The Strand 1913-11 Vol_XLVI №275 November mich

I FOUND MYSELF LOOKING DOWN THF. MUZZLES OF HALF-A-DOZEN MAUSER PISTOLS. us inside it to the New Jerusalem in some- thing less than no time. Here is the formula.\" He took it from his letter-case and laid it on the table before him. Then he plunged his hands into his jacket-pockets again and lay back as before, contemplating the ceiling with a curiously rapt smile. The chairman stretched out his hand and drew the paper towards him. \" Thanks,\" he said, as he coolly thrust it into his pocket. \" Then we may consider that settled.\" A sudden flash leapt into Bcckwith's eyes. \" Steady on,\" he said. \" Where is my five hundred pounds ? \" \" Ah, where, I wonder,\" answered the other, with a mocking laugh. \" We are no re- specters of the rights of property here, Mr. Inventor. When we can take a thing for nothing, we do not see the fun of paving for it.\" \" Yon have trapped us here in order to cheat us—is that it. Mr. Swindler ? \" Curtis Beckwith's tone was quiet but incisive as he uttered this outspoken retort. It was a daring thing to do—we two there

THE BANANA BOMBSHELL. 5*5 alone and unarmed, at the mercy of this crew of ruffians. I could not but admire the pluck of it. almost as much as I deplored its fatal rashness. For my own part I was in a down right blue funk. Beck with, however, showed not the slightest sign of fear. \" Is that it, Mr. Swindler ? \" he repeated, calmly. A dull red flush of anger crept over the chairman's pasty face. \" You may put what construction on it you please, Mr. Spy,\" he rapped out, with a sneering laugh. \" Spy ! What the devil do you mean ? \" demanded Beckwith. \" Bah ! \" cried the other. \" You take us for fools, I suppose. You imagine, perhaps, that we are not aware of your having been got at by the police—of your arrangement with them to spy on our movements, to betray our secrets to them ? But we've caught you in your own snare, my friend. Neither you nor your accomplice here will ever have the chance of blabbing anything to Scotland Yard, I warrant you that ! Cover them, brothers, while 1 deliver sentence. Now, then— hands up, both of you ! \" A sudden flash of metal round the table, and I found myself looking down the muzzles of half-a-dozen Mauser pistols. My hands shot up like rockets. Beckwith's also went up, but more leisurely. Nothing could ever make Curtis Beckwith hurry. I noticed that his right hand was tightly clenched. \" Now listen to me, you two,\" said the chairman, eyeing us, first one, then the other, with a devilish leer, and evidently taking a delight in prolonging the agonies of our suspense. \" Before I pass sen- tence of death, and give the word to administer the coup de grace \" \" I think not, Mr. Swindler.\" It was Curtis Beckwith who spoke. His voice rang out cool, clear, and steady in the echoing cellar. \" Indeed ! What is to prevent. Mr. Spy ? \" The words were spoken with an evil, mocking sneer. \" This,\" said Curtis Beckwith. I saw now that he had unclasped his right hand and was holding a banana— the banana which I had seen him slip into his pocket, no doubt—by the stalk, between his thumb and forefinger. \" Mr. Swindler.\" he pursued, speaking in calm, even, deliberate tones, in which, however, there was perhaps a hint of exultation, \" I'm hardly the fool you imagine. Witness the fact that I have taken the pre- caution to bring this with me. Look at it, gentlemen \" (glancing round the table). \" What do you make of it ? Just an innocent- looking banana, eh ? Quite so—in appearance. But appearances, as the proverb tells us. are deceptive. There is nothing of the banana about it except the skin. A little bomb-case

5\" THE STRAND MAGAZINE. \"HK HAD THE WHOLE CELLAR HELD UP.\"'

THE BANANA BOMBSHELL. S«7 animals. We have no objection to going to glory. All we object to is going alone. If we go, we all go together and the house along with us. To be or not to be, that is the question ? \" He poised the banana bomb between his finger and thumb, still smiling. But his face was set and determined ; his eyes gleamed and coruscated. \" Listen !\" he resumed. \" I am going to count five. If, before I have done, every one of those shooting-irons is not lying on the table, I drop this little toy ; I drop it as sure as I'm standing here. Now, then ! Guns on the table and hands up, gentlemen ; or it's a through ticket for the lot of us to the New Jerusalem.\" It was an extraordinary scene. It will remain riveted on my memory as long as I live—Curtis Beckwith, with the banana bomb poised high above his head, a commanding figure of a man, fine-featured, strong-faced, resolute, holding this ruffianly crew at bay; the evil faces of the desperadoes, their baffled looks of impotent rage and hate, their eyes eloquent of murder, yet all kept under and cowed by the fear of death, which this one determined man had put upon them. \" One—two—three—four \" Leisurely, deliberately, Curtis Beckwith counted, as cool and collected as if he had been starting a race of schoolboys, making an appreciable pause after each numeral. When he came to the fourth pause, the last pistol dropped with a clank on the table ; the last pair of hands went reluctantly aloft. Curtis Beckwith and his infernal machine had been too much far even the most desperate of them. He had the whole cellar held up. \" Carisbrooke,\" said he, addressing me, though never for an instant taking his eyes off the ring of scoundrels encircling the table, \" just step around and collect those guns.\" I did as he bade me, going the round of the table, taking up the pistols one by one, and finally laying them in a heap on the floor behind his chair. Not one of the scoundrels ventured to move so much as a finger, for the purpose of interfering with me. \" Gentlemen,\" said Curtis Beckwith, genially, \" seems to me the tables are turned. A while back, you were about to pass sentence on me. Now I'm about to pass sentence on you. Ha ! what's that ? \" A tramp of footsteps on the stairs outside, a half-muffled cry, a momentary scuffle, and the door was flung open, admitting a score or so of police officers. In almost less time than it takes to write it, the disarmed and now Vol. xlvi.—77. defenceless ruffians had been overpowered and handcuffed. Curtis Beckwith stood leaning against the end wall of the cellar, watching these pro- ceedings with a grim, ironical smile. Then, when the scoundrels had been secured, he began, in a cool and leisurely manner, to strip the skin from the banana bomb.

