Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1884-02-12

I wss alsAys very FOOD of bicycling
ard from the time ~Len | wS a small
boy. and laborcd for hour. ~iih bone
shaker. 20 ,hs day. when ! became The
proai possrssor % one q the frf b.
cycle. ever Manufactured. fcselsi IN
The enchanting pasiime, spending hoa'
which shogH hAvc been otherwise oocu-
ped % The back q my iron bcrss. thus
paii.ng my physical Po~er long way
ahead OF mental In fact. | hated the
,ght Of BOX. and was never happy
unless sloanng the ooantry on my biey-
cle. NJ, father was doe,c' IN a Kent
i,h village. and hsviag {. large family.
Del "a thankful. indeed. ~hen. Al the
AZ of ninetecn. a commission was ob-
taiuol for me by . wealthy irisnd IN =
reg.meu, about % all Cor lni,A.
A grasd ns~ bicycle va my faihsrs
parting present % me. and srca, ~ss my
delight a. faiins that another yOang
sub. in my regiment as also biey-
clI.i oar bicycles werc. | believe. the
6rsi ever sesn 10 India. Aad - &c rode
together into The iown. some days afer
our arrival. one would have though, Il
"a. The 'r.umphal entry of~'ms Eastern
po,en'aie.
Oue evening after moss 'red and ]
irc~ up an ,.gnei articles 9, rile ten
mile race.
There ~as a grand native road within
shor, distance q oar camp. running
away sof Zen miles a. Fat +. drawing
board. I, ay through the open plain.
anl thea a deserted ,rae, ~as reached.
becoming slider s the road proceeded.
and finally swallowing il up in an i'm.
penirabls Jungle Il wss sa this road
tha, I intended 70 train Bent had
found a circular path rOund oms native
hu,s a short way from the s;itiOn. meas
ufias about ~ laps 20 the mile. and
hsrs be prepared himself ior the coming
struggle.
Af,er = wcek of training We consider
81 ourselves 10 Cor ihe conies, and the
sdven,are am about % relae occurred
in the evening" before the svsn,fal day.
w. jas; starting for a Jas ride over
my fayoriie course when an ufkoer stop
ped me and aid
"Ha,s YEA heard q the iger. Har-
vie ?"
"No." answered
"Ths native. have jus, bUugh, word
that a large tiger is marked down Ia the
Jungle about ten miles fron here 20
doa't ~ TO Gar this evening
"An night" laughed. Il think
tiger would End il difheul- matter 70
catch me-my training wosh tel on
him"
lad not seen any large beasts As YET,
and my notion o. tiger wAs . thin,
sleepy y-looking animal, s | had once
seen in a travelling mensgvric. Away !
rode. my comrades caution hrgO,,sn be-
fore I had gone a mile.
started ~ good pace. tas no, rae
ing. as ! intended 10 Do al ! knew CON-
ing home. In about an hour | reached
my usual hAlsing place, ten miles from
camp bu, 'his being the lat night Of
my irainins. made up mind TO ride an
other couple of miles. and then do the
whole distance back a. my be,f pace.
rode on and in another ten minutes
ognd myself IN the Jungle.
Nov Coz the race home.
Dism0unting. oiled my machine.
iigh,sned up every scUw. and then sAi
down on a boulder TO res, AMI enjoy the
prospect. A beautiful scene il Vas
too
Above ne rose he gnnd mountains.
their snowy top. blushing crimson in the
setting sun here little waterfall. like
a thread Of gold and silver, flashing down
the mOaniain-sids, and t~ining in and
out among The masses Oftrees and rocks;
there = glimpse Of f.iry-land through =
Jungle vista. A Post, or tank. a.
they are called. surOanded BY dense fol-
iAgs. fesiooaed BY Parssitical climbing
plants. glowing with flowers Of every
imaginable hue humming-bird like
fiery gems. flashed hither and thisher.
dArtins In snd oa, among the trees. On
the tank" foa,ed waterfowl Of every
Kind, and the banks we're alive with sOr-
geOus birds. their planaee rivslling the
flowers in brillaney ard variety Of color.
Ba, now the shadows were deepening. the
crimson on the mOun,.in-,Ops had di.aP-
psarsd. and the cold snow began to look
gray and ghOs,ly A aging ION vent
rus,ling pas; me. and | hastily prepared
to mount sOr there Is scarcely any twi-