."

With this the cheery young fellow, who had actually come to a belief that the shabby old craft was all he claimed for her, tossed his friend's recent purchase to the deck of the sloop, and began to clamber after it down a ricketty ladder.

With all his bright visions of a minute before rudely dispelled, and with a heart so heavy that he could find no words to express his feelings, Alaric followed him.

[TO BE CONTINUED.]

THE COURAGE AND ENDURANCE OF ARCTIC ANIMALS.

BY THE CHIEF OF THE GREELY EXPEDITION.

The animals we have spoken of live on grass or other vegetation, and their ability to exist depends primarily on their ability to cover enough pasture ground to ensure sufficient food. Their dinner always awaits their coming. With the fox and wolf the question is more serious, for they live on flesh, either of animals or of fish. The long silky hair makes the arctic fox beautiful in winter, and, indeed, quite the whole year, for in the farthest north his color remains quite unchanged from a snowy whiteness. They are much smaller than the common fox, the total length, including the bushy tail, varying from two to three feet, and their weight is from eight to twenty pounds; in late winter, however, some do not weigh over five pounds. As the arctic ptarmigan has feet quite clothed with fine feathers as a protection against cold, so the arctic fox needs for the soles of his feet the thick covering of hair that earns for him the designation of _lagopus_ (hairy).

After fifteen years' experience in South Greenland, Dr. Rink, fully recognizing the craftiness of the fox, but also knowing the great difficulty of obtaining animal food, says: "How these little fellows are able to find food necessary to support life during eight months of the year at the northern fiords remains somewhat of a mystery. Hares and partridges are scarce, and seem unable to yield sufficient food for the foxes. In summer the fox seeks the water's edge for mussels or other food there exposed at low tide. He follows the seal-hunter, whether he be man or bear, for the drops of blood or bits of skin and meat yielded by the chase."

In Boothia Felix, Captain Ross found that he burrows and accumulates supplies. He says: "One of their burrows was discovered on the sandy margin of a lake; it had several passages, each opening into a common cell, beyond which was an inner cell, where the young, six in number, were taken. In the outer cell, and in the several passages leading to it, we found a great number of the two species of lemmings, several ermines, and the bones of hares, fish, and ducks in great quantities."

In the extreme north the difficulties of life for the fox greatly increase. Shell-fish disappear, seal as a rule migrate for the winter, and the hunting season shortens wofully with the lengthening winter. Moreover, in Grinnell Land the fox cannot burrow, for the earth never thaws more than a foot or two. However, the cunning animal utilizes nooks and crevices as dens and store-houses. The theory advanced by Professor Newton that the foxes of Spitsbergen lay up in summer a store of food for winter use has been confirmed as to the foxes of North Grinnell Land and Greenland.

In 1876, near the 83d degree of north latitude, Colonel Feilden shot a fox who, with his mate, occupied a lair in a hillock of broken rocks. "While resting," says Feilden, "we noticed that numerous dead lemmings were scattered around. In every case they had been killed in the same manner--the sharp canine teeth of the foxes had penetrated the brain. Presently we came upon two ermines killed in the same manner. Then, to our surprise, we discovered numerous deposits of dead lemmings; in one hidden nook under a rock we pulled out a heap of over fifty. We disturbed numerous _caches_ of twenty and thirty, and the ground was honeycombed with holes, each of which contained several bodies of these little animals, a small quantity of earth being placed over them. In one hole we found the greater part of a hare hidden away. The wings of young brent-geese were also lying about, and as these birds were at that date only just hatching, it showed that they must have been the results of successful forays of prior seasons, and that consequently the foxes occupy the same abode from year to year."

It appears evident that the hoarding of supplies is peculiar to the fox of North Grinnell Land, for two we held in captivity regularly hid such portion of their food as was not needed for immediate consumption, and it was also noted that the fox was an unusually frugal eater. Curiously enough, our captive foxes would not hide anything while being watched, and a piece of meat has been allowed to lie on the snow undisturbed for half an hour or more while persons were around; but leaving the fox for only four or five minutes, it would be found, upon returning, that the piece of meat had been carried to a corner, a hole dug in the snow, and the surface so carefully restored that it was difficult to notice any change.

One of the foxes, under gentle treatment, became quite tame, and permitted us to handle him, although he always caught the advancing hand and gently applied his teeth, as if to give warning that he was not to be trifled with. When stroked he seemed pleased, and gave forth a purring noise very like that uttered by a contented cat. He would not tolerate the bringing of the face near to, nor blowing at him, invariably jumping at the person so offending.

The other fox, an old female, proved vicious and intractable. Despite kind treatment, every effort to handle her resulted in serious bites. She was kept chained, but made such frequent and violent shows of anger, at times bordering on madness, as compelled us to kill her. She never showed any signs of fear, and neglected no effort to free herself. She was confined in a lean-to, at the door of which the Eskimo dogs gathered for their daily food. Whenever a dog was in sight, Miss Fox put on a bold front, showed her teeth threateningly, and emitted a series of low growls, somewhat of a modification of the shrill barks the fox usually indulges in. Several of the half-grown dogs rushed in on her, one at a time and on different occasions, but the fox met the attacks with such courage that the puppies retreated, one of them howling dismally at his wounded muzzle, in which the fox had deeply inserted her sharp teeth. The tame fox broke his chain and made a burrow in the snow wall that surrounded the house. As daylight was then continuous, and there were about thirty dogs around the quarters, it was thought that the fox would fear to attempt an escape. After ten days, however, he took the chances, and successfully ran the gauntlet of Eskimo dogs.

Doubtless the female fox has the hardest life, her energies being severely taxed in caring for her young. She is always in poorer flesh than the male, and as a rule she is much more vicious, and less amenable to kindly treatment.

An instance of the endurance and possibly the craft of the arctic fox may be cited in the experience of Biederbick, one of our expedition, who put a bullet through a fox and apparently killed him. Failing to reload his gun, the expectant hunter went forward to pick up his prey. To his great astonishment and chagrin, as he neared the wounded animal the fox, lamed and bleeding, sprang up and ran off at such a pace that he escaped.

It may be added that the arctic fox, while noted for his courage and endurance, is not skilled against traps or pitfalls, but shows a proneness to be caught that borders at times on stupidity.

The white-skinned, large-limbed wolf is the most ravenous, untiring, and dangerous of all arctic animals. Its tireless gallop, sharp teeth, snappish bites, and powers of a concerted action with its own kind make it possible for this predacious animal to live wherever game of any considerable size is to be found. In Grinnell Land he subsists almost entirely on the musk-oxen, who find their only safety by travelling in bands. When attacked they form a circle, and placing their calves and feeble members in the centre, by opposing horns and desperate bellowings stand off the encircling wolves. Woe, however, to the straggling ox who falls in with wolves, for he never escapes.

In his widely read narrative, Kane most unjustly disparages the strength and prowess of the arctic wolf. He says: "The Eskimo dogs of Smith Sound encounter the wolf fearlessly and with success." There is absolutely no foundation for this statement. Kane never saw a wolf either in southern Greenland or in the Smith Sound region, for this animal is unknown in Greenland, save one drifted from the American coast and killed at Omenak in the winter of 1868-9.

In truth the arctic wolf is relatively the strongest, as he is in fact the most courageous and enduring of arctic animals, and these qualities are supplemented by unusual craft and caution. They average some twenty pounds greater weight than the dog, which animal views their appearance with terror, realizing his small chance of safety in an encounter. The single wolf tempers his desperate courage with caution, and so rarely attacks man. Indeed, he uses such good judgment that there are not half a dozen instances in the annals of arctic expeditions where the hunter, matching his wits and efforts against those of the beast, has succeeded in shooting a wolf. When wolves assemble in packs they seem to act without any fear of consequences whenever the community interests of the pack demand it. They seem to realize that by concerted action the pack is bound to prevail, and they accept the chances of death very much the same as a soldier does when sharing the dangers of a victorious charge.

