ve been a
mistake. And even when enterprising and adventurous editors took
themselves and their staffs further afield there were some unavoidable
clashings. For instance, the _Scrutator_, _Sporting Bluff_, and _The
Damsels' Own Paper_ all pitched on Khartoum for the same week. It was,
perhaps, a desire to out-distance all possible competition that
influenced the management of the _Daily Intelligencer_, one of the most
solid and respected organs of Liberal opinion, in its decision to
transfer its offices for three or four weeks from Fleet Street to Eastern
Turkestan, allowing, of course, a necessary margin of time for the
journey there and back. This was, in many respects, the most remarkable
of all the Press stampedes that were experienced at this time. There was
no make-believe about the undertaking; proprietor, manager, editor, sub-
editors, leader-writers, principal reporters, and so forth, all took part
in what was popularly alluded to as the _Drang nach Osten_; an
intelligent and efficient office-boy was all that was left in the
deserted hive of editorial industry."

"That was doing things rather thoroughly, wasn't it?" said the nephew.

"Well, you see," said Sir Lulworth, "the migration idea was falling
somewhat into disrepute from the half-hearted manner in which it was
occasionally carried out. You were not impressed by the information that
such and such a paper was being edited and brought out at Lisbon or
Innsbruck if you chanced to see the principal leader-writer or the art
editor lunching as usual at their accustomed restaurants. The _Daily
Intelligencer_ was determined to give no loophole for cavil at the
genuineness of its pilgrimage, and it must be admitted that to a certain
extent the arrangements made for transmitting copy and carrying on the
usual features of the paper during the long outward journey worked
smoothly and well. The series of articles which commenced at Baku on
'What Cobdenism might do for the camel industry' ranks among the best of
the recent contributions to Free Trade literature, while the views on
foreign policy enunciated 'from a roof in Yarkand' showed at least as
much grasp of the international situation as those that had germinated
within half a mile of Downing Street. Quite in keeping, too, with the
older and better traditions of British journalism was the manner of the
home-coming; no bombast, no personal advertisement, no flamboyant
interviews. Even a complimentary l