140 LADIES ON HORSEBACK. 



man whom I met how far it was to Sallins. 

 *' Three miles," he told me, and I jogged on 

 again. When we had traversed quite a long 

 distance, and I thought I must be very near 

 my journey's end, I ventured upon asking the 

 same question of a farmer whom I met riding 

 a big horse in an opposite direction to that in 

 which I was myself going. It was a matter 

 of about two miles, he told me, or mayhap 

 three, but not more he thought, and I was 

 certainly not going wrong ; I was on the right 

 road, and no mistake. I took out my watch. 

 No hope for me now. I w^as undoubtedly 

 late for the train which I had hoped to catch, 

 and must wait two long hours for the next. A 

 poor-looking little cottage was close at hand ; 

 to it I trotted, and looked in at the door. The 

 family were at supper, all gathered about a 

 narrow table, in the middle of which lay a 

 pile of unpeeled potatoes and a little salt. 

 The mule, upon which much of their fortune 

 depended, was supping with them ; thrusting 

 his poor attenuated nose over the shoulders 

 of the children, and occasionally snatching a 

 potato, always receiving a box for so doing, to 



