how, and that, after all,
is the chief desideratum to a man of a sedentary occupation. How many
miles have we walked?"

"Oh, about forty-three," he said, calmly. "A short distance, your
Excellency."

"Very--very short," said I, rubbing my aching calves. "In my own
country I make a practice of walking at least a hundred every day.
It's quite a pleasing stroll from my home in New York over to
Philadelphia and back. I hope I shall be able to show it you some
day."

"It will be altogether charming, Excellency," said he. "Shall
we--ah--walk back to Athens now, or would you prefer to rest here for
the night?"

"I--I guess I'll stay here, Hippopopolis," I replied. "This seems to
be a very comfortable sort of a mountain in front of us, and the air
is soft. Suppose we rest in the soothing shade for the night? It would
be quite an adventure."

"As your Excellency wishes," he replied, tossing a bowlder into the
air and catching it with ease as it came down. "It is not often done,
but it is for you to say."

"What mountain is it, Hippopopolis?" I asked, turning and gazing at
the eminence before us.

"It is Mount Olympus," he answered.

"What?" I cried. "Not the home of the gods?"

"The very same, your Excellency," he acquiesced. "At least, that is
the report. It is commonly stated hereabouts that the god-trust has
its headquarters here. As for myself, I have explored its every nook
and cranny, but I never saw any gods on it. It's my private opinion
that they've moved away; though there be those who claim that it is
still occupied by the former rulers of destiny living incog. like
other well-born rogues who desire to avoid notoriety."

Hippopopolis is a decided democrat in his views, and has less respect
for the King than he has for the peasant.

"I shouldn't call them rogues exactly," I ventured. "Some of 'em were
a pretty respectable lot. There was Apollo and old Jupiter himself,
and--"

"Oh, you can't tell me anything about them," retorted Hippopopolis. "I
haven't been born and bred in this country for nothing, your
Excellency. They were a bad lot all through. Shall I prepare your
supper?"

"If you please, Hippopopolis," said I, throwing myself down beneath a
huge tree and giving myself up to the reveries of the moment. I did
not deem it well to interpose too strongly between Hippopopolis and
his views of the immortals just then. He had always a glitter in his
eye when any one ventured to controvert his assert