The British expedition of 1875 to Grinnell Land saw several wolves following a herd of musk-oxen, on which the wolves of that region subsist. Despite repeated efforts the sportsmen could not get within three or four hundred yards of these very wary animals. Later a single wolf followed Colonel Feilden's sledge for several days, but such was the cunning displayed by the beast that all efforts to get a shot at him failed. Very greatly to our surprise, in September, 1881, a large band of wolves appeared on the harbor floe near our house at Lady Franklin Bay. They were eighteen in number, and while they showed no signs of timidity, yet their discretion was such that none of our many expert hunters were able to get within gunshot. While this wariness is in keeping with the general habits of the arctic wolf, which has been rarely killed by sportsmen, yet it seems surprising when we reflect that these wolves could never have been hunted, and doubtless had never seen any animal, save the polar bear, which could injure them.

The tenacity with which arctic animals hold to life was frequently instanced in our experience, and the thought occurred that it arose from the survival of the strongest and hardiest individuals in a clime where nature ever seems at strife with nature's life. A few days later two of our hunters ran across a pack of wolves, of which two were shot, but both escaped. A rifle-ball went completely through the body of one animal, which bled profusely. The wolf was followed for several hours by its trail of blood on the snow, but it finally escaped. Later, a single wolf came within one hundred yards of our house, and in the early twilight was for a time mistaken for one of the dogs, who were much disturbed. He was eventually pursued by several hunters, and was shot through the body by Lieutenant Kislingbury. Knocked down by the ball, the wolf lost in a few minutes at least a cupful of blood. He was chased for some time, his blood marking his path, but no one got within gunshot. He was let alone for several hours in hopes that he would die, but, pursued by the hunters later, he travelled on, stopping and waiting as did his pursuers. Leaving drops of blood in the snow, he kept walking out of gunshot, until he fell down dead with his body substantially bloodless.

As the repeated efforts of our best huntsmen failed to further diminish the number of the pack, it became necessary to resort to other means of offence, for our interests were too important to be neglected. The terror and dismay of our dogs promised their destruction, and with their loss was involved our future sledging trips. Again, the health of the party depended largely on the herds of musk-oxen, which the wolves were running down. Acknowledging ourselves beaten as man against beast, we resorted to poison. Here we were surprised at their craft and caution. Different poisons skilfully arranged in meat were visited and left untasted by the animals. Eventually, by mixing good and bad meat together, we succeeded in killing four wolves; but on more than one occasion the animals ate all the good meat and left the poisoned. While the remaining wolves gave anxiety to us, yet this was not unmixed with a certain feeling of satisfaction that a brute of such courage, endurance, and craft had been able to hold his own against man, as he had against nature in her sternest mood.

A. W. GREELY.

DAILY DRILL.

This drill, used regularly, will be found of advantage in giving grace and freedom to the movements of the body, and a better command of the muscles most needed in every-day work and play. In order to learn them correctly the exercises should be taken slowly at first. When learned, fifteen minutes per day is all that is needed for a "drill." Each motion is made a certain number of times, usually from four to eight, and should be done vigorously and steadily.

Begin by assuming the "correct position," which must be rigidly maintained during the drill, only excepting those parts of the body in action.

Toes at right angles; heels together, with weight upon balls of feet; legs stiff; abdomen well back; chest out; shoulders back and down; arms stiff at sides; chin slightly in; slight forward incline of whole body.

_Head and Neck._--Bend the head forward upon the chest, and then up again to erect position; bend the head backward, and then erect; to the right side, and then erect; to the left, and then erect; "twist" it, looking over right shoulder, and then back again to position; around to the left, and again to position; "roll," dropping head upon chest; roll it toward the right side, around to back, continuing to the left, and back to front position. Reverse this roll.

_Shoulders._--"Shrug" shoulders up, shrug forward, shrug back; roll, going up, to the back, down, and then forward. Reverse this roll.

_Arms._--With arms stiff at sides, twist them in their sockets, toward the front, toward the back; bending the elbows, rest clinched hands upon chest; thrust arms forward to full extent, and back to position; out to sides, and back to position; straight down, and back to position; straight up, over the head, back and to place, always with even, steady, continuous motion.

_The Hands._--Extending arms straight in front, and afterward to the sides, and then upward, open and close fingers to fullest extent. Shake the hands at the wrists. Up; down; to the sides; then with a rolling motion; slowly, and then faster.

_The Chest._--Keeping the shoulders well back, and holding the breath, raise and lower the muscles of the chest.

_The Abdomen._--Raise and lower, forward and back, the muscles of the abdomen. Learning to contract these muscles and to hold them back in position is a great help to a good carriage.

_The Diaphragm._--Raise and lower diaphragmatic muscles, enlarging this part of the body to widest extent in each motion.

_Hips._--Lifting stiff leg slightly from the floor, twist it at the hip toward the front; twist it toward the back; lifting the leg in same manner, "roll" it at hip-joint, working it to full extent, up, forward, down, and back. Leg motions, of course, must be taken, one side of the body, and then the other, alternately.

_Legs._--Raise "stiff" leg forward and out, and then back to place; out to side, toward the back, and to place; flex leg at knee, and thrust forward and up quickly; flex and thrust to the side; flex and thrust to back; unhinge leg at hip and swing; out in front, to the side; across in front toward the back, and to position; swing in a circle, around and across in front, then around toward the back.

_The Ankles._--Holding leg stiff in front, work the foot at ankle, up, down, to the right side, to the left; shake and twist feet, and "roll" them, doing part of the work with a reverse motion; rise on the toes, with a regular motion, and then slower, holding the body balanced on the toes for a few seconds.

_Further Balance-work._--Throwing the weight of the body on the ball of one foot, lift the other leg, and flexing at knee, describe circles, moving the leg from the knee only.

_Step._--Pointing toe, and arching instep, and with stiff leg; to the front, and back to place; to the side; to the back; across at back.

These motions, out of a large number, were selected for their simplicity and usefulness for regular daily exercise.

THE INCANTATIONS OF ALI BEN MESROUR.

BY W. A. CURTIS.

The fame of Ducardanoy and Bouchardy spread through Algeria. Tho methods by which they had deceived and despoiled the Arab tribes gradually became known, and threats of vengeance coming to their ears, they decided that it was no longer safe to dwell so near the Sahara and its wild tribes, and they removed to the northern side of the Atlas. But even in their new home they were destined to encounter the power of the Shiekh of the Mountain of Singing Sauds, though not in a way that menaced their personal safety.

It was at the close of the Mohammedan fasting season of Ramadan that the great Arabian magician Ali Ben Mesrour came to town. Bouchardy, who attended all of his performances, declared his feats to be easy of execution, and their mechanism readily detected by the most unobserving. Ducardanoy was inclined to attribute this to professional jealousy; but when the magician began to cure the halt and lame among the Arabs of grievous corns and bunions, he too denounced Ben Mesrour as a bungler and a charlatan. Hearing of the criticisms of the two experts, the Arab sage gravely sent them a challenge. He announced that if they dared to give him a trial he would appear at their house, and by a certain magical process change the one into a dromedary and the other into a mule, and he agreed that in case of failure there should be forfeited two five-franc pieces of silver, which he would deposit with the commandant of the garrison previous to the trial. Two five-franc pieces were nothing to the chiropodist and the prestidigitator, grown exceedingly wealthy with the prudent investment of the results of their late encounters with the Arabs, but they hailed with pleasure the prospect of amusing themselves at the expense of the magician.