Some Recollections: ON AND OFF THE STAGE. By G. P. HUNTLEY. Illustrated by Alfred Leete. Part II. - our EOIENl'S AND EFORE I married I used to live in a little cottage down on the river, which I shared with another chap. I was very happy down there and enjoyed the mild sport of punting and rabbiting on the Waffrons. I used to start off early in the morning, and the local boatman supplied the ferrets. In those days I didn't notice that the wall- papers were rather inartistic, the ceilings not very white, and the paintwork distinctly grubby. But after we were married and spent our honeymoon there, we came to the conclusion that the little old cottage wanted smartening up a bit, and I didn't see why I shouldn't do it myself and save expense. I chose a week-end when my wife was staying with some friends, and decided I would give her a surprise, and let her come home to find all the ceilings beautifully white. I consulted the local paperhanger as to how many \" pieces \" I should require, and set out to choose the patterns for the various rooms. I had been entrusted by a practical friend with a recipe for mixing whitewash, with the strict injunction that I should whitewash the ceilings before I papered the rooms, otherwise they were apt to get a bit splashy. I accordingly got in all the necessary ingredients and set to work. By means of a chair mounted on two

SOME RECOLLECTIONS: ON AND OFF THE STAGE. 589 kitchen tables—a sort of private juggling feat—I proceeded to lavishly distribute the whitewash with a brush in each hand so as to get it finished in time. So free was I with my arms that a cuckoo clock in the corner, which ought to have reminded me that it was nine o'clock, completely ignored the fact, the reason for which was, as I afterwards discovered, that I had thoroughly \" sized \" him up. In my haste—at any rate, to surprise my wife with the drawing-room—I am afraid I applied the mixture rather too quickly and somewhat recklessly. I must have looked as if I were practising a course of Morse signalling such as one frequently sees on Southsea Common. I think everything in the room received its coating except the ceiling. There was a continuous flow of fluid running down my sleeves and wending its way in secret until it found its exit in my boots. By the time I had completed my work in the drawing-room—or, rather, used up all the mixture, which towards the finish had become partially congealed—I seemed to resemble a plaster statue plucked bodily from the Luxembourg. When I had first gone into the matter of improvements which were really necessary, I had written to the gas company complaining about the light. We had a shilling-in-the- slot meter which had the most miraculous way of digesting these coins of any such instrument I had ever met with. You placed a shilling in the ever-yawning aperture, gave the whole business a bang, listened for the coin to drop, and went off to enjoy your so many prepaid cubic feet of gas. About half an hour later, regardless of any enter- taining that might be going on, a faint, wheezy sort of whistle would be heard, and a sort of \" general post \" would ensue, followed by a flat race for the meter-cupboard, but before you could even lay your hands on a box of matches the whole house was in pitch- darkness. I had received a letter from the gas company that morning, saying that they would send a representative round some time during the day to test the meter. I was just about to have some lunch, when I heard a series of loud knockings at the front door. Here I was confronted by a gentleman of the expert gas-plumber persuasion. He looked at me and winked ! \" 'Ello, mite ! \" he said, directly he saw me, concluding, from my costume, that I was a fellow-workman. He evidently also knew that the little cottage was occupied by a newly-married couple, as he looked at my whitewashed jeans and followed up his greeting with, \" I s'pose they knocked yer off the top ov the wedding-caike, eh ? Lor', you ain't 'arf splashed, are yer ? \" If there is one thing I love more than another, it is to be taken for somebody else. It somehow produces a temporary feeling of importance, and, being rather fond of a joke, I grasped the situation.

59° THE STRAND MAGAZINE. that treated on poultry which appear in the Suriday and daily papers, and I introduced the subject & propos of no- thing and dis- cussed chic- kens with people on the slightest pro- vocation. Eventually I gleaned enough information to encourage me to purchase a shilling's worth of mixed eggs and procure the loan of a broody hen. I had been warned to go cautiously at first, and in working on my first outlay I felt I was well within the advice given me. Certainly my original plant was in- expensive, and I came to the conclusion that poultry-raising would prove a veritable Bon- anza, so suc- cessful was my initialattempt. And so respect- ful was I of the hen that had \" brought off the coup \" that I purchased her. As my stock increased, I decided to launch out on a more elaborate scale and buy an incubator and a foster-mother. I was some- what troubled at first as to which incubator I ought to purchase, as there were so many to choose from ; but when the psychological moment arrived I decided on an excellent little apparatus, together with a very conscientious-looking foster-mother. HE LOOKED AT MB WITH 'AVE MISSED YOU ; A KNOWING WINK AND REPLIED : 'WILLIE, WE WELCOME TO OUR 'APPY 'OMR!\" I was publicly rejoicing over this my latest hobby, when a friend of mine, with the most pessimistic tendencies, appeared on the scene and knocked off ninety-five per cent, of my enthusiasm.

