Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-09-22
A Mysterious Adventure.
ny roasrrAN.

As )0n MS the roads have be-
come "settlsd" for the season tb,
great and still inci easing army O
bicyclers make their appearance
and ench man. after a few week.
Of exercise parts with the extra
weight he has gained during the
winter.
Taking my place in this noble
army rather early IN the season,
1 soon recovered from the first
indispensable blisters. aud began
to renew my solitary travels.
had determined, for reasons oi
my own, not to take any all-day
trips until The Summer vacation
but q perfect day for riding oc-
curing in the middle OF May,
and being afflicted with ennui 81
the time, / concluded to break
my determination and 60.
As Just stated, it was a perfecl
day. The sun shone brightly,
and soft. cool breeze had
sprung up out Of the west. The
trees, so long bare and brown,
had already put forth their bright
green foliage. SO new aud clean
that each leaf actually shone. A
gentle shower the night before
had rendered the roads firm and
hard, without dust or mud, a
thing which the street sprinkler,
so dreaded by wheelmen, rarely,
il ever, effects.
Taking road which led to.
ward the southwest, / soon left
my accustomed haunts, and push
ed ahead at a medium rate, ems
ioying the scenery and the wet
grass, everywhere studded with
daEdelions. There were but few
houses on this road, and even
these soon disappeared, and the
side Of the road was touched only
by pasture lands and newly
plowed fields. After riding
steadily for about twenty min.
utes, / reached a place where the
road branched. / dismounted,
and, pointing my bicycle exactly
between the two roads, ! balanced
it and took my hands away. II
fell toward the right hand.
again mounted, and continuing
ON the road thus decided upon,
I soon saw ahead an iron gate,
swinging between two huge gran
ite posts. To the right and left
extended a high iron fence, along
the top Of which two lines Of
barbed wire were stretched
Nothing daunted. I rode through,
~ the gate was open, and found
inside ! finely kept road bordered
with shade trees
For upward of a mile, as
afterward calculated it, 1 traced
this winding road without meet
ing a living soul, and my curios'
ity urged me to follow it and SCI
where it led to, although the
now.declining sun warned me tc
turn round aud go home.
At last the level road ended
and a steep grade lay before me
The land beside it was yet steep.
! err, and was cut into terraces GOV
erred with grass as green as emer.
sld. I was obliged to walk Vi
this hill. though the road wa
still good, and as I reached tn,
top, after considerable exertion
several sights struck my eyes a
once.
One of these was magnificen
view, which alone was wortl
coming SO far for, Green hill
bordered the horizon; near wer
woods, streams. and scattere,
villages, none Of which wer
familiar to me. A mist rested OF
the far-of hills, and as I locke,
it seemed to deepen. Soon, on
f of the west rose | dense blacl
cloud; on it came, higher an,
farther, till it hid the sun, an.
then the first drop of rain begal
/, to fall. Then I realized that
was in what might be called
h "fix," and began 10 wish / ha
stayed nt home. The rain fel
I faster, and / was looking abou
for a shelter, when / saw, hal
hidden by the trees, larg
country house, Standing not
! hundred yards from me.
Putting on my hat, with whic
I had been flaming myself,
started for this house, and whe
[ had passed the interposing tire,
/ saw that il was one of thol
barge old fashioned houses whic
were built more fot the comic
Df those inside itIthan for ii
Z pleasure Of those outside-qui
different fromthe prevailing sty
&pow. 1t had great chimney
itacksalId sharp pointed gabl
! anda broad piazza, shaded by vine