his neighbours
that he had seen the fascinating biped. There was no general
understanding that the African was a man of black skin; it was only
understood that he was a great marvel. Hence the urchins in these
far-away villages often ran at the heels of Paddy's horse, yelling.

In time the traffic on the highway became greatly thickened, and
several times we thought we were entering London because of the large
size and splendour of the towns to which we came. Paddy began to fear
the people had been deceiving us as to the road, and that we had
missed London entirely. But finally we came to a river with hundreds
of boats upon it, and there was a magnificent bridge, and on the other
bank was a roaring city, and through the fog the rain came down thick
as the tears of the angels. "That's London," said I.

We rode out upon the bridge, all much interested, but somewhat
fearful, for the noise of the city was terrible. But if it was
terrible as we approached it, I hesitate to say what it was to us when
we were once fairly in it. "Keep close to me," I yelled to Paddy and
Jem, and they were not unwilling. And so we rode into this
pandemonium, not having the least idea where we were going.

As we progressed I soon saw what occasioned the major part of the
noise. Many heavy carts thundered slowly through the narrow, echoing
streets, bumping their way uproariously over a miserable pavement.
Added to this, of course, were the shrill or hoarse shouts of the
street vendors and the apprentices at the shop-doors. To the sky arose
an odour almost insupportable, for it was new to us all.

The eaves of the houses streamed with so much water that the sidewalks
were practically untenable, although here and there a hardy wayfarer
strode on regardless of a drenched cloak, probably being too proud to
take to the street. Once our travel was entirely blocked by a fight. A
butcher in a bloody apron had dashed out of his shop and attacked the
driver of a brewer's sledge. A crowd gathered miraculously and cheered
on this spectacle; women appeared at all the windows; urchins hooted;
mongrel dogs barked. When the butcher had been worsted and chased
back into his shop by the maddened brewer we were allowed to pursue
our journey.

I must remark that neither of these men used aught but his hands.
Mostly their fists were doubled, and they dealt each other sounding,
swinging blows; but there was some hair-pulling, and when the brewer
had the butcher