CHAPTER X.
Baden from the visitor's point of view--Beauty of the early morning, as viewed from the preceding afternoon--Distance, as measured by the compass--Ditto, as measured by the leg--George in account with his conscience--A lazy machine--Bicycling, according to the poster: its restfulness--The poster cyclist: its costume; its method--The griffin as a household pet--A dog with proper self-respect--The horse that was abused.
From Baden, about which it need only be said that it is a pleasure resort singularly like other pleasure resorts of the same description, we started bicycling in earnest.

We planned a ten days' tour, which, while completing the Black Forest, should include a spin down the Donau-Thal, which for the twenty miles from Tuttlingen to Sigmaringen is, perhaps, the finest valley in Germany; the Danube stream here winding its narrow way past old-world unspoilt villages; past ancient monasteries, nestling in green pastures, where still the bare-footed and bare-headed friar, his rope girdle tight about his loins, shepherds, with crook in hand, his sheep upon the hill sides; through rocky woods; between sheer walls of cliff, whose every towering crag stands crowned with ruined fortress, church, or castle; together with a blick at the Vosges mountains, where half the population is bitterly pained if you speak to them in French, the other half being insulted when you address them in German, and the whole indignantly contemptuous at the first sound of English; a state of things that renders conversation with the stranger somewhat nervous work.
We did not succeed in carrying out our programme in its entirety, for the reason that human performance lags ever behind human intention.

It is easy to say and believe at three o'clock in the afternoon that: "We will rise at five, breakfast lightly at half-past, and start away at six." "Then we shall be well on our way before the heat of the day sets in," remarks one.
"This time of the year, the early morning is really the best part of the day.

Don't you think so ?" adds another.
"Oh, undoubtedly." "So cool and fresh." "And the half-lights are so exquisite." The first morning one maintains one's vows.

The party assembles at half- past five.