CHAPTER XIX 



TRAVELLERS' TALES 



WE left Archuen on October llth with many 

 regrets, for it was a dear little place. We had 

 some excellent sport with the pheasants on the 

 way down to Choni. With a couple of good 

 dogs and a few beaters who knew their job, we 

 could have had first-rate covert shooting and killed 

 a big bag. We saw literally hundreds, but con- 

 tented ourselves with a dozen or so, as we could 

 not have used more. 



As illustrating their numbers in many parts of 

 China, a certain celebrated Ananias was recounting 

 the details of a ride where birds were plentiful. 



" Suddenly," he declared, " my horse shied. My 

 gun was slung on my back. Both barrels went 

 off. I looked round, and there were three dead 

 pheasants in the road ! " 



Another story in which this gentleman figured 

 is too good to miss. His father, though a foreigner, 

 had resided for many years in China, and was 

 alluded to by his son as " Poppa." 



One day the conversation turned on well-known 

 travellers. Poppa's name he was dead cropped 

 up ; so did that of Marco Polo. This was a 

 chance not to be missed. 



163 



