Once on the embankment, surely my troubles were at an end, but no, a novel experience was in store. Grazing by the side of the road was a sober-looking pony, the rope by which it was tethered being fastened to a stake at the other side. Here surely was problem of conduct. As the anima was looking tha other way, I de cided to spurt over the rope as rapidly and silently. as possible, but only my front wheel crossed the rubicon, and I suddenly found myself, clear of all encumbrance, shooting straight for, the road, whilst the excited quadruped danced away at the end of its tether, my bicycle dangling in the middle of the rope I doubt if many have enjoyed such a unique experience. didn't! Having dusted myself and recovered my. machine, which had taken no harm, I set off again with a sort of hopeless feeling that I never, should reach Yangtsi and_ that, even if I did, every bit of Chinese I possessed had been long jerked out of me. a The bounding hills were rather too bounding for riding, the sur~ face being rather worse than on the plain, so I walked most of the way, but my final experience awaited me on the farther slopes as I started to coast down to the level road that runs into Yangtsi. Here I met with an elderly merchant on a donkey, with a large bundle containing copper coins on his knee. The donkey seemed quiet' enough, but some jingle of chain as I passed must have startled him for he side-stepped rather too suddenly for the old gentleman, who dropped his bundle and then' fell off and sat on it. Could anything be more unpleasant: than to land-from a height on a bundle of coins? Of course, he was all politeness and would not listen to my apologies, but I believe he expressed himself somewhat forcibly on the subject of the "foreign horse."? as they call it, at the inn to which he repaired for refreshment.
Such is life out hero and if any sobered country missionary has lost his taste for country travel and i¢ feeling the need of exorcise and.
itoment impossible to thos" who crouch shout in chairs, let me recommend a bicycle.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.