SOME RECOLLECTIONS: ON AND OFF THE STAGE. on in which been some your corn bill alone is going to run you into ? And, mark me, you'll have to grub 'em well if you want to sell them ! \" I replied that someone had said something to me about letting them rough it and pick up food for themselves. \" Rot! \" he replied. \" Well, I'm surprised at a chap like you going in for this kind of thing. Pigeons, yes !—or Celiums.\" \" What are they ? \" I asked. \" Celiums ! \" He almost shrieked at me, and then he waited a few seconds as if to keep him- self from striking me. \" Celiums!\" He went a bland tone, might have mistaken for term of en- dearment : \"I pre- sume you've heard of badgers ? \" \" Only in connec- tion with softening brushes I use for oil- painting,\" I replied. \"Phew!\" he answered ; and that finished the Celium subject. He returned to the question of birds again. \" I can quite under- stand,\" he said, \" a man keeping one or two fighting birds and having a bit of fun now and again— nothing more inspirit- ing than a little cock- fighting, and there is money in that. Why, I had a bird that won me hundreds. I got him from a chap in Waterford and I took him over to Philadelphia to have a go, and he won enough to pay all my expenses and a bit to take me down to Monte with. Funny how they train birds in America,\" he went on, with a sort of in- ward chuckle; \"they used to throw them at bags of sand to ' THE LOAN OF A HROODY HKN. get them fit. No, old friend,\" he said, \"I can't see you as a peaceful chicken-farmer. Lor'! what's more uninteresting than a ' broody' hen ? She always reminds me of a sulking sweetheart. No, no ; we can't have

59' THE STRAND MAGAZINE. various conquests at home and abroad, and I did my best to respond. The time simply flew, and before we knew where we were we reached home again with appetites as keen as hunters'. On our return we were greeted by a most delicious smell of cooking that would really have done credit to Paris at its best—we were evidently just in time. As this delightful perfume permeated the house, my friend became more voluble and jocular, and I found myself laughing at jokes that I had heard thousands of times before, but never to the accompaniment of such an appetizing effluvium produced by that delicious supper that was evidently being prepared. When my wife came in, I greeted her graciously and enthusiastically. \" Well, darling,\" I said, \" so we've got back—and now whisper to me what it is you've got for supper that smells so delicious.\" \" Well,\" she replied, \" it's nothing I've prepared, dear, but soon after you left the foster- ' mother caught fire ! \" In my sporting days I was *\"l WANT SOME BRIGHT RIBBONS,' I REPEATED, IN A HALTING VOICE.\" asked to go and stay with a friend who lived in a hunting country, so that I could enjoy a bit of sport with the Fitzhardinge pack. I am a man who never asks questions. If I observe any little thing done in the hunting- field that I don't quite see the force of, I just draw my own conclusions. I noticed when we were out one day that some of the horses' tails were decorated with bows of red ribbon, and I naturally concluded that it was a sort of sporting decoration, as one would hoist a flag to celebrate some joyous occasion. It seemed to me that many of the men who followed were not particularly lavish in this respect and many of them didn't decorate their horses' tails at all. At any rate, I was determined to observe the custom and see that the next time I appeared in the field my horse's caudal appendage was well equipped. So I repaired to the local draper's for some ribbon. Here I encountered a gentleman who received me on the mat of the shop with a frock-coat, brown boots, Shake- speare collar, and side-whiskers. He smiled and bowed and rubbed his hands, anticipat- i n g a good customer. \" Your plea- sure ? \" he said, looking up into my face and ushering me into the shop. With a slight tremor in my voice I replied,

SOME RECOLLECTIONS: ON AND OFF THE STAGE. 593 \"AN UNEXPECTED OUTBURST OF APPRFCIA TION FROM AN OLD-ACE PENSIONER.'' know completely disappeared behind a bale of calico, and I was brought face to face with a third. I shall never forget it. She had a compassionate look in her eyes, and, I may be wrong, but she seemed as nervous as I was. \" I want some bright ribbons,\" I repeated, in a halting voice. \" Oh, yes,\" she replied, and as she turned her back to fetch them I heard another faint snigger. She brought back two or three rolls of pale pink, mauve, and blue ribbon about three- quarters of an inch wide, and suggested that it was usually bought by the dozen. By this time one or two other young ladies had migrated from various parts of the shop and had gathered round to assist. It appeared to me quite unnecessary, as the one who was serving me seemed to be a very nice, healthy, capable girl. \" No,\" I said ; \" Vx sorry, but I am afraid these are not quite what I want.\" \" Perhaps you want btbt ribbon ? \" she suggested. \" No,\" I replied ; \" I'm afraid you mis- understand me ; it's really horse ribbon that I want—bright reds, greens, and blues, you know. I want them to decorate my horse's tail.\" \" Oh, I see!\" she answered, having grasped the situation. (I think she now thought that I must be in the circus business.) \" We have some very pretty red, white, and blue rosettes already made up with little feathers, which are, perhaps, just what you want ? \" I explained to her that they were ver ■ pretty indeed, but not quite the thing either, as I wanted something to tie. She eventually brought out the very thing ; pretty, gay, and cheerful-looking bi-coloured ribbon in blue and yellow. I took several yards and escaped with it from the shop. A very charming young lady tied it on to my horse in such a pretty bow, and I started off to the meet at the old inn, the Boy and Faceache, where I expected to make a friendly impression on the men and a mild flutter among the ladies. I couldn't understand it, but I was practi- cally shunned by everybody the whole day, except for an unexpected outburst of appre- ciation from an old-age pensioner on his way to the post-office. Yes ; I knew there was something wrong somewhere. I knew I hadn't got in front of the Master, as I didn't see him again the whole day after we left the inn. I went out

