heir rude canoes, casting their nets and lines
in the river which flowed so darkly before him. But the mood did not
endure long. He strolled presently upon the terraces and then back
toward the king's palace, drawn there by a great shouting.

As he approached the building he became conscious that an event of
interest was occurring. A huge crowd had gathered, and the youth of it
was demonstrating with energy, cheering and breaking soon into national
songs.

John pressed into the edge of the crowd, eager to know what it was all
about, but not yet able to see over the heads of the close ranks in
front of him. "What is it? What is it?" he asked of several, but they
merely shrugged their shoulders, unable to understand English.

John was angry at himself once more for knowing nothing of German. The
whole life of a nation flowed past him, and all of it was mysterious,
merely because he did not have that little trick of tongue. He caught
sight at last of a man in an automobile that moved very slowly in the
heart of the crowd, the people fairly pressed against the body of the
machine. It was obvious that the stranger furnished the occasion for the
cheering and the songs, and John repeated his questions, hoping that he
would ultimately encounter some one in this benighted multitude who
understood English.

His hope was not in vain. A man told him that it was the King of Saxony
returning to his capital and palace. John then drew away in some
distaste. He did not see why the whole population of a city, even though
they were monarchists, should go wild over the coming home of a
sovereign. Doubtless the King of Saxony, who was not so young, had come
home thousands of times before, and there must be something servile in a
people who made such an old story an occasion for a sort of worship.

He pushed his way out of the crowd and returned to the terrace. But the
noise of the shouting and the singing reached him there. Now it was
mostly singing, and it showed uncommon fervor. John shrugged his
shoulders. He liked such an unreasonable display less than ever, and
walked far along the river, until no sound from the crowd reached him.

When he returned toward the hotel everybody had gone, save a few
policemen, and John hoped that the king was not only in his palace, but
was sound asleep. It must be a great tax upon Saxon energy to
demonstrate so heavily every time he came back to the palace, perhaps
from nothing more than a drive. He