310 Ten Years of my Life. 



prietor of the Triersche Hof bad however a doiible-pony, which 

 I thought might do, though he never had a saddle on his back. 

 Mr. Mars was persuaded to part with it for two hundred 

 thalers. 



This care off my mind I left Coblentz at three o'clock with 

 Miss liunkel and my pony, and was very glad to find in the 

 train Professor Busch. At six o'clock we arrived at the Vic- 

 toria Hotel in Bingen, where we stayed the night. 



Next morning we left at ten o'clock a.m., and arrived at 

 four o'clock in Birkenfield, a little quaint place belonging to 

 the Duchy of Oldenburg. From there we went straight to Her- 

 meskeil, Dr. Busch mounted on his beautiful mare ' Nornia/ 

 and I very proudly on my double-pony. Now I have ridden 

 all sorts of horses in many different countries, and had the re- 

 putation of being rather at home in my saddle ; but this queer 

 pony seemed to despise all my equestrian art, and to have de- 

 cided on my humiliation He plunged and kicked in the 

 most atrocious manner to get rid of the strange thing on his 

 back. Not succeeding in it, however, he was struck with a 

 bright idea on seeing a very convenient deep ditch. He 

 jumped into it with a sudden determination, rolling over in de- 

 light, and propelling me on to the opposite side, where I per- 

 formed sundry acrobat movements to the astonishment of the 

 spectators. Much satisfied with his success, the pony got up 

 and shovv^ed his exultation at my deieat by jumping and kick- 

 ing like mad. He was, however, secured, and when I got up- 

 on his back again he behaved henceforth quite reasonably, 

 kicking only once- the Old Schiinmcl o. Dr. Busch ridden by 

 his servant. 



The whole village of Hermeskeil was filled with troops, but 

 we succeeded in rinding a room which I shared with Miss 

 E-unkel. Everybody was much excited, for th^ repor: cir- 

 culated that the French had taken Saarbruck. 



We had been ordered to go to Treves, where- we should 

 find the head-quarters of General von Steinmetz When we 

 arrived at 6 o'clock p.m. in that old city we were greatly dis- 

 appointed on hearing that the general had left, and nobody 

 could tell where he was. Dr Busch sent out telegraphic des- 

 patches in all directions to find out the general's headquarters, 

 but we had to go to bed without being the wiser. 



In the night at 2 o'clock a.m., somebody knocked against 



