268 THE LAST OF CHINA 



panied us during the different stages I only re- 

 collect two. One was a very nice-looking young 

 Chanto, the only escort we had who really attempted 

 to perform any little services for us ; the other a 

 gentleman with a straggling beard, a fur cap of 

 peculiar design, and a wild eye. He invariably 

 started any remarks with which he was over- 

 burdened by a loud yell, and had a conciliating 

 way of cooing gutturals. One evening we derived 

 a good deal of amusement from his geographical 

 and astronomical ideas, which, to say the least, 

 were original. The points of the compass, north, 

 south, east, west, and middle (where you happen 

 to be !) we were not unprepared for ; but when he 

 propounded, with an air of profound cunning, the 

 following, we were defeated. 



" Why," he asked, " does your hair grow up, 

 your beard down and your whiskers out each 

 side ? " wagging his head and looking sideways at 

 us out of a bloodshot eye. 



We could not hazard an answer. 



" Like a tree," he added encouragingly. 



This did not help us. 



" Shall I tell you ? " he cried, for all the world 

 like any child. " Why, they follow the compass ! 

 Just like a tree. Trunk north, roots south, and 

 branches east and west ; hair north, beard south, 

 and whiskers east and west ! " As though to say, 

 " Nothing could be simpler." 



George tried him with an Arab riddle. 



"If you dropped an orange into a hole in the 

 rock which would only just hold it and into which 

 you could not get your hand, how would you get 

 the orange out ? " said he. 