The lamps had been lighted an hour when Ali Ben Mesrour was ushered in to begin the process of transforming Ducardanoy into a camel and Bouchardy into a mule. He was attired in a robe of dark red silk, and upon his head was the green turban that indicates descent from the Prophet. Upon the side of the turban a white aigrette was fastened by a single emerald, and about his neck was hung a long gold chain. Ducardanoy and Bouchardy received him with great courtesy, and profoundly salaaming, conducted him to a divan resting against a heavy portière. The magician sat down, and the divan instantly flattened out beneath him. He leaped to his feet, whereupon the divan promptly resumed its former shape.

"I beg pardon for the conduct of the divan," said Ducardanoy. "Sit down in this chair," and Ben Mesrour sank down in a huge arm-chair, which rose beneath him and dropped him to the floor.

"Why, what's that on your turban?" exclaimed Bouchardy, and he reached forward and took from Ben Mesrour's head a white rabbit and a pair of doves. Bang! and the turban flew up in the air, and then settled back again, and Bouchardy further relieved it of a frog and a large carrot.

"What a number of things you carry around with you!" said Bouchardy. "Have a smoke?" and he handed him an amber mouth-piece holding a cigarette, which, being lighted, began to lengthen out and curl and twist into the semblance of a long and writhing snake.

"Bismillah!" grunted Ben Mesrour.

"What a man you are! Your breath changes a cigarette into a snake. But if you can't smoke, have something else. Try this sherbet," said Bouchardy, bringing out a long goblet of silver gilt. The magician raised the goblet to his lips, when there was a sudden whir, and a bright blue flame leaped up into his face.

"Mashallah!" he cried, dropping the goblet, which instantly exploded with a loud report.

"All our little attempts at hospitality seem to fail," said Bouchardy, with mock chagrin. "Have something to eat. Try this peach."

"No," said Ben Mesrour, waving a remonstrance; "it is time to make a mule of you. The five-franc pieces have been deposited with the Commandant. Let us begin. Stand upon this hassock, if you please, and I will turn you into a mule."

"The first thing I shall do when I become a mule will be to kick you good," said Bouchardy.

"We'll see about that," said the magician, and starting at Bouchardy's ankles, he began to knead his legs, and proceeded over his entire body, kneading, patting, and thumping him, all the while crooning a low chant in Arabic. Having finished Bouchardy, he left him standing on the hassock, and turned to Ducardanoy and repeated the process. An attendant then handed him a chafing-dish in which a few coals were burning, and withdrawing to the middle of the room, he threw a powder upon the coals. A great opaque white cloud, stifling and acrid, arose and filled the room, and from the midst of the cloud came the voice of Ali Ben Mesrour, shouting: "Accursed, the Shiekh of the Mountain of Singing Sands is avenged. I have made beasts of you."

In a moment the cloud drifted away, and the magician and his attendant had vanished.

"Made beasts of us?" said Bouchardy. "Well, he didn't make a mule of me. Look at that," and he held up the emerald from Ben Mesrour's turban and the gold chain from his neck. "When I saw that spiteful old fellow trying to turn me into a beast, and evidently thinking he was doing it, I decided to punish him by taking his jewelry."

"If it is not too late, let us have in a few friends to celebrate the successful outcome of our third encounter with Arabs striving to injure us," said Ducardanoy.

"It is not too late," said Bouchardy, reaching for his watch. A look of surprise swept over his face. The watch was not there. And his trousers pocket was empty of the purse it contained a few hours before, and a diamond stud was gone from his shirt front, and as for the emerald and chain, which he now scrutinized in attempting to console himself, both were cheap imitations worth only a few sous at most. Gone was Ducardanoy's watch, too, and a roll of bank-notes, and a gold match-safe. They ran into the hallway for their hats to start in pursuit of Ben Mesrour. Gone were their hats. Gone were the rugs from the floor, the divans, the pictures, the ormulu clock, the onyx tables, the silver and china ware, the books--everything in the house that was easily movable. They rushed into the streets, and in a moment were seeking Ben Mesrour with a squad of soldiers. Ali Ben Mesrour? His caravan had left the town two hours ago, on the way to Morocco. But Ben Mesrour himself had not gone an hour ago, Ducardanoy and Bouchardy declared. The people knew naught of that. The magician's caravan had gone, and the people thought he had gone with it. Away went the pursuing party, riding out on the road toward Morocco, and in a short time they overtook a man riding upon a mule, accompanied by a closely veiled woman riding upon a camel.

"There he is," cried Ducardanoy. "That woman is Ben Mesrour disguised. Drag him down."

"Hold," said the French sergeant, glancing around at his troopers, all native Algerians. "Do you propose to strip the veil from the face of a woman?" he continued, in a whisper. "Such an outrage of Mohammedan customs would cause these men to fall on us at once, and the town would rise to-night. We must let them proceed without interference."

Reluctantly Ducardanoy and Bouchardy turned back toward town with the soldiers. The man on the mule shouted something after them in Arabic.

"What did he say?" asked Bouchardy.

"He said," replied the soldier, "that he and his wife were riding on a mule and a camel presented to him by the magician Ali Ben Mesrour, which same were formerly the Messieurs Ducardanoy and Bouchardy, transformed into their present shape by his magic arts."

"That is not true," said Bouchardy, "for the magician Ali Ben Mesrour made mules of both of them."

HURDLE-RACING.

From instantaneous Photographs of Ernest H. Cady.

There are two distances for hurdle races which have become recognized by the Intercollegiate Associations and the larger athletic clubs as the standards for this event. The shorter distance is 120 yards, the race being run over ten hurdles, 3 feet 6 inches high, placed ten yards apart, the first and last obstacles being respectively fifteen yards from the starting and the finishing lines. The longer distance is 220 yards, the ten hurdles in this case being 2 feet 6 inches high, twenty yards apart, and the first and last respectively twenty yards distant from the start and finish. These two events are usually spoken of as the "high hurdles" and the "low hurdles," the distances being invariably understood as given above.

Hurdling requires skill, strength, spring, nerve, and a cool head; and to become a fast hurdler you must devote several years of hard and faithful practice in this particular event. The training for a beginner should be begun in the gymnasium in the winter, with light calisthenics, rising on the toes, rising on the heels, raising the legs, and practising the double jump on the toes. This double jump is a peculiar exercise, and consists of raising one leg, bent at the knee, forward, and the other leg, bent at the knee, backward, alternating the legs at each jump; this serves to limber the muscles that are used in hurdling, and also helps to lengthen the stride. An occasional short jog out of doors on fair days, and light all-round work in the gymnasium, for general physical development, should be made a part of this preliminary training. One of the best exercises that a hurdler can possibly indulge in is to dance up and down on the spring-board for ten or fifteen minutes every day. This develops that very necessary quality of spring and suppleness.

When the out-door training season begins, the first two or three days should be spent in jogging up and down the track. After that take occasional sprints of thirty or forty yards, without practising the start. On the third day practise the start two or three times, and try clearing one hurdle about three times. On the fourth day do the same thing. On the fifth day place two hurdles on the track at their proper distances, and negotiate them two or three times. On the sixth day repeat this performance with three hurdles. After this first week of out-door practice, whenever the hurdles are being jumped, the athlete should rush at them with his utmost speed from the proper distances, so as to become accustomed to them. The general training for a hurdler should be about the same as that undertaken for the 100 and 220 yard dashes, as described in this Department on February 25th.

After three weeks of this kind of preliminary work, the high hurdles may be placed in position, and the hurdler may try going over the whole distance on time; but he should never attempt this move than once or twice a week, doing his daily work over not more than three hurdles. There are two things of vital importance for the hurdler to work at in order to acquire speed; he should drive himself as fast as he can go from the crack of the pistol until he stops running, and each hurdle should be rushed at as if it were the last.

