vide the eight pieces of money in the same proportion.

PUZZLING TIMES AT SOLVAMHALL CASTLE

_SIR HUGH EXPLAINS HIS PROBLEMS_

The friends of Sir Hugh de Fortibus were so perplexed over many of his
strange puzzles that at a gathering of his kinsmen and retainers he
undertook to explain his posers.

[Illustration]

"Of a truth," said he, "some of the riddles that I have put forth would
greatly tax the wit of the unlettered knave to rede; yet will I try to
show the manner thereof in such way that all may have understanding. For
many there be who cannot of themselves do all these things, but will yet
study them to their gain when they be given the answers, and will take
pleasure therein."

32.--_The Game of Bandy-Ball._

Sir Hugh explained, in answer to this puzzle, that as the nine holes were
300, 250, 200, 325, 275, 350, 225, 375, and 400 yards apart, if a man
could always strike the ball in a perfectly straight line and send it at
will a distance of either 125 yards or 100 yards, he might go round the
whole course in 26 strokes. This is clearly correct, for if we call the
125 stroke the "drive" and the 100 stroke the "approach," he could play
as follows:--The first hole could be reached in 3 approaches, the second
in 2 drives, the third in 2 approaches, the fourth in 2 approaches and 1
drive, the fifth in 3 drives and 1 backward approach, the sixth in 2
drives and 1 approach, the seventh in 1 drive and 1 approach, the eighth
in 3 drives, and the ninth hole in 4 approaches. There are thus 26
strokes in all, and the feat cannot be performed in fewer.

33.--_Tilting at the Ring._

[Illustration]

"By my halidame!" exclaimed Sir Hugh, "if some of yon varlets had been
put in chains, which for their sins they do truly deserve, then would
they well know, mayhap, that the length of any chain having like rings is
equal to the inner width of a ring multiplied by the number of rings and
added to twice the thickness of the iron whereof it is made. It may be
shown that the inner width of the rings used in the tilting was one inch
and two-thirds thereof, and the number of rings Stephen Malet did win
was three, and those that fell to Henry de Gournay would be nine."

The knight was quite correct, for 1-2/3 in. x 3 + 1 in. = 6 in., and
1-2/3 in. x 9 + 1 in. = 16 in. Thus De Gournay beat Malet by six rings.
The drawing showing the rings may assist the reader in verifying the
answer and help him to see wh