258 SIR VICTOR BROOKE CHAP. 



stay 1 8th, and leave for Chicago night of 

 arriving at 7 A.M. the 2 1st 1062 miles! There we 

 stay till 25th, and go to Niagara, and get to New 

 York, D. V., on the morning of 28th, and sail 3Oth. 

 We ought to be in Liverpool about 8th August, so I 

 should be with you at Puys the 1 1 th at latest. What 

 joy it will be ! Tell Victor I was simply delighted 

 with his badger story ; it was a grand bit of sport. 

 Tell him I am looking forward immensely to our rides. 

 I long to get on a ' safety ' again ; I shall expect him to 

 know all the best roads ; my legs won't be worth a rap 

 at first. Tell him there are lots of bicycles in this 

 country, and I saw a man riding an ' ordinary ' in San 

 Francisco, with the little wheel in front^ and going well, 

 and turning and twisting all over the shop. The 

 squirrels are most interesting here, and yesterday 

 Douglas and I saw the tiniest species, I should think, 

 in the world. He is not much bigger than a large 

 mouse, and striped like a zebra. Douglas is rigging 

 up a catapult, and we are going to try and get one this 

 afternoon. The thermometer is only 75 degrees in 

 my room now, and it is really quite cool again ; and I 

 see it was only 83 degrees yesterday in Chicago. I 

 have a lot to write, so must end. I glory in thinking 

 of you by the sea. Get me a bathing suit, and tell 

 Victor to try no tricks swimming out too far." 



"CHICAGO, Tuesday ', 22nd July. 



Fancy, this is my last letter from America, and the 

 great trip is nearly over ' Time and the hour run 

 through the longest day.' We arrived here yesterday 

 after a very hot journey from Denver (1062 miles), 

 from 90 to 95 degrees in the train, but here it is 

 delightfully cool, about 75 degrees. Butler turned 

 up yesterday looking very well. It is impossible to 



