before."

"The man-machines!" I exclaimed, puzzled to know whatever he could
mean.

"Yes, the men with wheels instead of legs, you know."

"Oh, you mean the bicyclists," I replied, laughing. "Have you really
never seen any before?"

"No, indeed," replied his Majesty. "Are they born with wheels on, or
do they grow afterwards?"

I laughed, and fortunately just then the youngster opposite, who
always rides to school on his bicycle, came out of doors wheeling his
machine, and I was able to explain to the Wallypug the principle upon
which they worked.

"Dear me; the Doctor-in-Law told me that the machinery was part of the
man, but now I see that it is separate. And he charged me sixpence for
the information too," he complained, looking reproachfully at the
Doctor-in-Law.

"Charged you sixpence!" I cried.

"Yes," replied the poor Wallypug. "He offered to tell me all about
them for sixpence, and as I was really very curious to know I gave it
to him, and then he informed me that they were a peculiar race of
people who came from Coventry, and who were all born with wheels
instead of legs."

"Take your old sixpence then, if you are going to make all that fuss
about it," said the Doctor-in-Law, crossly, throwing the coin down on
the table and walking out of the room in a huff. "I'm sure I did read
somewhere that they came from Coventry," he added, popping his head in
at the door and then slamming it violently after him.

The boy opposite was still riding up and down the road, and I made up
my mind that although I had never spoken to him before, I would ask
him to let the Wallypug examine his bicycle more closely.

"With pleasure," he replied, raising his hat politely to the Wallypug,
when I had explained who he was; "and if his Majesty would like to try
it he is quite welcome to do so."

The Doctor-in-Law's curiosity had so far overcome his ill-humour that,
when he saw us talking to the boy, he came forward and offered to help
the Wallypug to mount.

"I really don't think he had better," I said, "he might damage the
machine."

"Oh no, he won't hurt it, I'm sure," said the boy generously; and so
with our united assistance the Wallypug got on to the bicycle, and
after a few preliminary wobblings started off in fine style. Faster
and faster he went, clinging desperately to the handle-bars, till we,
who were running beside him, could no longer keep pace with him.

[Illustration: THE START]

"I can't stop," we