t experience showed the wisdom of this course. Saddle ponies,
which are used only for short trips about the city, cannot endure continual
traveling over the execrable roads of the interior where often it is
impossible to feed them properly. If an entire caravan were purchased the
leader of the expedition would have unceasing trouble with the _mafus_ to
insure even ordinary care of the animals, an opportunity would be given for
endless "squeeze" in the purchase of food, and there are other reasons too
numerous to mention why in this province the plan is impracticable.

However, the caravan ponies do try one's patience to the limit. They are
trained only to follow a leader, and if one happens to be behind another
horse it is well-nigh impossible to persuade it to pass. Beat or kick the
beast as one will, it only backs up or crowds closely to the horse in
front. On the first day out Heller, who was on a particularly bad animal,
when trying to pass one of us began to cavort about like a circus rider,
prancing from side to side and backward but never going forward. We shouted
that we would wait for him to go on but he replied helplessly, "I can't,
this horse isn't under my management," and we found very soon that our
animals were not under our management either!

In a town near Ta-li Fu we were in front of the caravan with Wu and Heller:
Wu stopped to buy a basket of mushrooms but his horse refused to move
ahead. Beat as he would, the animal only backed in a circle, ours followed,
and in a few moments we were packed together so tightly that it was
impossible even to dismount. There we sat, helpless, to the huge delight of
the villagers until rescued by a _mafu_. As soon as he led Wu's horse
forward the others proceeded as quietly as lambs.

We paid forty cents (Mexican) a day for each animal while traveling, and
fifteen or twenty cents when in camp, but the rate varies somewhat in
different parts of the province, and in the west and south, along the Burma
border fifty cents is the usual price. When a caravan is engaged the
necessary _mafus_ are included and they buy food for themselves and beans
and hay for the animals.

Ever since leaving Yuen-nan Fu the cook we engaged at Paik-hoi had been a
source of combined irritation and amusement. He was a lanky, effeminate
gentleman who never before had ridden a horse, and who was physically and
mentally unable to adapt himself to camp life. After five months in the
field he appear