ion of birdhouses. It was nearly dark
when we reached San Remo, where the late Emperor of Germany had lain
during his last illness, and quite so when we left it and entered the
station of Vingt Mille, on the French border, and some twenty miles from
our destination.

Here Crane's monkey was the cause of our getting into trouble, a couple
of Italians, who had taken offense at the free-and-easy ways of Fogarty,
Crane and Carroll, who occupied the same apartment with them, informing
the guard that the New-Yorker had the little animal in his pocket, the
fare for which was immediately demanded and refused.

At Vingt Mille, after the customs authorities had examined our baggage,
and we were about to take the train again, we were stopped and informed
that we would not be allowed to proceed until the monkey's fare had been
paid. It was some time before we ascertained the real cause of our
detention, none of us being able to speak Italian, and when we finally
learned the train had gone on without us. Seventeen francs were paid for
the monk's ride in Crane's pocket, and we thought the episode settled,
but later on the official came back, stating that a mistake had been
made and that the monk's fare was nine francs more, but this Crane
positively refused to pay until we were again surrounded by a cordon of
soldiers, when he "anted up," but most unwillingly. It was an
imposition, doubtless, but they had the might on their side and that
settled the business. After that the gentleman (?) who had acted as
interpreter, doubtless thinking that Americans were "soft marks," put in
a claim of twenty francs for services, but this he did not get, though
he came very close to receiving the toe of a boot in its stead.

After once more getting started we sped past the gambling palaces of
Monte Carlo and Monaco, that loomed up close behind us in the darkness,
and, arriving at Nice, finally secured quarters in the Interlachen
Hotel, the city being crowded with strangers who had come from all parts
of the world to view the "Battle of Flowers," that was to take place on
the morrow. It rained all that night and all the next day, and as a
result the carnival had to be postponed, and the floral decorations
presented a somewhat woe-begone and bedraggled appearance. It had been
our intention to play a game here, but to our astonishment and the
disappointment of several hundred Americans then in Nice, the project
had to be abandoned for the reason that