amended to read thus—

     The ball no question makes of Ayes or Nos,

     But right or left, as strikes the Player goes,

     And SHE who tossed it down into the field,

     SHE knows about it all, SHE knows, SHE knows!

      For the Reader Only

     Dear Reader

    :

    This is for

     you

    , and you only. We have concealed it between chapters one and two so that it will not meet any eye but yours.

    We have a confession to make—it would be useless to attempt concealment—we have the Digression habit.

    We have tried every known remedy but we fear it is incurable.

    All we ask, Gentle Reader, is that when we stray too far you will favour us with a gentle reminder.

     A LONG JUMP

    It is a long jump from Moses, the author of the first work on Geography, to Peter Simple.

    When the acrobatic reader has fetched his breath and looks back at the fearsome list of Geographers he has skipped—Strabo, Anaximander, Hecatœus, Demœritus, Eudoxus, Ephorus, Dicœarchus, Erastothenes, Polybius, Posidonius and Charles F. King,—he may well be thankful to find he has fallen upon his feet.

    The Geographer’s task is endless.

    The Planet he endeavours to portray is perpetually changing its appearance. After thousands and thousands of 

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