EXPERIENCES OF MR. STALE, 
our meaning. One day, the writer and a friend started 
on an expedition, to explore and make out a short cut 
through a dense jungle, into an adjoining district. The 
round about way, by the road, occupied the best part 
af a day, and it was perfectly evident that, if we could only 
manage a path through the jungle, the trip could easily 
be done in a couple of hours, or less. We felt perfect 
confidence in our friend, who was an old and experi- 
enced jungle traveller, . and. so, on entering the forest, 
committed ourselves entirely to his guidance, and kept 
slightly in the rear. Our friend, thus, while having the 
satisfaction of having everything bis own way, had like- 
wise the pleasure of knowing that he only was the 
pioneer, and all the credit of opening out the path 
would remain with himself. But he also had the 
satisfaction, of it W’^ere any, of getting all the hard 
knocks, scratches and bruises, in making his way first, 
through the dense underwood. As he jocularly remarked, 
he was just as good as an elephant, and we could come 
after, on the trail. We say nothing, and keep quiet, for 
fear of causing any alarm, but mentally make the note, 
far better than an elephant, because nothing is more 
likely than that we may come upon some of those 
animals, in which event, you will be first, either the 
first to see them, or the first whom they will see, and 
in either case, I will not only be the first to run 
down on the back trail, but also have you between 
me, and our pursuer; so that by keeping behind now, 
eventually our positions may be reversed, in a way 
more agreeable to myself, than to you, for then / will 
be first ; — and many a day, in after years, when travelling 
through the jungle of life, have we acted on the same 
principle. Don’t be over anxious to be first, just come 
very ccmnily up on the trail ofs5niebold adventurer, 
and keep him between you and the elephants, besides, 
in coming quietly after, you will possess the advant - 
age of being, cool, having all your wits about you, 
and not bound to follow up every step he goes, you may 
even see he is not going exactly straight, and that 
you could easily take a short cut through an open 
wattle jungle, ‘and get in advance, but dont do it, unless 
you happen to see a glimmer of light shining through 
the dark dense mass of foliage in front. Make for it 
sharp, never mind your guide now, and you are out 
in the clearing before him ! Sit down on 
a stone, and rest ; ^ you hear him crackling and 
toiling inside that mass of underwood from which 
at last he slowly erherges, all torn and scratched. 
Thinking you are behind him, he calls out, “ Come on, 
here we are all right. ” Just repeat his owm speech, 
while he stands gazing in astonishment, exclaiming, 
“ You here first ! And without a ruffle or scratch. ’ 
Our impatient young friends may think over this true 