594 THE STRAND MAGAZINE. with the pack again the next week, and mat- ters became worse ; and another time I wanted to at- tend the meet I was sent to an inn five miles in the opposite direc- tion. Incident- ally I received several very insulting let- ters, bordering on threats. I then spent a good deal of my time in the free library, reading up books on sport and hunting etiquette, but when I was afterwards told that the little bows of red ribbon which I had seen on the horses' tails were for the purpose of warning the rest of the field that the animal was a kicker, and that the ribbon with which I had chosen to decorate my hunter was the electioneer i n g colours of the recently unsuccessful Radical candidate, who had scored about twelve votes in a poll of ten thousand, it, at any rate, gave me some clue to my temporary unpopularity ! In those days I often used to organize little riding expeditions. I remember once in Clifton about half-a-dozen of us started off one morning, and we'd managed to get hold of some pretty good horses, too. We were just getting clear of the bricks and mortar, when I noticed that one of the party was \"I 'CAST,' RIVETING MY GAZE ON SrOT WHERE I EXPECTED THE TO FALL.\" missing, and I, of course, went off to look for him. He was a nervous, temperamental little chap, and with regard to horses, at any rate, he had more courage than

SOME RECOLLECTIONS: ON AND OFF THE STAGE. 595 and, as usual, I was selected. They were pretty little things, all sorts and sizes, from \"'CONFOUND IT,' HE EXCLAIMED, 'NOW SOME- THING'S BITTEN ME!'\" berths, some had lower — dear little things they were. My friend offered to go through them with me and explain their special uses, so we met at the club. As usual, he took me on one side, selected, in a quiet corner, the most comfortable chair for himself, and produced what looked to me like a miniature portmanteau. There was a \" Coachman,\" a \" Cock-y- bondy,\" for when the water is high ; he couldn't find the \" Fisherman's Curse \" anywhere (I suggested a billiard - marker's might do), but thought he must be the very bright blue-shot little chap with a jagged hook, in a compartment to himself, right at the end of the book. There was one long, graceful, feathered sort of creature in bare VoL xlvi.-78. wire, with a very pronounced sting. I've forgotten what his name was, but I think it was a \" Blue Moult \"—what his real mission in life was I could never quite discover. But there was one very pretty one that caught my eye. She had most beautiful plumage and was the bargain of the bunch. In colour she resembled the feathers that one sees on some of the ladies' hats, in the Tube, and I was told that she was a \" Flaming Flossie.\" My friend pointed out that she was really for deep water and could hook anything over ten pounds. I was asked to fish with some friends in the Midlands. They have a lovely ^? old place with a moat running round it and the river about half a mile away. It was a merry little party, and we sat along the bank at various distances; of course, there were the usual weeping willows and other trees that seemed to extend themselves more obtrusively than usual. My old friend, Willie Ward, who is as fine an angler as he is a dancer, had told me that the first thing was \" one, two, in the air, and cast\"—at least, I think those were his instructions. Of course, he was an expert; I've seen him cast a cigarette-paper at the end of a line into a tea-cup on a lawn, at a distance of about fifteen or twenty yards. Whether it was the absence of the tea-cup or the effect of some other cups, I don't know, but, at any rate, the \" one, two, in the air \" came off all right and I \" cast,\" and, riveting my gaze on the spot where I expected the fly to fall, allowing a second or two for the whipping of the line and the settling of the fly, I heard what I at first took to be a word of friendly encouragement from a fellow- fisherman a little higher up the bank—but I afterwards discovered it was a volley of the most abusive language. As one or two of the party gathered round him and nothing seemed to happen in my direction, my attention was momentarily taken from the

By BARONESS E. BILA. Illustrated by H. R. Millar. mm NCE upon a time there lived in a country village a work- ing man. He had a habit of accusing everybody of lying, and regarded himself as the most truthful man in the whole world. \" I am ready to die for the truth,\" he used to say. He annoyed everybody so much with his boasting that at last they began to hate him, and he was obliged to leave his village. So he took his bag on his back and went out into the wide world to seek his fortune. When he had gone a long way he came to a forest. He could hardly drag his feet after him ; he was very tired and hungry. All at once he spied in front of him an old man with a grey beard, clad in a long white coat, and leaning heavily on his staff. He caught him up and they journeyed on side by side. The old man asked him whence he came and whither he was going. The other told him all—why he had fled and what he was seeking. The old man was deep in thought. \" Well,\" he said, \" if a man has done nothing wrong, unjust treatment must seem to him a grievous trial. Let us go on together. In case we must pass the night in the wood it is better not to be alone.\" It was a dark, uncanny place, but the work- man was quite tired out. \" Let us rest here for the night,\" said he. They stopped, and the old man lit a bright fire.