Speed between the hurdles is of the utmost importance. The secret of obtaining this lies in starting the foot, which has crossed last over the hurdle, forward for the first step before the forward foot has reached the ground, thus making the first step after the jump a very short one, yet a very quick one. This is a difficult movement to learn, but the athlete will find that it will lower his time perceptibly if he can master it. The instinctive act upon landing after the leap is to take a long stride forward with the view of covering distance. But the athlete must restrain this inclination and force himself to take a short step, even if he has to work over it for months, or he will never be able to acquire skill or speed as a hurdler. That first short step after clearing the hurdle gives the runner his impetus, and the other two steps easily follow. The third step is shorter than the second in order that the runner may gather himself slightly for the spring over the next hurdle.

The ideal distance between steps in a high-hurdle race is shown in the accompanying diagram (Fig. 1). The runner alights about 7 feet 6 inches from the obstacle, and then takes the short quick step already mentioned (4 feet 10 inches); then he makes a long step (5 feet 10 inches), and then another short step (4 feet 4 inches), which brings him within 7 feet 6 inches of his next hurdle, and he makes that spot his take-off. A fatal fault of many hurdlers is to bring the forward foot down in such a way as to cut off the length of the jump, as shown in Fig. 2. The first foot should be made to shoot as far forward as possible along an imaginary line, as shown in Fig. 3.

As the last hurdle is cleared, the head should be thrust forward as the athlete lands on the ground, and so held, for this will greatly aid in the sprint for the tape. There is a difference of opinion among the best men in this event as to whether the standing start or the crouching start is the better. Those who take the upright start assert that they can get off quicker and are in a better condition to take the first hurdle, which is only fifteen yards away, and say that it is difficult to rise to the proper jumping position in such a short run. Those who favor the crouching start deny this. This is a case where each individual must decide for himself which method he prefers. Another vital point that must be observed is to rush for the first hurdle with the utmost speed, for the way in which the first obstacle is reached and cleared often decides the race. A hurdle race is a constant drive from start to finish.

The hurdles should be cleared by as narrow a margin as possible. From the standpoint of speed it is better to strike the top bar lightly rather than to clear it by several inches, for this margin makes a loss of time. The athlete shown in the illustrations is E. H. Cady, and these photographs give a very good idea of the position a man should train himself to assume when clearing the sticks. The eighth illustration gives a very good idea of the distance of the landing-spot from the hurdle, as shown also in the diagram. The single thing which requires probably the greatest practice is to get the exact length of stride for the various steps between hurdles. A good way to get this is to mark these spots on the ground, and then go over the hurdles, lighting on these spots, until the stride has become absolutely natural.

The first annual in-door games of the Long Island Interscholastic Athletic Association brought out a good crowd of athletes from the two cities, and although no records were broken, the sport was good, and each event was well contested. Everything went off promptly and sharply except the pole-vault, which was not started until after five o'clock, and dallied along for almost two hours. Even so, it resulted in a tie that had to be settled by the toss of a coin. Forney, Hurlburt, and Eddy kept abreast until the bar reached 9 feet, and there Eddy dropped out. The other two then struggled for first place, breaking every bar the committee could furnish. Two broken ends were spliced to keep up the contest, but the imperfect bar sagged so deeply at the centre that it was impossible to tell how high (or low) the mark was, and finally Forney and Hurlburt split the points, and tossed for the medal, luck favoring the former.

Berkeley won the banner offered to the school taking the greatest number of points, the scores of the contesting teams being as follows: Berkeley, 21; Barnard, 18; St. Paul's, 12; Brooklyn High, 8; Pratt Institute, 6; Pingry's, 5; Adelphi, 4; Drisler's, 4; Cutler's, 3: Oxford, 3; Alling Art, 1; Brooklyn Latin, 1; De La Salle, 1; Poly. Prep., 1; Stevens Prep., 1; Hamilton Institute, 1. The struggle for points was reduced to a duel between Barnard and Berkeley very early in the afternoon, St. Paul's being the only other team that made any kind of a showing.

Irwin-Martin, of Berkeley, had an easy thing of it in the quarter-mile, taking the lead from the start; Hipple of Barnard likewise had his own way in the half-mile, although he misjudged his pace, and failed to make as good time as was expected of him. Moore, of course, made a double win in the dashes, for there is probably no better sprinter in the New York and Brooklyn schools than he. Berkeley depended on Armstead for five points in the Junior 75-yards, but although he won his heat, he met a better man in the finals. This was Robinson of St. Paul's, who proved so far superior in speed to any of his rivals that we may well count on hearing from him as a first-class man in the near future.

The hurdles furnished a surprise in the defeat of Beers by Bien. The latter was a little awkward in his trial heat, but when he started in the finals he showed much better form. Beers, on the other hand, was all out of shape, bungled over the first obstacle, and took a cropper at the second. Beers always has been a better man out-of-doors than in, but he will have to look to his laurels at the Interscholastics this spring.

The mile run took five points off Barnard's forecast. Bedford had been counted a pretty sure winner, in spite of the fact that Manvel of Pingry was on hand. The two ran pretty evenly for half the distance, but toward the end the Jerseyman displayed more wind and staying power, and spurted for the finish, crossing the line well ahead of Bedford.

There have been a number of scholastic in-door games in and about Boston the past month, and about the most interesting feature of each has been the team race. I was sorry not to see a team race at the Long Island games a week ago. Such races are always exciting, and create a great amount of enthusiasm, the interest being shown for the school rather than for the individual athlete.

The enthusiasm of some of the English High-School team's supporters at the E.H.-S. games recently was so reckless that one young man thrust a hurdle across the path of a rival racer. The E.H.-S. men won the team race easily by about forty yards, but some one in the crowd upset a hurdle in front of Lincoln, the second Boston Latin runner, and of course the race had to be awarded to the Latin School on the foul. Fouls seem to be frequently the result of the enthusiasm that breaks loose over a team race--especially in Boston. On this same occasion there was a race between teams representing the right and left wings of the school regiment, and it proved exceedingly close. There was not three yards of floor between any two of the runners, and finally Ober, the fourth man for the right wing, won by only a few inches. But a foul gave the prize to the left-wing team. I only mention these incidents to show how very exciting team races are; for fouls are very infrequent at interscholastic contests; yet when it comes to a relay race, enthusiasm seems to get the better of both competitors and spectators, and frequently the referee has to step in and assert his authority.

The Cambridge High and Latin School games followed some days later, and as there were a number of open events, several Harvard men, old interscholastic athletes, entered and kept the younger men up to their best efforts. There were so many entries that the 20-yard dash had to be run off in twelve heats, with a second round of four heats and a final.

The Boston Latin School's games had no open events, the contest being entirely among the classes. McGuire of last year's football team made a record for himself by winning the 30-yard dash in 4-1/5 sec.; the 35-yard hurdles in 5-1/5 sec.; the 300-yard run in 46-2/5 sec.; the pole vault with a leap of 8 ft. 4 in.; and by captaining the winning team in the relay race. McGuire is a good all-round man.

The entries for the big games at the Madison Square Garden on the 28th will have a most cosmopolitan character. I spoke recently of the Connecticut athletes who intended to compete, and I have heard that several Bostonians are in training for the occasion. The Central High-School of Philadelphia also expects to send representatives. It is likely that the team will be composed of Frazier, Mekenson, and Hunt in the sprints; Thomas, Hunt, Frazier, and Freeland in the relay race; Thomas, Freeland, and Hunt in the half-mile; Thomas and Rutschman in the mile; the Gillender brothers in the walk; F. Gillender, Halderman, and Bay in the shot, and Buckley and Eyre in the high jump.

It is reported that St. Paul's School, of Garden City, is making arrangements to withdraw from the Long Island Interscholastic A. A., and join the new organization recently formed by Lawrenceville, the Hill School, and a number of other large institutions, which from their situation may properly be called "country schools." It seems to me that St. Paul's is doing the right thing in joining the new league, for at present it is competing with institutions not at all of its own class in many respects. St. Paul's will doubtless at first be the weakest member of the new league, but that should not be a reason for discouragement.

