274 THE LAST OF CHINA 



delay by the tales of the wonderful distances we 

 were going to travel when we did start. The 

 weather being fine, three or four stages a day would 

 be an ordinary run. 



On the evening of March 8th George had just 

 remarked, '* We may have to wait for the steamer 

 after all ! " when a tousle-headed youth burst in 

 and announced that the green and gold gentleman 

 desired our presence. At last that almost mythical 

 personage the " gubernator " had responded to 

 George's voluminous telegrams, and we were free 

 to proceed. We were off before nine the follow- 

 ing morning, only to find that our troubles had 

 but started. The " Scotch elder," adorned with a 

 quaint little pair of smoked motor-glasses to keep 

 off the glare, was jogging peacefully along, im- 

 mersed in a design for new gauze trouserings, when 

 he was suddenly twitched violently off his seat and 

 George and I were confronted by a huge apparition 

 foaming at the mouth, weeping, yelling, screaming, 

 and brandishing his arms on high. The driver of 

 the baggage sleigh, blind drunk ! 1 thought he 

 was going to hit George, but having disposed of 

 the " elder," he hugged the horse round the neck, 

 kissed it, dragged it and the sleigh and us off the 

 road into deep snow, and started to take off his 

 trousers 1 George rose to the occasion nobly. He 

 jumped out, soothed the drink-maddened maniac 

 to a state of slobbering imbecility, and got him back 

 to his sleigh. 



Later on, when sobered, he had no idea of what 

 had happened. George and I often laughed after- 

 wards at the picture he made, shouting, yelling, 

 foaming, scragging the '* elder," kissing the horse, 



