70 LETTERS TO MARCO xi 



was caught in my garden two days ago. No 

 other than a reindeer. The fact was, Walling- 

 ford was visited by a travelling circus last 

 week, and this beast had broken his chain, 

 swam a good part of the river, and landed 

 on my garden. Here he browsed away finely, 

 judging from the tracks of his curious hoofs. 

 The men from the circus had no difficulty in 

 securing him, as he had part of his chain on, 

 and was quite tame. I gave some of the 

 manure he left to some Iceland poppies I 

 have growing, as I thought it appropriate, 

 and might amuse them. 



The circus was a very good one, and had 

 a negro lion-tamer, a performing bull, two 

 elephants (mother and calf), and two clowns, 

 one of whom informed us that he had a hero 

 for his father and a " Shero" for his mother. 

 It was very interesting to see the elephants 

 led down to the river for a bath and drink ; 

 they made huge holes in the gravelly bottom, 

 and seemed to enjoy the water very much. 



G. D. L. 