In the revised constitution of the New York Interscholastic A.A. a penalty of $5 has been fixed for the forfeiting of any league contest. This law should be strictly enforced, for there has been too much forfeiting of games by teams that thought they stood no chance of winning, and had not sufficient sporting spirit to appear upon the field and do their best. If the five had been made double the amount, this would not have been too severe a punishment. As it is, the treasury of the N.Y.I.S.A.A. will doubtless reap considerable benefit during the coming baseball season, if matters go as they went in the past. The difficulty may now come in collecting the fines. It may be found advisable to insert a by-law which shall make the fine for forfeiture payable within a certain very limited period--say, before the date of the next game scheduled for that team to play--on penalty of suspension. Such suspension should be made to apply to the members of the offending team, not to the school. The players who then found themselves debarred from participating in other sports--track athletics, for instance--would soon see that the fine was paid, and after one such experience they would probably abstain from forfeiting.

ALBERT GEORGE, JUN., NEW YORK.--The ROUND TABLE will offer no All-round Sports Medal this year.

PERCY HOLDSWORTH, ROCKVILLE CENTER, L.I.--An approximately accurate table of interscholastic records was published in the ROUND TABLE of July 9, 1895. Since then several of these records have been broken, and another table will not be prepared until later in the spring.

J. M. ALLEN, MARINETTE, WIS.--Hints on training for the 100 and 220 yard dashes were published in HARPER'S ROUND TABLE of February 25, 1896; for the half-mile run, in HARPER'S ROUND TABLE of March 3, 1896; for the high jump, in HARPER'S ROUND TABLE of July 30, 1895.

THE GRADUATE.

Any questions in regard to photograph matters will be willingly answered by the Editor of this column, and we should be glad to hear from any of our club who can make helpful suggestions.

Among the pictures sent to our recent photographic competition were some not eligible for entry in any of the classes for which prizes were given, but which were such fine specimens of amateur work that they deserve more than a mere mention of subject and artist. There were several excellent animal studies, a class of pictures which requires special skill in order to be successful. Mr. Louis H. Flanders, of Chicago, Ill., with other examples of good work, sent two--one was the head of a Jersey cow, evidently without a flaw in the negative; the other, to which no name was given, might appropriately be called "Waiting for the Master." A large shepherd dog is sitting on his haunches, holding in his mouth the bridle of a horse, which stands, like the one in the nursery rhyme, "All saddled, all bridled, all fit for a ride." The surroundings--a drive leading to a barn in the background--are in keeping with the picture. This is one of the most natural animal studies which it has ever been the good fortune of the editor to examine.

Another good animal study, which is called "Friends," was made by Mr. Orville Bassett, of New Bedford, Mass. The friends were a shepherd dog and a handsome cat lying side by side on the grass. Mr. Huber Hoge, of Brooklyn, N.Y., sent an animal study entitled "Fallen Majesty"--a picture of an enormous lion in a cage; an unusual subject, and well taken. Miss Bertha Lothrop, of Riverton, N.J., sent a picture of a pug dog and a good natured looking cat playing together--"Playmates." Franklin M. Conant, Providence, R.I., and W. Yost, of Cumberland, Md., both sent good studies of cats, and Mrs. Claud Gatch, Salem, Or., sent a picture of a dog family, entitled "A Good Square Meal." A characteristic Southern picture was sent by Lieut. W. C. Davis, Fortress Monroe, Va. While this picture was not as sharp in detail as might be desirable, the subject was very amusing. A ragged colored boy was holding by a rope halter the framework of a horse--it could be called nothing more--and "De Price is Fifteen Dollahs, Sah," was the appropriate title to the picture.

Some fine photographs of unusual subjects were received, among which was one sent by Mr. C. H. Voorhees, of New York city, of a flash of lightning. It is one of the best pictures of lightning that could be made, the effect in the picture being exactly what one sees on a summer night when a flash of what is called "chain lightning" crinkles across the sky, the landscape being faintly outlined instead of illuminated as in the broad flashes. Photographs of lightning have revealed one mistake of the artist, and that is that lightning never assumes the jagged streaks with sharp angles which one sees in drawings of lightning. The electric fluid runs in curved lines, and looks something like outlines of rivers in map-drawings.

Two beautiful cloud effects were submitted. "Day is dying in the West," is the title of one taken by Mr. Newell B. Edson, of Portland, Me. The clouds are very artistically shaded, and show no halation, as is apt to be the case in most cloud pictures. This picture would make a fine bromide enlargement. The other cloud effect was sent by Warfield T. Longcope, Baltimore, Md., and is entitled "Moonlight." It is a harbor scene, and the outlines of the wharves and shipping show dimly, while the moonlight, breaking through the clouds, shines across the water. Mrs. George Conn, of Black Diamond, Wash., sent a picture of a snow scene, the snow looking like the real article and not like chalk, as is often the case with photographs of snow.

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This Department is conducted in the interest of Bicyclers, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question on the subject. Our maps and tours contain much valuable data kindly supplied from the official maps and road-books of the League of American Wheelmen. Recognizing the value of the work being done by the L. A. W., the Editor will be pleased to furnish subscribers with membership blanks and information so far as possible.

Some time ago we published in this Department a series of maps giving the trip from New York to Albany along the east bank of the Hudson River. Before taking up the question of Chicago maps it will be wise to extend the route from Albany somewhat further into New York State. To begin this, we give this week a map of the city of Albany itself. The wheelman approaching Albany from New York will cross the Hudson at South or Greenbush Bridge. After crossing into the city, turn right into Broadway, and proceed along Broadway until State Street is reached at the Post-office. Turning left into State Street, go on to North Pearl Street, stopping at the Kenmore Hotel.

The city of Albany is not by any means a bicyclist's paradise. The roads that are asphalted in the city are few in number, though there are here and there single blocks paved in this way, which, of course, do not prove of any value to the wheelman. From the Kenmore Hotel, if you desire to go northward, the best method is to go through Pearl Street to Broadway, run out Broadway to the Loudonville Plank Road, turn left into this, and proceed on towards Loudonville. This is the road to Buffalo. To leave Albany on the south, the rider should make for Madison Avenue as directly as possible, proceeding by State Street and Eagle Street. To turn immediately south, Madison Avenue is left at Delaware Avenue. To run in a more westerly direction, Madison Avenue is left at Lake Avenue, which runs into New Scotland Plank Road. These are merely exits from Albany. As for any riding in the parks or streets in Albany for pleasure, it is quite impossible. The only possible runs are direct from Albany out to some neighboring town and back, and of these the run to Newtonville, Latham Corners, Centre, and Watervliet is the best. Evidently the Albany authorities have not yet become aware of the importance of bicycling, for when they do the streets of the city will be paved in asphalt with more care as to continuous routes than at present. There are more asphalted streets in the city than are marked on the accompanying map, but few of them extend more than one block, and none of them carry you to any definite point. They are of no use to the wheelman, therefore, unless he is riding to some particular house within the city, when it is, of course, some help to be able to take advantage of even one block of this pavement.

There is little to delay the wheelman in Albany if he is on a trip from New York or Boston to Buffalo and Niagara. The city, apart from its Capitol, is not one that you would naturally choose for sight-seeing, and with a good night's rest the wheelman is advised to go on his way rejoicing that he has not got to pedal over more badly paved streets. The Capitol, however, is well worth a visit; and as it is close at hand from the Kenmore Hotel, one is advised to go there and look at the artistic and architectural work put upon it.

