News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-06-29

club. And they filed into line again.
The road was smooth, and away they
glided, Bob leading and the others fol
lowing, two and two. Their course lay
straight ahead for few PAGES, and then
they turned squarely to the right, and
on again. The moon was shining
brightly, and hundreds of stars twinKled
down on them through the tree tops
which leaned over the road. 1t was
just the evening for such trip. They
did not stop a minute to rest, but
wheeled industriously on, sometimes in
single file, when the road was not so
good, then again two and three abreast.
Many clear, boyish laugh and loud
hallOo echoed through the woods.
Johnny and Bob regaled them with
| the air of '' Row, brothers, row." sung
to words like:
"Wheel, brothers, wheel the night goes
fast,
| The road is long and the bridge not past. -
which was received with much admira-
ton by the other members, although
the singers voices were rather gaspy,
owing to their being somewhat out of
breath from short race.
"Let's stop at the split oak for
lunch, called Frank, who was in the
rear.
CAN right - came from the others,
and they made their wheels spin until
they came to spit-oak, full five miles
from their starting point. There the
brigade stopped; the "bikes" were
stood up against trees, and the boys
settled down in a grassy place by the
oak, where the moonlight was brightest,
and where they applied themselves Wig
orously to demoiishing the cheese and
crackers which they had brought with
them.
"Say, boys, do you know it's almost
| twelve ?' said Joe, looking at his watch,
which was the pride of his heart. The
bright moonlight shone full on its face,
and left no doubt of the time.
"Well, we ought to start, said Ned
"We've been nearly half an hour eating
our lunch and talking"
81 tell you, boys, we have got to make
pretty good time the rest Of the way"
said Johnny, as each rider brought up
his steed and prepared to mount.
"Oh, we can easily be home in an
hour and half: we didn't start until
after ten, and the oak is more than half
way" said Bob.
The road lay straight for the next
mile then came the hill, up which the
Whirligiggers found 1t much the easier
plan to walk. On the other side, the
hill sloped by an easy grade to the foot,
where the road crossed the pond by a
long bridge. So they mounted again
at the top, and made quick run to the
bottom, their speed increasing every
moment, until, when they reached the
foot, they were going so fast that they
rushed across the pIeIked bridge with
q rumble like distant thunder.
The Club was at length beginning to
feel the effects of the unusually long
ride; and, as the party came to the
railway, Ben said:
"Let's rest here until The expresses
pass"
"Agreed p said Bob. "What time
is it, Joe ?"
"After one-ten minutes after. It
must be time for the train now," he an
swered, looking down the track.
The up-express was due at fifteen
minutes after one, and the down-ex-
press at almost the same hour, but they
seldom were on time. In few minutes
the trains would surely pass the spot
where the boys now were, and they
thought the sight worth waiting for,
because the trains were through ex-
presses, and always dashed along as if
speed was the only thing cared for.
The boys agreed to wait. Two of
them stretched themselves on the
ground by the side of the wagon-road,
and the others sat around on logs,
glad to take breathing spell, as Joe
called it.
81 say" said Dayie, suddenly, " the
railway would be a splendid place for
our machines to run on"
"Soit would" satd Bob. "The places
between the ties have been filled and
packed, and SO many people use it as
foot-path, that it 8 as smooth and solid
as floor"
Just then, theup-express came whist
ling and roaring along the track, and
dashed past them at tremendous speed,
raising clouds of dust, twigs, and dry
grass. The boys held their breath as
the monster swept by them, without
slackening speed even to cross the long
bridge over the creek and the trestle
work beyond.
And then followed a strange crashing
sound, as of earth and rocks rolling
down-hill but soon all was still again.
"Where are you going, now?" asked
Ben, as Johnny and Ned suddenly
jumped up, moved by the same impulse.
"To see how the track will do for our
bikes" answered Johnny, as they
trundled their machines toward the
railway.
Bob had his mouth wide open to sug-
gest that all the Club should follow,
when startled call from Johnny, echoed
by one from Ned, caused them TO rush
down to where the two boys were.
Their faces turned as pale as were
Johnny's and Ned's, when, in answer to
their "What's the matter ?" Ned pointed
to dark heap across the track, close to
the bridge. A moments glance showed
them that one of the great rocks from
the hill, no doubt shaken loose by the
train which had just thundered past, had
rolled down upon the track, carrying
with it a mass of dirt and gravel. The
rock was so large that the boys could
not move it, although they at once tried
their best.
"IFs no use," said Joe, as they gave
up, painting.
"We must do something; it's time the
down express was here, now," cried
Davie.
"We must signal them i'll some way.
If we only had lantern p cried Frank,
breathlessly.
"There is no time to lose u cried Bob.
ebay p and with the word Ben and
Ned were off, and, before the others
Al