THE THREE BUNS. 597 ' I see you have no provisions. Let us divide mine.\" He took out of his bag three buns ; one he gave to his comrade, the second he took him- self. \" The third bun,\" he said, \" will do for to-morrow's breakfast.\" They finished their supper, and the old man lay down on the grass and fell asleep. But the workman could not sleep. He was not satisfied with one bun, being still very hungry. So he crept to the old man's bag, took out the third bun, ate it, and fell fast asleep. In the morning the old man woke him up. \" Where is the third bun ? \" he asked. \" Did you eat it ? \" The workman was ashamed to own it. \" No,\" he said ; \" I did not eat it.\" \" You had better tell me the truth. Maybe you could not bear the hunger. There is no harm in that.\" But the man felt still more ashamed. Now he would have to admit that he had not only eaten the bun, but also that he had told a lie. \" Why do you worry me ? \" he said. \" I have told you I have not eaten it. I am sure you yourself have eaten it, and now you blame me for it.\" \" Well, if you have not eaten it, all is well. You are a truthful man, so I must believe you. Let us go on without any breakfast.\" They went a long way and came to a big town. A great sorrow hung over that town. The King's only son, the Prince Igor, was dangerously ill. The young Prince was adored by the people for his goodness of heart, so they were all anxious for his recovery. They had searched the whole earth, but could find no man who was abl£ to save him. All who had undertaken to heal him had failed. The Prince grew worse and worse ; he was near to death's door. So the old man said to the workman :— \" Let us try to save the Prince. Maybe I shall be able to cure him of his cruel malady.\" But the workman hung back. \" Oh, no,\" he said. \" What can we do ? We shall only get into trouble.\" But the old man succeeded in persuading him. \" We shall get a great reward if we cure him.\" So they appeared before the King, and the old man declared that he and his comrade would undertake to heal the Prince. The King replied :— \" Many people have undertaken to do so, and have boasted about it; but they have not succeeded. However, you too may try. If you cure my son I will give you huge bags of gold. If not—remember it was your own free choice—I shall have you put to death as an example to others, so that, for the sake of gain, they may not undertake what they cannot fulfil.\" The workman nudged the old man with his elbow and said :—■

598 THE STRAND MAGAZINE. heard the prison gate open, the key turn in the lock. They had come to fetch him. \" You are the cause of my ruin,\" he called out, remembering the old man. All at once his comrade stood at his shoulder and asked :— \" Tell me, my friend, did you eat the bun ? Unburden your soul. Confess, and no harm shall come to you.\" But the other shouted furiously:— \" Oh, be off with you and your stupid bun ! I tell you I didn't eat it!\" The old man vanished. The sol- diers entered and led him forth to the market-place, where the King, his whole Court, and a great crowd had assembled. The noose was slipped quickly over his head. He felt it growing tighter, when sud- denly a soft voice whispered in his ear :— \" Here I am, your comrade. Confess. Did you eat the bun ? If you confess I will save your life.\" \"THE SOLDIERS LED HIM FORTH TO THE MARKET-PLACE.\" The workman could scarcely breathe, but he had lost all faith in the old man and all hope. \" Go away.\" he murmured. \" I did not eat the bun.\" The old man sighed deeply. \" Well, I pity you still, and I do not wish for your death.\" Then he shouted :— \" Stop, King ! Order them to stop the

THE THREE BUNS. 599 execution. If you do so your son shall be well and strong directly.\" The people standing around were amazed. The King gave the sign to loosen the rope, and ordered his servants to lead the old man into the Prince's chamber. In a short time he reappeared, leading by the hand the Prince, now well and gay. The King was almost beside himself with joy. He embraced his son and thanked the old man with tears in his eyes. \" Ask from me,\" he said, \" what- ever you desire. I am ready to give you half of my kingdom.\" \" What should I do with the half » of your kingdom ? Give me and my comrade, as you have promised, a ' bag of gold, and let us go,\" the old ^ man replied. ^ The King commanded a whole cart to be filled with gold. It was drawn by three beautiful horses. The two comrades were escorted with great pomp and ceremony to the frontier of the kingdom. At last the old man stopped the horses at a cross-roads and said :— \" Our ways part here, so let us divide the gold which the King has given me.\" They tilted up the cart, and the old man began to divide the heap into three parts. The workman wondered at this, and asked: \" Why do you divide it into three parts ? There are only two of us.\" \" The third part is for the man who that night in the forest ate the third bun.\" The workman's eyes began to shine. \" Well,\" he said, \" if that is so I will confess the truth. I ate the bun.\" The old man regarded him sadly. \" Young man, what kind of truth is that which can only be brought to light by gold ? \" As he said these words he vanished ; and with him vanished the gold, the cart, * and the three beautiful horses. And so the workman had again to start on foot upon his journey, with his stick and his empty sack. 'AS 11 li SAID THESE WORDS HB VANISHED, AND WITH HIM VANISHED THE COI.I).'

