ing, and you may
see what you can do about the diligence."

So Mr. George went away towards his room, leaving Rollo to hang up the
embossed map and then to determine how he should go to work to ascertain
what he was to do.

Rollo found less difficulty than he had anticipated in procuring places
in the diligence. He first inquired of the clerk, at the office of the
hotel. The clerk offered to send a porter with him to show him the way
to the diligence office; but Rollo said that he would prefer to go
himself alone, if the clerk would tell him in what part of the town it
was.

So the clerk gave Rollo the necessary direction, and Rollo went forth.

He found the diligence office very easily. In fact, he recognized the
place at once when he came near it, by seeing several diligences
standing before it along the street. He entered under an archway. On
entering, he observed several doors leading to various offices, with
inscriptions over each containing the names of the various towns to
which the several diligences were going. At length he found BERNE.

Rollo did not know precisely in what way the business at such an office
was to be transacted; but he had learned from past experience that all
that was necessary in order to make himself understood in such cases
was, to speak the principal words that were involved in the meaning that
he was intending to convey, without attempting to make full and complete
sentences of them. In cases where he adopted this mode of speaking he
was accustomed usually to begin by saying that he could not speak French
very well.

Accordingly, in this instance he went to the place where the clerk was
sitting and said,--

"I do not speak French very well. Diligence to Berne. Two places.
Banquette."

"Yes, yes," said the clerk. "I understand very well."

The clerk then told him what the price would be of two seats on the
banquette, and Rollo paid the money. The clerk then made out and signed
two very formal receipts and gave them to Rollo.

Rollo walked back towards the hotel, studying his receipts by the way;
but he could not understand them, as they were in the German language.

CHAPTER V.

RIDE TO BERNE.

At length the time arrived for the departure of our two travellers from
Basle. A porter from the hotel carried their trunks to the diligence
office, while Rollo and Mr. George walked. When they got to the place
they found the diligence in the archway, and several men were em