EXPERIENCES OF MR. STALK 
:gt.ory and apply it practically to themselves in theiT 
travels tlirongh the jungle of life. At another time, 
when on a jungle trip with a companion, we told him 
he was wrong, that he was going round the base of 
a hill, and the proper path was up this side, and down 
the other. “I know that as well as you,” he says, “but 
it is a steep, tiresome way. Don’t you see, we will 
avoid all that stiff pull up, by just going round the 
base of the hill, and it will just be all the same in 
the end, only infinitely less trouble.” Hope so,” we 
reply, and keep at a respectful distance behind 
him. A crash and faint shout is heard in advance 
and our friend is out of sights on coming up to the 
spot w^e ffnd he had tumbled down the side of a 
steep nullah or ravine, just somewhat after the 
game manner as has already been described in recodr- 
ing the adventures of Jeremy Diddler in chapter the 
•Sbth, and a nice little variety it was to him to 
scramble up the side of that ravine again, in wdiich 
we could not be of any assistance in any way. He 
got out of the ravine and the scrape^ however — most 
young active fellows do but would not be convinced 
be had gone wrong: it w^as all fault, who would 
persist in telling him he was wrong, until be became 
quite stupid and confused, mid so also it was all our 
fault that he had tumbled over a precipice, rent all 
his clothes, and bruised his limbs^ He was now quite 
unable to make any other search for the easy way 
round the base of the hill, and thus, tired, bruised and 
scratched, would now be obliged to take the beaten 
path up the hilL And thus it always is with the obstin- 
ate man, he will always persist in taking his own 
way or path ; it is in vain to reason or remonstrate, 
worse than useless, because in event of failure be will 
just turn on you and declare his want of success was 
entirely owing to having adopted some of your re- 
commendations, although it might be, no doubt, they 
were so very trifling as in no way to affect his general 
Ikie of conduct or path through the jungle, but they 
were quite sufficient for him to use as a handle in 
order to exonerate himself! This little* reminiscence 
will clearly define obstinacy, and to shew the dif- 
ference 1 will now give another in illustration of 
promptitude and decision.” Travelling through a 
•dense tract of jungle one day, with our friend Prompt, 
we both rijutually came to the conclusion that we 
were lost ; it was in vain to argue that this or that wus 
the true course : we knew nothing about it It was 
well on in the afternoon, it would soon be dark, we were 
proceeding to a lower elevation of the country from a 
higher one, but the “ lay of land ” was so undulating 
full of round hillocks that it was impossible just at 
this juncture to decide whether we were going up^ 
