Restored By His
Assurance, We Did Not Really Mind Waiting Twice The Tale Of All His Ten
Fingers, And We
Spent our time variously in wandering about the plateau,
among the wonted iron tables and chairs in front of the
Hotel, in being
photographed in a fairy grotto behind it, and in examining the visitors'
book in the parlor. The names of visitors from South Africa largely
prevailed, for the Cape Town steamers, oftener than any others, touch at
Madeira, but there was one traveller of Portuguese race who had written
his name in bold characters above the cry, "Long live the Portuguese
Republic." Soon after the Portuguese monarchy ceased to live for a time
in the person of the murdered king and his heir, but it is doubtful if
the health of the potential republic was as great as before.
That bright Sunday morning no shadow of the black event was forecast,
and we gave our unstinted sympathy to our unknown co-republican. The
luncheon, when we were called to it, had merits of novelty and quality
which I will celebrate only as regards the delicate fish fresh from the
sea, and the pease fresh from the garden, with poached eggs fresh from
the coop dropped upon them. The conception of chops which followed was
not so faultless, though the fruit with which we ended did much to
repair any error of kid which may have mistaken itself for lamb. Perhaps
our enthusiasm was heightened by the fine air which had sharpened our
appetites. At any rate, it all ended in an habitual transaction in real
estate by which I became the owner of the place, without expropriating
the actual possessor, and established there those castles in Spain
belonging to me in so many parts of the world.
There remained now nothing for us to do but to toboggan down the
mountain, and we overcame our resolution not to do so far enough to go
and look at the toboggans under the guidance of our head-waiter. When
once we had looked we were lost. The toboggans were flat baskets set on
iron-shod runners, and well cushioned and padded; they held one, two, or
three passengers; the track on which they descended was paved, in gentle
undulations, with thin pebbles set on edge and greased wherever the
descent found a level. A smiling native, with a strong rope attached to
the toboggan, stood on each side of it, and held it back or pulled it
forward, according to the exigencies of the case. It is long since I
slid down hill on a sled of my own, and I do not pretend to recall the
sensation; but I can remember nothing so luxurious in transportation as
the swift flight of the Madeira toboggan, which you temper at will
through its guides and guards, but do not wish to temper at all when
your first alarm, mainly theoretical, passes into the gayety ending in
exultant rejoicing at the bottom of the course.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 6 of 186
Words from 2554 to 3056
of 97259
