BEGGARS ON HORSEBACK. 25 



of tea, bovril, and claret. We dismounted, and the 

 saddles, released from the compensating balance of 

 the weight that experience had already taught us 

 to bring to bear on the stirrups, obeyed instantly 

 the four-stone drag of each hold-all, and began to 

 turn very slowly and steadily to the off-side. We 

 collected the cup and some other scattered valu- 

 ables, and then, while the flies closed in round us, 

 we began the long strife with straps and buckles. 

 The Tommies sidled, stamped, and snapped un- 

 governably ; while the flies devoured us and them 

 impartially, the girths were dragged to their last 

 holes, the hold -alls repacked and strapped on 

 again, and the reign of suffering that ceased not 

 till our journey's end was fairly inaugurated. 



Cannoflice was our destination, Llanfair was to 

 be our stopping-place for tea. I almost hesitate 

 to mention that Llanfair is but seven miles from 

 Welshpool ; but it is, perhaps, better to state at 

 once that we, and, still more, the Tommies, were 

 above the vulgarities of record - breaking, unless, 

 indeed, we can lay claim to our daily journeys 