PERPLEXITIES. ^Vith Some Easy Puzzles for Beginners. By Henry E. Dudeney. 164.—THE QUEEN'S JOURNEY. Place the queen on her own square, as shown in the illustra- tion, and then try to discover the greatest distance that she can travel over the board in five moves without passing over any square a second time. Mark the queen's path on the board and note care- fully that also she must never cross her own . ■ V ■ - track. It seems simple enough, but the reader may find that he has tripped. 165.—THE FAMILY AGES. When the Smileys recently received a visit from the favourite uncle, the fond parents had all the five children brought into his presence. First came Billie and little Gertrude, and the uncle was informed that the boy was exactly twice as old as the girl. Then Henrietta arrived, and it was pointed out that the combined ages of herself and Gertrude equalled twice the age of Billie. Then Charlie came running in, and somebody remarked that now the combined ages of the two boys were exactly twice the combined ages of the two girls. The uncle was expressing his astonish- ment at these coincidences when Janet came in. \" Ah ! uncle,\" she exclaimed, \" you have actually arrived on my twenty-first birthday ! \" To this Mr. Smiley added the final staggerer: \" Yes, and now the combined ages of the three girls are exactly equal to twice the combined ages of the two boys.\" Can you give the age of each child ? 166.—THE FATAL WELL. Ding, dong, bell! Pussy's down the well. Can you tell me pat How deep is that ? Fifteen feet of water, And if to that you add Three-fifths the depth of all the well, You can tell your dad How deep's the well. Ding, dong, bell ! 167.—THE EDUCATED FROGS. Our six educated frogs (see Perplexity No. 155) have just learnt a new and pretty feat. When placed on glass tumblers, as shown in the illustration, they change sides so that the three biack ones are to the left and the white frogs to the right, with the unoccu- pied tumbler at the opposite end—No. 7. They can jump to the next tumbler (if unoccupied), or over one, or two, frogs to an unoccupied tumbler. The jumps can be made in either direction and a frog may jump over his own or the opposite colour, or both colours F'our successive specimen jumps will make everything quite plain : 4 to 1, 5 to 4, 3 to 5, 6 to 3. Can you show how they do it in ten

CURIOSITIES. [ We shall be glad to receive Contributions to this section, and to pay for such as are accepted.] CAN YOU EXPLAIN THIS ? ONE morning last winter I put out a saucerful oi water in the garden to freeze, and about ten minutes afterwards it had a skin of ice on the top. I A PET PROVIDED WITH A SILVER JOINT. \\ T JTTII an elbow-joint of silver and chilled steel, W a little pet monkey in San Francisco is prov- ing by his agility that the artificial union is a success, lie is demonstrating what is likely to prove a tremen- dous discovery in surgery—that ankylosed joints (hardened and stiffened by disease) can be replaced by an operation that is not necessarily costly or dangerous. The same sort of operation has been performed with equal success upon a pet dog, and in this case the hind leg of the animal was provided with a joint of metal, which appears to be as satisfactory for the possessor as the one provided by Nature. In the near future it is planned to provide a human being with this style of steel-and-silver joint, and the per- fecting of this device will restore to usefulness many people who have become absolutely helpless by reason then left it, and returned in an hour and a half's time, when there was a tall pillar of ice sticking straight up from the surface, up the centre of which was a string of air-bubbles, forming a tube. It was not placed under anything from which water might drip on to it. I have tried to find out the cause and have not suc- ceeded, but perhaps some reader of THE STRAND may be able to do so. — Mr. R. Rlackwood, Ardmore, Port Glasgow. v STRANGE MONUMENT TO A WIFE. PROJECTING from the wall of a house overhanging the Lake of Thun, in Switzerland, may be seen the bow of a small rowing - boat, with the name PetroncHa painted upon it. The wife of the owner of the house was drowned from this boat w hite rowing on the lake. Her husband determined, as a me- morial to his wife, to build the boat into his house. The room destined to contain it, however, proved too short for the whole length of the boat, and the bow projects, as seen in the ptint, from the wall, just beneath the balcony. The house is close by one of the steamboat piers, and the unaccountable appearance of this strange memorial excites much curiosity among the pas- sengers on the steamers. — Mr. Y.. V. Campbell Colquhoun, Clathick, Crieff, N.B. of accident or disease. There are various causes for this complete or partial rigidity of the joints, such as rheumatism, gout, and tuber- culosis ; and in extreme cases it has been necessary to break a joint about which osseous mate- rial had deposited. Of course, it is only in extreme cases, and after other methods fail, that it should be necessary to perform

