58 



THE EARLY DAYS OF 



only one hundred years ago, it is 

 not unlikely that we should have 

 a legend in our village about a 

 dragon, which long had kept 

 the country in dismay, until 

 killed by a knight who also 

 perished in the encounter. But 

 geology has dispelled many of 

 the myths of days gone by. 



Words to the above effect, 

 though, I fear, in imperfect 

 English, were scattered around 

 me when I formed the centre of 

 a group of men viewing the 

 bones in situ, and growing 

 eloquent, I referred to the 

 Roman occupation of England, 

 of which my audience had no 

 previous knowledge. I went 

 still further, and made some 

 crude remarks about primeval 

 man, who in very ancient days 

 had occupied the hill where we 

 were standing ; this also was 

 news, as my companions had 

 never heard of such a gentleman 

 before. I was able to illustrate 

 my remarks by exhibiting a 

 picture of a railway cutting, 

 where the bones of primeval 

 man were found ; and I pointed 

 to an employe with a pipe in 

 his mouth, perched on the 

 summit of the bank to show 

 its height. 



