Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-09-26
The Exploits Of the Capital Bicycltsts
In Prince Georges County.

In Prince Georges County.
THE STORY OF THE ILL-rArEp EXPEDITION
GRAPHICALLY TOLD BY ONE OF THE SUR
VIVcRs-A RAPID CHANGE OF BASES CAUSED
BY A Dog AND SEVERAL GUNS.
The members Of the Capital Bicycle club have
q peculiar fondness for watermelons and al
though this regard is not universal in the club,
the number of members who do not place this
particular species first among the fruits OF the
earth, is so small that they may be regarded as
exceptions which prove the rule. The abstract
fondness Of the club is reduced to concrete form
by the holding Of watermelon racket" OF
immense proportions once year, which is pro-
ductive of q great deal OF fun, considerable
noise, and some internal discomfort. The
racket of 1855 took place some weeks ago 1t
Brightwood, and every member OF the club had
given up the idea Of watermelons at wholesale
Barber startled his fellow-menbers by an in.
vitation to participate in another racket at
the iarm OF his paternai ancestor, some miles
vftation, OF course, met with cordial response,
and on Monday evening last twenty-five or
cordance with the captains call. Mr.. BARRIERS
assurance that one hundred choice watermel-
ons were carefully stored In a barn, and wait
highest order, and the party proceeded in high
spirits, dampened occasionally, 1t is true, by
Mr.. Hanna's bugle practice, but In the main
The wisdom OF the arrangement by which the
sun is made to set at s O'Clock during the month
of September may be seriously questioned
under any circumstances, but to q party on
bicycles. riding over q strange road, deep with
ornamented with holes Of varying depth. the
conviction is inevitable that the inclination of
the to hs of 1ns ses is an
ance; and as the party toiled laboriously up
hill or walked just as laboriously down ia
pitchy dark ness, nothing but the prospect of
melons ahead would have kept them on the
road.
Mr.. BARRIERS FARM
is 30 situated that the District line passes
through it. 1t was impossible to see the line
however, partly because of the darkness, but
mainly because IL had been nearly effaced by
the spring blowing. The country in the vicin-
ty of the farm is diversified; there hills and
valleys, corn fields covered with short stubble,
luxuriant patches of briars, and dense growths
OF underbrush, while in the midst Of all an
ubiquitous brook winds about between high
banks, crossed here and there by fallen trees.
This typographical description is necessary to q
correct understanding Of the situation. On the
arrival OF the party at the farm they were met
by Mr.. Barber, with long face, and the melan-
choly information that his barn had been
selected melons removed by parties unknown
to deponent, and who had omitted to leave any
address. In fact that he hadn't another melon
on the place. The effect of this news may be
Imagined, and the prospect OF returning by that
atrocious road, without even having seen q
At this juncture a brilliant idea struck the
versatile Barber, and in a few hurried sentences
he communicated to the party q PROPOSE
melons there was q neighbor who had that
this person had more than he could possibly
use. and that II would be kindness to relieve
him of q few; that there was no doubt that this
neighbor would be delighted to perform an act
OF courtesy to party in distress, even though
made TO DO 1t involuntarily; and finally that
A BIG DOG
on the place, and that too much care could not
be taken in the approach to the melon patch,
and In any subsequent proceeding. While the
consciences of the less hardened members of
the party, any feeble remonstrance on their
part were drowned in the outburst OF general
enthusiasm, and forthwith two parties were
formed 20 proceed in different directions. and
meet at the scene of action, which was alleged
to lie at a distance OF a quarter of mile. 1t
was now very dark; the moon was obscured by
dense clouds which threatened rain at any
moment nor no sound was heard, save the plain
dew. (Or If the compOsitor chooses to speak Of
the plaintive note falling due, q joke will be
be interested) No affair of this kind was ever
complete without the plantive note of a whip-
poor-will, and we were gratifed to find that Mr..
Barber had preserved the unities by keeping
one on his farm for such an emergency.
Every man felt the customary thrill of awe as
he reflected upon the desperate nature both OF
the enterprise and OF the dog: but they had nut
their hands TO the pillow (while their feet were
II, hl the furrows, and there was no turning back,
besides they didn't know the way. The short
quarter of mile had been multiplied by four
when the party reached the outskirts of the
notes as to torn hands and clothes, amount of
sand and gravel in different shoes, &C, and
CHARGED BOLDLY INTO THE FIELD
where the watermelons lay in hundreds wait.
ing to be picked. At the same moment the
otherSparty jumped the fence at some little
distance, and all commenced the preliminary
work OF sounding" the melons in order to
Bang! Bangl Bang! Three flashes of light at
"T6 IL "Kob5ers!" "Chass 'smF; sshoot
bark mingled with the other noises and sew
eral dark figures ran swiftly in our direction.
instantly there flashed on our minds q convic-
uon OF the unhealthy nature OF the water
melon when eaten at night, and of the mala-
rious character Of the neighborhood, and the
man would tri1e with his health in that man
ner. This conclusion was arrived at individ-
ually, and not by concerted action; and fringe
OF bushes In the edge of the patch appeared ad-
mirably adapted to protect US from our un-
healthy surroundings. Each man felt 1t his
duty 10 be first at those bushes in order to en-
courage his less speedy companions; but the
distance was not great, and we all dashed into
them at about the same time.
1t had pleased fate to place these bushes on
the edge of a bank ten feet high, at the bottom
of which flowed the ubiquitous brook. We did
OF health would not have noticed il anyway:
consequently the first man who rushed through
the bushes found his progress accelerated by |
the attraction Of gravitatiOn, and, falling down |
the bank, lapded on his back In the brook |
where he lay kicking violently, but unable to |
rise for some moments, retaining enough pres |
ence of mind, however, not to warn his COM |
panions, who by reason or his thoughtfulness, /
found themselves in substantially the same
position Immediately afterward.
lQuery: Are patent leather shoes called |
pumps because they can draw SO much cTater.l