602 THE STRAND MAGAZINE. A CURIOUS INSCRIPTION. THIS photograph represents the doorway of an old house in the village of Appleton- le-Moors, near Kirkby Moorside, Yorkshire. The carving above the door is most curious and interesting. At the top we have three heads, which re- present, 1 believe, a lawyer, the \" old gentleman \" himself, and a doctor. Underneath are the letters TAOLIHTFB. Each letter represents a word, and the full sentence for which they stand is, \"The Art Of Life Is [low To Find Bread.\"—The Rev. J. V. Haswell, Southfield, Meltham, Huddersfield. in such a latitude that the sun was vertically overhead, and that the time was noon, when the sun was at its highest altitude as between East and West. — Mr. G. F. Chambers, F.R.A.S., Lethen Grange, Sydenham. S.E. A MARVELLOUS ESCAFE FROM DEATH. DURING a thunderstorm in Deal our servant, Minnie Rogers, aged seventeen, was walking along one of the small IN SUNSHINE YET CASTING NO SHADOW. EVERYONE knows that when a person stands in the full sunshine his body casts a shadow which will be either short or long according as the sun is high up in the heavens or near the horizon at sunrise or sunset. A little thought will bring it home to the reader that obviously, if the sun is exactly vertical over a person's head, there can be no shadow. But the problem is to determine when and where this shall be the state of things. As regards the \" where,\" that must evidently be at some place on the earth in the Tropics, and the \" when \" must be the hour of midday. To get these two things to concur by pre- arrangement is a matter of no small difficulty. But as a matter of fact they did concur on a day in February, 1013—namely, the 13th, when a scientific friend of mine, Mr. \\V. B. Gibbs, was in mid-ocean in lat. 15° South, the sun's declination being also about 15° South. This photo, representing Mr. Gibbs and another man standing bolt upright on the deck facing one another, clearly shows the absence of any sign of a lateral shadow—in other words, it proves that the ship was back streets of the town carrying a number of umbrel- las, etc , for our use (we were ktpt in a shelter for three hours), when a vivid flash of light- ning, evidently at- tracted by the steel frame of one of the umbrellas she was holding, ripped

THE STRAND MAGAZINE. CANADA. ONTARIO AND ITS POSSIBILITIES. IIIKI>'S-KVB VIEW OF LAKE MEGANTIC, QUEBEC. ilHE article in The Strand Magazine last month dealt with the opportunities which Canada, as a whole, offered to young men who found life in the city unattractive and without prospects, and who wished for an open-air life. The first question such a young man would ask when he had made up his mind to go to Canada would naturally be, \"To which part shall f go? \" Much would depend on his choice, for Canada is a vast country, and conditions vary in the different Provinces. This variation of con- ditions must, of course, be expected in a country almost as large as Europe, as vast as thirty United Kingdoms, and equal in size to thirty Germany's. Here it may be pointed out, as showing the opportunity that exists for a young man to make his way in Canada as compared to the struggle that goes on in this country, that Canada's proportion of population is 1-93 to the square mile, while Great Britain's is four hundred and seventy- one. It is proposed in this series of articles, to discuss the opportunities offered by the various Provinces and thus assist a would-be settler in making his choice. The three Prairie Provinces, Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, are brought prominently before the British public by advertisement. The Dominion Government spends large sums of money in this way, and that is why we hear much more of the West than we do of Eastern Canada. The reason is simple. The Dominion Government has Crown lands to people in the Prairie Provinces, where it offers one hundred and sixty acres free to anyone who will undertake to cultivate them. A vast and most desirable territory just here has been made accessible by the completion of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. The older Provinces control their own Crown lands, and, therefore, the Dominion Government is not so concerned about bringing settlers into them. What Ontario Offers It is sometimes inferred that, because the lure of the West not only draws large numbers of people from this country, but also does much to drain the older Provinces of their young men, there must be something wrong with the farms in the older Provinces. Nothing could be further from the truth. Take Ontario, for example. While Ontario undoubtedly loses numbers of young men every year who are drawn to the West by a spirit of adventure, and perhaps by the prospect of getting one hundred and sixty acres free, the Province in 1911-12 received 100,227 immigrants, while Manitoba received 43,477, Saskatchewan 46,158, and Alberta 45,957. Another point to be noted is that of the total value of Canada's field crops, estimated in 1912 at 5ii,95i,ooodols., Ontario produced crops

THE STRAND MAGAZINE. great opportunities to young men who will take up farming, and it claims to offer opportunities in greater variety than any other Province. Although there is, of course, more wheat grown on the prairie, yet grain and fruit and vegetables, live stock, and dairy products are in Ontario more equally developed. The Province of Ontario is larger than the British Isles by seventy-eight thousand square miles, and, though in a less degree than in the rest of Canada, there are more climates than one. Its most southern part, on the shore of Lake Erie, is in the same latitude as Northern California, Southern France, and Rome. It need not, therefore, seem astonishing that Southern Ontario should grow peaches, grapes, and tobacco. In England peaches can only be grown out of doors against a wall with a sunny aspect. In Ontario they grow- abundantly in the open air, and in the season hundreds of wagons may be seen in the southern part of Ontario laden with this fruit, going to market. Fruit-Growing. The man with some capital, and especially the man acquainted with fruit-growing, can do well in Ontario. The Province has great attractions for Old Countrymen. To begin with, it is one of the nearest and most advanced provinces of the Dominion. If much remains that is primitive, it is this very feature that affords the opportunities for lumbering, mining,farming,and fruit-growing. In the fruit districts there are charming growers' houses, from the cottage with its pretty garden to the handsome brick house with its tennis lawn, beds of flowers, and ornamental trees. In the fruit-growing districts the pioneer work, with all its attendant hardships, has been done. Cities, towns, and villages are dotted about throughout the district, which is well served by railways. Moreover, a new-comer will find himself well situated from a social point of view. Ontario has been largely peopled from Great Britain, and the new arrival soon feels at home among a people whose sentiments' are very British. To a number of men, fruit-growing has greater attraction than ordinary diversified farming, and there is no doubt that the fruit- grower in Ontario leads a life amid very pleasant surroundings. Here a . word of. warning should be addressed to young men with some capital who wish to go in for fruit- growing but have had no experience. By far the wisest plan is not to buy a fruit farm until he has had some experience of the country and its conditions. It is sound advice to say to him, \" Put your money in a bank and go to a farm as a hired help until you have got some knowledge of the business and of con- ditions generally.\" The Ontario Depart- A FRUIT GROWERS HOME NEAR GRIMSBY, IN NIAGARA DISTRICT, ONTARIO