NOTE.--Map of New York city asphalted streets in No. 809. Map of route from New York to Tarrytown in No. 810. New York to Stamford, Connecticut in No. 811. New York to Staten Island in No. 812. New Jersey from Hoboken to Pine Brook in No. 813. Brooklyn in No. 814. Brooklyn to Babylon in No. 815. Brooklyn to Northport in No. 816. Tarrytown to Poughkeepsie in No. 817. Poughkeepsie to Hudson in No. 818. Hudson to Albany in No. 819. Tottenville to Trenton in No. 820. Trenton to Philadelphia in No. 821. Philadelphia in No. 822. Philadelphia-Wissahickon Route in No. 823. Philadelphia to West Chester in No. 824. Philadelphia to Atlantic City--First Stage in No. 825; Second Stage in No. 826. Philadelphia to Vineland--First Stage in No. 627; Second Stage in No. 828. New York to Boston--Second Stage in No. 829; Third Stage in No. 830; Fourth Stage in No. 831; Fifth Stage in No. 832; Sixth Stage in No. 833. Boston to Concord in No. 834. Boston in No. 835. Boston to Gloucester in No. 836. Boston to Newburyport in No. 837. Boston to New Bedford in No. 838. Boston to South Framingham in No. 839. Boston to Nahant in No. 840. Boston to Lowell in No. 841. Boston to Nantasket Beach in No. 842. Boston Circuit Ride in No. 843. Philadelphia to Washington--First Stage in No. 844; Second Stage in No. 845; Third Stage in No. 846; Fourth Stage in No. 847; Fifth Stage in No. 848. City of Washington in No. 849.

This Department is conducted in the interest of Girls and Young Women, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question on the subject so far as possible. Correspondents should address Editor.

Did you ever think of the flowers, how different they are one from another? And yet each is a flower, each belongs to its own family, each has its own place in nature, its own little mission to the world, its time to bloom, its hour to be sweet and to live in the sunshine.

I wonder which is your favorite flower? I used to think the mignonette was mine; but then when daisies whiten the fields I like them best, and when lilies shine in the garden I prefer them, and, on the whole, there are none of the dear things I would like to do without. How nice it is that there are so many kinds, and how tiresome it would be if they were all exactly alike!

The flowers have what each of us should have, individuality. We do not wish the girls in a school to be alike in everything. One day last October I sat on the platform of a woman's college during the opening exercises, and in the bright morning watched the long lines of girls march into the chapel to the sound of the piano. Two by two they came, dark girls and fair girls, plump girls and thin girls, tall girls and short girls, as sweet a band as I ever saw, all alert and alive and eager, and looking as if they never had an ache or a pain, as girls ought to look who have learned that health and vigor help to make successful students. They were not like coins stamped in a mint and precisely alike, though their college was giving each of them its own stamp of culture and refinement. One may carry this stamp, as the flower its perfume, and not lose the particular quality of mind and heart which is her own special distinction. Keeping one's own individuality, one may yet gain what is best in her school life and hold it.

This is a thoughtful talk for my older girls, and I am going now to give them three rather long words, which they may use as pegs on which to hang reflections of their own, or points round which ideas may cluster. One is development. If you cut an apple through the circumference, as you cut an orange, you will see in clear outline around the starlike centre made by the seeds the shape of the blossom. The fruit has grown from the flower, and the flower's shape is in the heart of the fruit. The fruit developed little by little through summer days and winter days, but the flower gave it the start. Take the little thought and use it, and if you have a gift or grace--a taste for housekeeping, cooking, sewing, painting, or reading--develop it by use and study and taking pains.

My next long word is responsibility. It means, as we all know, the answering when we are called, answering to our names. The responsible person can be trusted. Not long ago, in New York city, a fire broke out in the upper stories of a great apartment-house. Two young women, one, a young lady visiting the family in a certain home on the sixth floor of the house, the other a maid in the same home, were confronted suddenly with black volumes of smoke, red tongues of flame, and no way of escape but by the iron ladder that hung along the side of the house. There were two little children there and some valuable papers, and though the young women could not save everything, they took the children and the papers down the fire-escape with calmness and courage. They were _responsible_.

My last word is consecration. It is a very sacred word, and I leave you to weave your own sweet fancies around it. We must be consecrated to the best possible ideal, we must fill every day with noble work.

ANNE B.--Write a formal note of thanks in the third person. It is always proper to return thanks for courtesies of every description.

PERPLEXED MAIDEN.--Your long and thick hair is a very great beauty, and you must not complain of it. Of course you are old enough to wear it put up, and I wish you would take my advice, and wind it in a great coil on the top of your head. I may give the same answer to Helen L. R., who is equally perplexed, though as Helen is only fifteen she may continue to wear her long braids another year if she chooses. Both girls should wash their hair once a month, and brush it every night with great care and a clean brush.

MARY W. L.--In addition to the spelling match, ask your friends to lend you their earliest photographs. At a proper time in the evening, just before the refreshments if you choose, unveil your picture gallery, and let the girls guess the originals of the babies on view.

SALLY R.--Sets of dishes all alike are not necessary. I think a variety of pretty dishes quite as interesting and equally as appropriate.

LEAH G.--Why not have an old-fashioned candy-pull?

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310

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For an Afternoon.

Mrs. Mary B. Miller writes to you: "We originated the following for entertaining a few young ladies invited to spend an afternoon. A phrase describes some character noted in history, literature, or art. The initial letters of words in each phrase are also initial letters of the character's name. Given the phrase, guess the name. Here are a few that were used; others may be thought of by you: Able Leader--Abraham Lincoln; Can Draw Girls--C. D. Gibson; Uncle Sam's Guardian--U. S. Grant; Wrote Many Tales--W. M. Thackeray; Somebody Famous By Messages--S. F. B. Morse; Crossed Courageously--Christopher Columbus; Great Philanthropist--George Peabody; The Big Republican--Thomas B. Reed; Wise Cultured Bard--W. C. Bryant; Great Warrior--George Washington; Favors Water--Frances Willard; Betrayed Americans--Benedict Arnold; Prone To "Blow"--P. T. Barnum; and Was Scotch--Walter Scott."

* * * * *

The Antiquary Puzzle.

Some members enjoy knotty kinks. There are not a few in the following story. See how many you can unravel. No prizes are offered, and you are not to send answers to us. We will publish the answers in a week or two. The story was written by a member of our Order. Here it is:

In the early fall of the year (1) in which Captain Cook died I set sail in the _White Lady of Berlin_ (2) from the Modern Athens (3) for a three years' trip abroad. The brother of the historian (4) whose name signifies the long-armed ape had handed me an object the night before, attached to which was a card reading as follows:

My name is short--it's in my head. Behead me, and consider only My threefold nature, and you'll find That I'm in yours. Yours truly.

I followed the directions, and found a roll of paper containing these lines:

I once in hour of wicked wrath Slew one fourth of this great earth's race. I fled o'er plain and mountain path, But ne'er could that crime efface.

In any clime may I be seen, Of rustic form or city made. I oft conceal a weapon keen; Am found in many a street parade.

To arctic regions cold and drear I once did journey years ago. My faith was strong, nor was there fear Of floating berg or deadly floe (5).

I read the verses to a group of passengers, and one gentleman, a friend of the musician (6) who never could compose without his diamond ring, laughed so immoderately that he tripped over a spare mineral (7) that can box, and broke his leg. The physician (8) who first made use of chloroform was summoned, and in short order had the tonic plant (9) used in chills.

I reached Cairo in the month (10) of the gate, and spent five days in studying the Great Sphinx and its near-by temple. While exploring the latter I found a secret passage to the Sphinx itself, and there, in a square excavation, on a massive altar of the stone (11) that is dainty lay a huge black stone carved to represent the insect (12) worshipped by the ancient Egyptians. On it was this inscription, which, deciphered, reads thus:

"I am older than the Earth. I was born in Space. Once I was Fire. Now I am Stone. Yet no man ever quarried me. I have journeyed to the Sun, yet the Earth is now my tomb" (13).

