Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-13
Jack Winston to Lord Lane (Con
tinued)

Jack Winston to Lord Lane (Con-
tinued)
Angoule1ne is Ike Poitiers, a town set
upon hill, a quaint old town. worth see
NS. but we're eager now to get to tine
true south, and merely gave ourselves time
to lunch (the waiter producing, with Il
flourish, enticing but indigestible pates de
pcrdrix aux truffles) and to drive slowly
along some of the famous terraced boule-
wards that form the distinction and the
charm of Angouleme. Certainly the place
stands Economically on its high and lonely
hill almost surrounded by the clear wat
ers of the Charante. At Angouleme we
saw. | may say, the first professional beg
gars we had met on the tour. A warm
sun seems to breed beggars it breeds
mosquitoes, or is ii that southern peoples
have less self-respect than the northern?
y drawback to automObilism in France is
the fact that many of the great direct
main roads are pave. l believe that
this is Il remnant of the old days of
road making, when these heavy cobbles
formed the one surface that would stand
artillery. For ordinary traffic the pave
roads are impossible, and their existence
must be a drawback to trade and inter
course. In France they sell special bicy-
cling maps showing with dotted lines all
the pave roads and these | have carefully
studied, as it is worth making any detour
to avoid the awful jolting of the pave. But
somehow, between Angouleme and Bor-
deauX, | took a wrong turning, and sud
denly on ahead of us the good road ceased
abruptly, as If a straight line had been
ruled across it, and the detestable pave
began.
"oh. let's try it as an experience com
and perhaps il doesn't last long | trust
ed to this hope, for | knew that in many
places the pave is being dug up. here and
there only short stretches of it being left.
and | gingerly drove the Napier on to the
eNecrable surface of uneven stones We
ratified and tossed and steering became
matter of difficulty. The irritating thing
was that each side of this detestable road
were wide belts of inviting grass, but with
malignant ingenuity ,nese cut up at
frequent intervals by oblique drainage
cutters, which forbid he passage of any
thing wider than a bicycle. For bicycles
there are indeed special tracks kept in
order by the Touring Club de France, but
all four wheeled vehicles must jolt and
bump along the rough, uneven stones. BY
the time We reached the first cross-road
Aunt Mary begged for mercy, and l was
glad to have the order to get off the pave
at any cost. Soundly as the Napier is
built. 1t tremendous and unfair
strain upon springs and tires, and all the
while | was dreadng that something would
go, Threading our way through endless
VINEYARDS by a labyrinth of byways we
ran through BarbeZieux and Libourne and
day was falling crossed the noble bridge
over the Garonne into bustling Bordeaux.
Next day we took run the along
the Quai des Chartrons and through some
of the chief streets and squares of Bor-
deauN. just TO get a iiimpse of the hand
some town. at which Miss Randolph turned
up her pretty nose, because it was new
and prosperous" then, guided by porter
from the hotel. who went before us on his
bicycle. we threaded the city on our way
out to Arcachon. There some UNI
avoidabe pave and many odious tram
lines, but at last guide left us on the
outskirts of the town, and we sred on to
curious little toy suburb called st. Martin,
studded with neat, OQe-StOrled, reu-rOOfed
cottages. like houses in a child's box of
bricks and all with romantic names such
as Belle idee, Mon RepOs. Augustine. Mon
Occur. and so on. The whole place seemed
like an asScmblage of dove cotes specially
planned for honeymoon couples, and gave
the oldest effect Of unreality. Then We
passed into the green twilight of the great
pine forest which extends all the way to
the sea.
A romanticany beautiful road lay be
fore us. For more than thirty miles it
runs straight and smooth through high
aromatic pines springng from a carpet
OF bracken. Miss Randolph, l must tell
YOU has become an expert driver, and
at sight of the long straight road
said she would take the wheel. So u
stopped a moment and We changed places
She put the car at its highest speed, and
We flew along the infinite perspective of the
uever-ending avenue. This vast pine for
est is desert and We passed only through
small and scattered villages That flight
through the pine forest of the Landes will
always be to me an inenaCeable memory.
None OF us spoke; two of rs felt. / think,
that we were close TO natures heart. The
heady balsamic odor Of the pines exhilarat-
ed us and the wind. playing melancholy
music on the Eolian harps of their
branches seemed like deep accompani-
neut to the humming throb of the tireless
motor As often as dared / stole look
sideways at Miss Randolph's profile. She
sat erect her little gauntletted hands rest
Ing light as thistledown upon the wheel
but her fingers and her wrist nervous and
alert AS Il jockey riding q thoroughbred
her eyes intent on the long. straight road
before her and a look almost of rapture
upon her face.
We had raced silently through the fores,
for nearly AN hour. when. mingling with
the balsam OF the pines there came a pun
gent odor of ozone floating from open blue
spaces beyond the sombre girdle of the
pines Miss Randolph threw at me a ques-
tioninS glance. 1T must be the sea-"
answered. and in a few moments more. af'
ter passing through the ancient town of l.
Teste we came out upon the edge of a vas
lagoon semi-crcular. the distant shores al
most lost in an indistinct blue haze. THE
Rassin d Arcachon," | said Still. towr
was visible. only the great expanse of land
locked sea its shore dotted with the brown
wooden cabins OF the oyster hshers'
seemed like coming to the end of the world
Slowing down little, we followed &
raised causeway that skirted the edge o.
the Bassin. and presently entered upon {
long straight street-one of the oddes
streets you have ever seen. one whole side
Of It Chat next the seal. being composed
of fantastic bungalows and pleasure
houses of all imaginable styles, each SCI
In it's own garden, and the whole town
drowned In an ocean of pines. At the out
skirts took the helm again, for Miss Ran
doiph scarcely trusts her skill in traffic
Not that there was enough 10 be alarming
I'm Arcachon. for the place seemed under Z
spell of silence. We drove through tht
long main street. past an imposing whit.
chateau and good many quite charminl
houses, until we came to n hotel, which
the Goddess fancied and turned into :
garden. I'd never been to Arcachon before
and supposed from the guide books tina
this was the place for my ladies' Ia.
the couriers say). to stop. But the land
lady came out. and welcoming us with on
breath, recommended US with the next I,