ng in the air and cruelly beating their sides,
spurring them to a terrific pace. Each horse bore a number and as
immense sums of money are wagered, cannons were placed at intervals
along the route which were fired a number of times to correspond with
the number borne by the horse in the lead, thus indicating to the
betters the number of the horse in front at the different stations.
Perfect pandemonium reigned during this wild dash down the Corso. Men
and women yelled as though they were mad, and the shrill voices of
children were also heard above the roaring of the cannon.

At the end of the Corso a net was dropped across the street, into which
the frenzied steeds plunged and were flung to the ground, a tangled and
bleeding mass of noble horse-flesh. Some were killed outright and others
were so maimed that they had to be dispatched to put them out of
misery. More or less people were always killed at these barbarous races;
but for some years the barbrie has been abolished.

While in the ancient city, Paul determined to make a voyage down the
Tiber. He went up the river as far as he could get, to Orte. The
distance from that town to Rome is about one hundred and ninety miles by
river. News of his determination to try the Tiber having preceeded him
to Orte, he was royally received by the authorities and populace. When
the start was made, the mayor escorted him to the river, lustily blowing
a horn all the way, like a fish peddler trying to attract attention.
The Tiber is an uninteresting stream, running through the Roman
Campagna, and is made up of great bends. He left Orte in the afternoon,
and night came on terribly cold. Now and then he would get a cheer from
people along the banks; but in a moment it was lost. He drove rapidly
along all night without an adventure worth recording. About six o'clock
next morning he was caught in an awkward manner in the branches of a
tree that had washed into the stream and he only freed himself by
cutting away the limbs with his knife, causing considerable delay. All
day he drove energetically along, and the stream turned and twisted so
much that he frequently passed the same village twice in swinging
around great bends. At nightfall he came near frightening the life out
of a shepherd. Not knowing where he was and hearing the bark of a
dog he climbed up the bank to ascertain, if possible, his locality. He
met the shepherd on top of the bank, who looked at him