THE STRAND MAGAZINE. ment of Agriculture will advise and assist an intending purchaser in the choice of a farm and see that he is paying a reasonable price for it. The Department is doing a great deal to develop the fruit industry, for, not- withstanding the fact that Ontario already ment, conveying power to Western Ontario : the extension of the system is progressing rapidly. The cheap power thus obtained enables the towns and cities to supply electric tramways and lighting at reasonable rates, and the manufacturers, of course, reap great HARVEST-TIME ON AN ONTARIO FARM. produces three-fourths of all fruits grown in Canada, the industry is, as yet, not much more than in its infancy. The soundest advice to give a young man who thought of taking up fruit-growing in Ontario would be to tell him to consult Mr. Richard Reid, at the Ontario Government office in the Strand, before going out. Mr. Reid, who is the representative of the Ontario Government in London, would put the would-be fruit-grower in touch with authorities on the other side, and would materially help him in choosing the district to which he should go. Ontario's Water Powers. It is impossible to do more than glance at one branch of the agricultural and horticul- tural industry in Ontario in one article, but in subsequent issues we shall discuss dairying and market gardening, both of which are very profitable in Ontario. Before leaving the Province, however, a word should be said about the water powers of the Province, as these do much for the settler in providing cheap transit and light and power. The water powers of Ontario are capable of generating six million horse-power. A supply from the Niagara Falls is sent to Toronto, about ninety-five miles away. A transmis- sion line extending nearly three hundred miles and twelve transformer stations have been constructed by the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of the Ontario Govern- advantage from the cheap power thus supplied for their machinery. The Eastern Townships. A section of Canada that has always been favoured by British settlers is the Eastern Townships in the Province of Quebec. Almost every part of this district contains a large and prosperous English-speaking population, and every part of it is well supplied with good roads, excellent railway communication, and good churches and schools. These townships extend from the River Chaudiere on the east to the rear line of the seigneuries which border the right bank of the River Richelieu on the west, and are bounded to the south by the frontiers of the States of Maine, New Hamp- shire, and Vermont, and to the north by the Counties of Lotbini^re, Nicolet, and Yamaska and the River St. Lawrence. Although the work of clearing the land has been rapid in this beautiful part of the Province, the field open to settlement is far from being exhausted, and there is still room for a large number of settlers. The soil of the Eastern Townships

6o6a THE STRAND MAGAZINE. an acre, or he can get improved land at from two thousand to three thousand dollars per hundred acres, with improvements and buildings. Farms may also be rented at fifty to one hundred dollars a year, but when farms are rented there is mostly a system of shares, the proprietor furnishing stock and tools with the farm and dividing the produce equally with the tenant. A man can start well on fifty to one hundred acres. Partial clearing costs from eight to fifteen dollars an acre. The Quebec Government does its best to promote the pro- gress of agriculture. Each county has its agricultural society, which receives an annual grant from the Government, and pays for lectures on agriculture, pur- chases breeding stock and seed grain, holds exhibitions, etc. If contentment is evi- dence of prosperity, the Eastern Townships must be prosperous, for it would be difficult to find anywhere a happier or more contented population than the people in this district. We shall have more to say about the Eastern Townships in future issues. The Maritime Provinces. The settler, traveller, or tourist who lands in Canada when the St. Lawrence route is open arrives at Quebec or Montreal, and usually proceeds westwards, and thus misses the Mari- time Provinces, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, in both of which an Old Countryman would find, either as a settler or as a sportsman, much to please him. These Provinces, to tell the truth, are passed over through lack of an all-the-year-round steam- ship service from Liverpool to Halifax and St. John. In the winter time, of course, the steamers which in the summer call at Quebec and Montreal have perforce to go to Halifax and St. John. But the winter is not the season for tourists or for travellers who journey over the sea to see Canada, and so, while other Provinces reap the gratuitous advertisement obtained from accounts of a trip to Canada, the Maritime Provinces are too often left unmentioned. Yet they have great attractions for Old Countrymen, be they would-be settlers or sportsmen. Both Provinces are famous for the apples they produce, and both offer sport with rod and gun that is excellent. Again, both Provinces suffer from the exodus of young men to the West, hence good farms can be had on very reasonable terms as going concerns. We hope, in future articles, to go more fully into