After much difficulty I secured the stone for the museum (14) which contains the Elgin marbles, together with treasures from the Petrified City (15) and the City of Zenobia (16). I then sailed for England, reaching Cockagne (17) in March. One day, as I was passing the Old Lady (18) of Threadneedle Street, I saw a strange bronze-green sign-board which read, "ANTIQUES." Being interested in antiques I crossed the street and entered the shop.

An enormous claymore (19) hung by the door, and at a black-oak desk which had once belonged to Old Noll (20) sat a little weazened man of kindly look. As I entered he laid down a copy of the Vinegar Bible (31) which he had been reading, and rose to greet me.

"As I live!" he exclaimed. "You remind me of the Man (22) of Blood. Where do you hail from?"

"O, I have been visiting old worlds and new," I replied.

"Here are two busts," he went on. "They are of the Laughing Philosopher (23) and the Weeping Philosopher (24), and the contents of these cases are worth having. If you can answer my descriptions, they are yours. Others have tried--and have failed."

He handed me the following rhymes:

My _first_ was used in Shakespeare's time To exorcise the evil one. My _second's_ life is spent in toil; Reward it never yet has won. The wondrous beauty of my _whole_ May well be praised in poets' verse. To purchase it would much reduce The contents of the longest purse (25).

My _first_ is a large reflector, Old, but as good as new. My _second's_ the bone and sinew Of lands that we travel through. My _whole_ is little, and lucky, and white; Much like my first, but not so bright (26).

I gave up.

"Here is an easy one," he said. "It describes an every-day object, and is no quiz (27), I assure you, but an honest riddle."

I was born in the sun, but I lived in the earth. I died where I lived, and was buried from sight. I rose from the tomb that had long been my home To curse or to comfort, destroy or delight (28).

To my surprise my answer was correct.

An image of the Egyptian Mercury (29) brought to mind my recent solution of the Riddle of the Great Sphinx. The old Antiquary was surely the man to whom I should open my heart.

"Are you interested in Egypt?" I began. "I have just arrived from Cairo, and, to be plain, have made a stupendous discovery--I have solved the Riddle of the Great Sphinx!" And I gave him an account of my discovery in detail.

The Antiquary seemed to drink in my last words, and in another moment had dragged me to the back of the shop.

"Man!" he gasped, "do you know what you have done? By this solution you have the chance of solving another and greater mystery!"

Leading me to a dark corner, the Antiquary lighted a taper and showed me a narrow door of oak strengthened with iron.

"What is this?" I asked. The Antiquary slipped a roll of parchment into my hand. I found on it this verse, engrossed in old English characters:

JVGUVAGUVFANEEBJCBEGNYQVZ VAWRJRYYRQPNFXRGOEBHTUGSEBZSNE UNFYNVASBEGUVEGRREPRAGHEVRF XVATNEGUHEFFJBEQRFPNYVONE (30)

Though I carried the cryptogram back to America with me, it has to this day remained unsolved--and the Antiquary is dead!

* * * * *

A Ute Indian Legend.

Long years ago the forefathers of the Utes lived near a vast warm lake northeast of the Big River (Colorado). Snakes as long as a hundred lodge poles were plenteous in this lake. The country was full of big trees, big deer, and big oxen with white horns. One day all the big oxen began to roar together, and they raised such a steam from their nostrils that the earth tottered and trembled and the sun was hidden. Then suddenly the warm lake fell and continued falling for the space of three moons, and then became so low that the Indians saw it not again.

The big lake of warm water had been drained away. It had gone out through the mountains by the present cañon of Green River, and of the Big River. The old bed in the Toom-pin-to-weep is where the warm lake waters were drained. Next, all the big deer and the big oxen with white horns wandered eastward and perished from cold or by the arrows of the Ute hunters. Soon after a big flood formed Grand River Cañon. After this came a race of small people who brought seed corn of a small kind, called Chiquito maize. They also brought skin canoes. They had silver and gold in abundance, and iron tools which they had gathered in the mountains to the northeast.

These little people were almost white. They built stone houses in the cliffs, and cultivated corn, beans, and pumpkins. They taught the Utes how to make spears and bows. Soon big red Indians came over from the northeast and drove off the little people, who went south. The big red men also went away. These were the Apaches, Navajos, Kiowas. Down among these tribes were found the big oxen with white horns, and the grande lagarios (alligators). By-and-by the country became dry and cold, and only the Utes were left on the Big River and its branches. Then melted rocks were poured out and the country was left desolate.

SYBEL NEWELL STONE. SELAK, COLO.

* * * * *

Questions and Answers.

Claude G. Smith, William F. Tillson, Hubbard Marsh, Lawrence Fraley, Albert R. Bullman, Frances De Berard, Rolfe McCollom, G. Du Bois, and a score or more others are reminded that the Table has no exchange column, and cannot publish notices of trades, as of stamps, pictures, addresses, printing-presses, and the like. We should be happy to oblige members in this respect, but space does not permit. We do not give the addresses because improper uses are often made of them by unscrupulous persons. The only exceptions we make--and these we do not make often--are in publishing the names of members in far-away countries, since advertisers rarely use such, and cases where requests are purely educational, as in getting seeds to plant and study, gathering mosses for a natural history collection, etc. We repeat that we much regret that we cannot oblige you in these respects. Charles W. Anderson and Charles Cohen apply for Patents and give no addresses.

* * * * *

James D. Waite: The National Guard of the State of New York is not a part of the regular army of the United States. It is under the State control, but may be mustered into the United States service through the action of the President, who calls upon the States, if need be, to furnish troops. If your father does not wish you to join the N. G. S. N. Y., do not do so. Hubbard Marsh, Groton, N. Y., wants to belong to some literary or similar society having corresponding members. Write him. Claude G. Smith: There are, just now, no prize offers open. New ones, when ready, will be announced on this page. The only contest awards in which have not yet been announced is the Illustration. In that about 300 young artists are trying to make a picture for a story, a proof of which has been mailed to them. This contest closes March 21st, but applications for proofs with permission to enter the contest have already closed. D. Blondheim: We fear it is a bit late for descriptions of Christmas entertainments. Better tell us about oysters and the oyster trade. E. M. Wallace, Monmouth, Ill., and Jay F. Hammond, Harford, N. Y., want to receive samples of amateur papers.

* * * * *

Daniel W. May: We should think old skates could well be made use of in constructing an ice-boat. Coils in use in the relay and sounder of telegraph instruments are two in number. The cores are soft iron bars, and around them there is wound, for the relay, very fine wire that is covered with silk thread, to perfectly insulate it. The finer the wire, the more its resistance. The large wire that you see on the poles connects directly with this fine relay wire. When the electric circuit is complete, the soft iron bars are magnets; when it is broken, they are not. Thus is produced a backward and a forward movement of the armature which opens and closes a second or local circuit, in which is placed the sounder, having two similar coils, but wound with comparatively coarse wire. The Century Dictionary describes an induction coil as being essentially in two parts, one wound over the other. The first, of coarse wire, is wound about the soft iron bar, and connected with a key for breaking and closing the circuit. Above it, on the same coil, is wound very fine wire, carefully insulated from the first, which becomes magnetic by induction every time the electric circuit is closed. We advise, for a first attempt, a single coil of fine wire. All wire used in making coils should be insulated.

This Department is conducted in the interest of stamp and coin collectors, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question on these subjects as far as possible. Correspondents should address Editor Stamp Department.

In the ROUND TABLE for January 21, 1895, I mentioned the fact that Ecuador had cancelled the contract for "Seebeck" stamps, as unworthy the dignity of a great nation, etc. It seems that the only change that has been made is one of name only. Another decree announces the issue of a commemorative set, for use ten days only, "part of the sum accruing from the sale to be devoted to the assistance of the families of soldiers fallen in defence of their country." No collectors of any importance will touch these stamps, nor will they be catalogued, or space reserved in any of the albums.

