agedians with tense
faces declaiming in a high falsetto to imaginary audiences,
rag-pickers sorting their fulsome wares with iron-pointed sticks,
herds of coarse, black swine being bought and sold, while in the
shelter of the enormous buttresses archers erect paper targets some
eight inches square and exercise their art with solemn dignity,
elaborate posturing and considerable dexterity.

A good deal of tennis is played at the club and on the various private
courts, though most of the diplomatic body as well as missionaries
migrate during the great heat to temples in the Western Hills, which
are about twelve miles from Peking, or, now that there is railway
communication, to the seaside resort of Pei-Tai-Ho.

One afternoon another European and I rode some ten miles out of Peking
to inspect the ruins of the celebrated Summer Palace, which, since
its destruction in 1860 by the English and French forces, had remained
a desolate and overgrown wilderness. Having put up the ponies at an
inn, where an inquisitive old native wished to know whether our bright
stirrups and bits were made of silver--the Chinese never dreaming of
polishing their own--we proceeded on foot to the chief entrance, but
as the work of restoration was then being commenced the gatekeeper
refused us admission. Nothing daunted we strolled round to another
side, and passing unobserved through a gap in the wall made careful
inspection of a partially-destroyed pavilion overlooking a lake,
interrupted only by a venerable guardian, who hobbled after us mildly
requesting that we should depart. This we were preparing to do for
another part of the extensive grounds, when suddenly we came into view
of some scores of workmen who were engaged on the repairs. They
stopped work and gazed at us but made no hostile move, and we could
still have withdrawn in peace had not my companion, overcome by a
desire to practise his Chinese, and in opposition to my urgent
warning, advanced towards them with a beaming smile. No sooner was he
within range than a shower of bricks and stones filled the air and we
were both constrained to turn tail and make for the gap at full speed,
closely followed by the howling mob. We did not pause before reaching
the inn, and then only to secure our ponies and continue our
undignified flight. I was uninjured, but my companion had received a
nasty blow on the head, at which I secretly rejoiced, as owing to his
action we had not only been exposed to c