EXCELSIOR 1

II. ELIGIBLE APARTMENTS 4

III. MAD MATHESIS 13

IV. THE DEAD RECKONING 19

V. OUGHTS AND CROSSES 27

VI. HER RADIANCY 34

VII. PETTY CASH 43

VIII. DE OMNIBUS REBUS 52

IX. A SERPENT WITH CORNERS 58

X. CHELSEA BUNS 66

ANSWERS TO KNOT I. 77

" " II. 84

" " III. 90

" " IV. 96

" " V. 102

" " VI. 106

" " VII. 112

" " VIII. 132

" " IX. 135

" " X. 142

A TANGLED TALE.

KNOT I.

EXCELSIOR.

"Goblin, lead them up and down."

The ruddy glow of sunset was already fading into the sombre shadows of
night, when two travellers might have been observed swiftly--at a pace
of six miles in the hour--descending the rugged side of a mountain; the
younger bounding from crag to crag with the agility of a fawn, while his
companion, whose aged limbs seemed ill at ease in the heavy chain armour
habitually worn by tourists in that district, toiled on painfully at his
side.

As is always the case under such circumstances, the younger knight was
the first to break the silence.

"A goodly pace, I trow!" he exclaimed. "We sped not thus in the ascent!"

"Goodly, indeed!" the other echoed with a groan. "We clomb it but at
three miles in the hour."

"And on the dead level our pace is----?" the younger suggested; for he
was weak in statistics, and left all such details to his aged companion.

"Four miles in the hour," the other wearily replied. "Not an ounce
more," he added, with that love of metaphor so common in old age, "and
not a farthing less!"

"'Twas three hours past high noon when we left our hostelry," the young
man said, musingly. "We shall scarce be back by supper-time. Perchance
mine host will roundly deny us all food!"

"He will chide our tardy return," was the grave reply, "and such a
rebuke will be meet."

"A brave conceit!" cried the other, with a merry laugh. "And should we
bid him bring us yet another course