The Post-Office Department will not sell the Periodical stamps either used or unused, and yet they seem to be easy to get. One dealer in New York offers a complete set of all the stamps from 1c. to $100, unused, for $250, and offers to give the source from which he obtained the stamps. Probably these sets are the complimentary copies sent by the U.S. government to the P.O. Dept. of the various countries in the Postal Union throughout the world. There are 175 countries in the Postal Union, and each of these is entitled to five complete sets of all stamps issued by each country.

The auction season is in full blast, not only in New York, but also in Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, etc. Hardly a day without an auction somewhere. And as auctions multiply, the quality of the stamps offered improves. Cheap and common stamps are worth as little to-day as they were ten or twenty years ago, and it does not pay to sell these in the auction-rooms. But scarce or rare stamps continue to increase in value, as demonstrated at each sale. At one sale last week every lot sold consisted of one stamp only. At another sale two evenings were given up to the sale of U. S. stamps only. They brought nearly $7000, and probably had not cost their owner, an old collector, one-third of the amount.

R. A. HUNT.--With a few exceptions (Russia, etc.), the way dealers take off stamps is simply to soak them in cold water a short time.

A. T. D.--An "error" is a stamp made by mistake in the color of another stamp of the same issue. Any daily newspaper is printed on "wove" paper. Most fine writing paper is "laid."

KERSKY G. WILLIAMS.--The 3c. 1851 U.S., with extra lines on the right or left hand side of the stamps, are those from the tenth and eleventh vertical rows of the entire sheet. The stamps were printed in sheets of 200. These sheets were cut apart into half-sheets of 100. As a guide to the cutter, the division between the halves was made prominent by two extra lines. The 1870-3 varieties of the U.S. stamps were illustrated in the ROUND TABLE, September 10, 1895.

PHILATUS.

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Mr. Coffin avoids the formality of historical narrative, and presents his material in the shape of personal anecdotes, memorable incidents, and familiar illustrations. He reproduces events in a vivid, picturesque narrative.--_N. Y. Tribune._

Mr. Coffin writes interestingly; he uses abundance of incident; his style is pictorial and animated; he takes a sound view of the inner factors of national development and progress; and his pages are plentifully sprinkled with illustrations.--_Literary World_, Boston.

* * * * *

Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York.

BY GASTON V. DRAKE.

VI.--FROM BOB TO JACK.

LONDON, _July_ --, 18--.

DEAR JACK,--Land at last again, and a beauty at that. It's queer, they call Ireland the Emerald Isle, but I don't see how it could be much greener than England is. I never saw anything quite so green in all my life, not even that small Harris kid up at the Mountain House. You remember how we took him in on the echo don't you. How it would answer any question he'd put to it at three minutes past four o'clock on a foggy fourth of July morning? And how we got up at half past three to ask it who struck Billie Patterson or some question like that. Well England is greener than that--Pop says it's what he calls scrub green, each blade of grass looks as if it had had its face washed five times a day, it sorter of shines so.

We landed at Southampton Wednesday night after a beautiful sail along the south coast, up past the Isle of Wight. I was very much surprised at the size of England. Everybody's said it was only an Island anyhow but as far as I could see it looks just as big from the outside as the United States did when we were leaving it. Chesterfield says people are all wrong who call it an Island. He says it's a vest-pocket continent, and I guess he knows. It looks to me too big for an Island.

We had a great time when we landed. All our trunks had to be opened by the Custom House inspectors to see if we had any cologne or cigars in 'em. I don't see why they call them Custom House officers though. Their costumes weren't anything wonderful. It took Pop a half an hour to get his trunks all through because he said the inspector didn't know the language. Pop says he asked him what nation he belonged to and the man said he was Hinglish and Pop told him he'd never heard of any such people, where did they live. In Hingland, the man said. Where's that asked Pop, and the man nearly fainted and then Pop gave him a half a crown and the man said he guessed he needn't open any more trunks, because a man as ignorant as he was wouldn't have sense enough to try to smuggle anything in anywhere.

After the trunks were all passed Pop asked a man where the baggage car was and that man couldn't speak English either. He asked Pop what, and Pop says again where's the baggage car, and just then an American that had been over before says to the man he means the luggage van, and the man said oh wy didn't ee si so. Pop says he thinks that's Welsh, which is a language he never liked anyhow. The only welsh thing he ever liked was a rabbit, he said. Wots your name asked the Baggage man. Drake, says Pop. Well your van is the seventh car up. It's marked with a D. Do you know a D when you see it? Pop said he guessed so. He'd seen one once and he had an idea that it looked like a P without a pedestal or a B cut in two. That's it, said the man. Well you put your luggage in the van marked with a P without a pedestal and when you get to London you can go and claim it. But suppose somebody else claims it said Pop. That's his affair and yours not mine says the man and he walked off. Then Pop found out that they don't give checks over here, and he said he guessed the reason was that they preferred cash.

After we got our trunks on board Pop took me up to see the engine and you never saw such an engine anywhere outside of a toy-store. It looked awful small and it only had a little platform at the back for the engineer to stand in. Pop says the railroads can't afford to furnish cabs for its engineers. The smoke-stack looked just like a piece of pipe sticking up in front of the boiler and there wasn't a cow-catcher in sight, but it had a bully whistle. It was one of those raspy whistles that makes old people nervous and boys laugh. Pop says a whistle like that makes a cow-catcher unnecessary because a cow is a quiet sort of an animal and likes to chew its gum in peace, hating noise; and anyhow the English people aren't bothering much about catching cows when there's so many Americans travelling about with money in their pockets to be caught; and I guess he's right because most everybody here goes around holding his hand out. Chesterfield told me it would be that way so I wasn't surprised. He said when you land every hand on the dock will be stretched out to you but it isn't to welcome you, don't think that. It's to relieve you of your surplus. I asked him what a surplus was, and he said it was a collection of rare coins that you didn't need in your business and when I said I wasn't any wiser than before he said a surplus was the money you had in your pocket to spend on things you didn't really need. And it was that way, and I tell you the way Pop spent six-pences and shillings and half-crowns was a caution. A half crown is two shillings and a sixpence, but you can bet I didn't spend mine. All I had left after lending Chesterfield that money I've got yet and I'm going to keep it until I get to Paris where they have toy shops that are worth seeing whether you buy anything or not which you generally do. Why just before we landed Chesterfield was telling me of an oil-silk lion that he bought in Paris once that saved his life two years later in the Desert of Sahara.

It was one of those lions you blow up. You can carry it in your pocket when you haven't any wind in it. Then you take it out, unfold it, blow it up, fasten up the blow-hole and it looks real terrible, stands up alone and does everything but gnash his teeth and growl. Chesterfield was sleeping in the desert one night, when a real lion came his way and was about to devour him, when, with a sudden perspiration, he remembers the toy lion in his pocket, takes it out, blows it up, sets it down before the real lion, who, reckonizing his match retreats, but immediately returns. Of course the oil-silk lion remains cool. He hasn't got any nerves to get excited on. The real lion roars. The oil-silk lion says nothing. The real lion advances. The oil-silk lion doesn't say a word. The real lion gets mad. The oil-silk lion stays cool. The real lion hits him with one paw. The oil-silk lion just bounces and does nothing. The real lion hits him with his other paw and the oil-silk lion just bounces again and does nothing. But then the real lion hits him with both paws a tremenjus whack and the oil-silk lion busts like a blown-up grocer's bag with a report like a caution, which so scares the real lion that he's running yet. Eh? How would you like a toy like that?

It's getting so late now that Pop says I must go to bed, but to-morrow I'll write again and tell you how we got up to London and what I've seen so far.

Yours ever, BOB.

End of Project Gutenberg's Harper's Round Table, March 10, 1896, by Various