Page:Life in Java Volume 1.djvu/140

122 forgot to do so, and we were thus thrown one hour behind time.

"Never mind, might be worse," was our reflection, as we took our seats in the vehicle; and, after a hurried good morning to our host, who begged, if we again came to Surabaya, we would honour his hotel, we told the coachman all was ready; and he, as impatient to be en route as his restive steeds, cracked his long whip, which was twelve feet from the handle to the end of the cord, and we were off. Two lopers armed with short whips ran abreast of the horses, crying out in their native language, at the top of their voices, "Make way! make way!" and every now and then lashing the animals with their whips. This game, however, could not last long, especially as we were going at a pace of twenty miles an hour. So when we had cleared the town, these noisy individuals mounted the stand behind our boy, where they stood, clinging to the carriage on each side, and