e story of the bear impaled on the
North Pole had no connection with the problem that followed. As a matter
of fact it is essential to a solution. Eleven bears cannot possibly be
arranged to form of themselves seven rows of bears with four bears in
every row. But it is a different matter when Captain Longbow informs us
that "they had so placed themselves that _there were_" seven rows of four
bears. For if they were grouped as shown in the diagram, so that three of
the bears, as indicated, were in line with the North Pole, that impaled
animal would complete the seventh row of four, which cannot be obtained
in any other way. It obviously does not affect the problem whether this
seventh row is a hundred miles long or a hundred feet, so long as they
were really in a straight line--a point that might perhaps be settled by
the captain's pocket compass.

86.--_The English Tour._

It was required to show how a resident at the town marked A might visit
every one of the towns once, and only once, and finish up his tour at Z.
This puzzle conceals a little trick. After the solver has demonstrated to
his satisfaction that it cannot be done in accordance with the conditions
as he at first understood them, he should carefully examine the wording
in order to find some flaw. It was said, "This would be easy enough if he
were able to cut across country by road, as well as by rail, but he is
not."

[Illustration]

Now, although he is prohibited from cutting across country by road,
nothing is said about his going by sea! If, therefore, we carefully look
again at the map, we shall find that two towns, and two only, lie on the
sea coast. When he reaches one of these towns he takes his departure on
board a coasting vessel and sails to the other port. The annexed
illustration shows, by a dark line, the complete route.

This problem should be compared with No. 250, "The Grand Tour," in _A. in
M._ It can be simplified in practically an identical manner, but as
there is here no choice on the first stage from A, the solutions are
necessarily quite different. See also solution to No. 94.

87.--_The Chifu-Chemulpo Puzzle._

The solution is as follows. You may accept the invitation to "try to do
it in twenty moves," but you will never succeed in performing the feat.
The fewest possible moves are twenty-six. Play the cars so as to reach
the following positions:--

E5678
-------- = 10 moves.
1234

E56
-------- =