overnor explained as they left the court. "Her
Radiancy has commanded him to place twenty-four pigs in those four
sties, so that, as she goes round the court, she may always find the
number in each sty nearer to ten than the number in the last."

"Does she call ten nearer to ten than nine is?" said Norman.

"Surely," said the Governor. "Her Radiancy would admit that ten is
nearer to ten than nine is--and also nearer than eleven is."

"Then I think it can be done," said Norman.

The Governor shook his head. "The Commander has been transferring them
in vain for four months," he said. "What hope remains? And Her Radiancy
has ordered up ten thousand additional----"

"The pigs don't seem to enjoy being transferred," the old man hastily
interrupted. He did not like the subject of bamboos.

"They are only _provisionally_ transferred, you know," said the
Governor. "In most cases they are immediately carried back again: so
they need not mind it. And all is done with the greatest care, under the
personal superintendence of the Commander-in-Chief."

"Of course she would only go _once_ round?" said Norman.

"Alas, no!" sighed their conductor. "Round and round. Round and round.
These are Her Radiancy's own words. But oh, agony! Here is the outer
gate, and we must part!" He sobbed as he shook hands with them, and the
next moment was briskly walking away.

"He _might_ have waited to see us off!" said the old man, piteously.

"And he needn't have begun whistling the very _moment_ he left us!" said
the young one, severely. "But look sharp--here are two what's-his-names
in the act of starting!"

Unluckily, the sea-bound omnibus was full. "Never mind!" said Norman,
cheerily. "We'll walk on till the next one overtakes us."

They trudged on in silence, both thinking over the military problem,
till they met an omnibus coming from the sea. The elder traveller took
out his watch. "Just twelve minutes and a half since we started," he
remarked in an absent manner. Suddenly the vacant face brightened; the
old man had an idea. "My boy!" he shouted, bringing his hand down upon
Norman's shoulder so suddenly as for a moment to transfer his centre of
gravity beyond the base of support.

Thus taken off his guard, the young man wildly staggered forwards, and
seemed about to plunge into space: but in another moment he had
gracefully recovered himself. "Problem in Precession and Nutation," he
remarked--in tones where filial respect only just