The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-02-12
RACING WITH 4 TIGER.
A Bicyclist's Desp rate Ride for
Lifo in India


| was always very fond OF bicycling,
and, from the time when / WAS a small
boy. and laborcd for hours with . bone
shaker. II tie days WHOM became the
proud pos>cssor Of one Of thc first bicy-
clcs ever manufactured, ] rcvclcd in the
enchanting pastiInc, spending hours
which should have been otherwise uc-
cupicd on the back of my iron horse,
thus putting my physical power, a long
way ahead Of my mental In fact, /
hated the sight of book, and was
never happy unless securing the coun-
try on my bicycle. My father was q
doctor in 4 little Kcntiah village, and,
having a large family, he WA thankful
indeed when. ~ the age Of nineteen, 4
commission was obtained Tor me by 81
wealthy friend ia regiment about to
sail for IadIa.
y grand new bicycle was my fathers
partin" present II me, and great wa
my delight ~ finding that another
young sub in my regiment Is aa @lao
4 bicyeii>t. In these GAYS whea the
Iron wheel has $50 many votGr.s, thi-
may seem nothing 4trsErc. bus 90 real
izc Iny surprise and pig..Urc yeu Iaust
rsIaemoer that - bicycle was then Il
comparative curiosit- and q Licvy!i.t a
person 10 bc stared 1t and admired or
otherwise. our bicycles were. ! ha-
Ecvo. the FIRST ever seen IN Iudiu. aad
a. we ~ci. together into lDs.u aOlr
day after our :.rri.:.l one. ,,..alI ha7,
Thought Il Wa the tr.umpiul entry o.
some eastern potrHt-tc.
l could iilI g. boo, witi the curious
incident, and accidents which befcll L..
IN go;UE up CoUutIy." oar regiment
lI-..rv-r, rrsfF--ts r-.,r5..
onc l..aI or Il Ger were vcrr frequent
on our bicycling r-,cur-ions
One evening alter mess l'rcl and /
drew up and signed articles to ride a
tcu-milc race.
Their was grand native road within
a short distance of our camp running
awaE for ten miles a. fat as q draw
in-r board. IL lay through tho open
plain. and thea a deserted track WAS
reached, becoming wilder a. the road
proceeded, and finally swallowing it MP
in an impenctraD ole jungle. Bent hao
found Il circular path around some ma
tive huts = short way from the station.
measuring about six laps to the mile,
and there he repaired himself for the
coming struggle.
After week of such. training as
would make Il modern athletes hair
stand on cnd-Incat almost raw.
chopped very finely; little drinks OF
neat brandy. ctc.-ve considered our
selves iit for the contest; aud the ad-
venture | an about to relate occurred
the evening belor. the cvcntful day. /
was just starting for Il last ride over Iny
favOritc course, when an officer stopped
me and said:
Have you heard Of the tiger, Har-
vic?"
No. | answered
The mattress have just brought word
that large tiger i marked down in
the jUn-lc about ten mile from here:
so don't 90 too far this evening"
al rIsht," l l,,lgh-J Il think a
tiger wouli lind ii q difficult matter to
catch me-Iny trimming would tell on
him
hal not seen any large wild beasts
as yet, and my notion OF 4 tiger wa =
thin. slccpy-looiZing animal, a. ! had
once seen in a trav2l-a Iac "a 2yyric.
y way / rode. my comradc'a caution
forgotten before / hai gone Il Iaii2.
/ started at good pace, but not
racing. IA | intended to do all knew
coming home. in about an hour |
reached MY usual halting-placc, ten
miles from the caL but this beng he
last night IF my training, ! made uD
miles, and then do IN. whole distance
back ut my best pace.
rode on, and in another ten minutes
found mysclf in the Jungle.
No'- for the race ho-lc.
Dismountine, ] oileJ my machine.
frightened up every screw, and then sat
down on Il bowllcr 70 rest and enjoy
the prospect. y beautiful scene il was,
too.
Above mc rose the grand mountains,
their snowy tops blushing crimson in
the setting sun. here 4 waterfall. like
Il thread of gold and silver, washing
down the mountain side. and twiniuE
in aud out among the masses of trees
and rocks: there a glimpse of fairyland
through = jungle vista.
y post, or tank" u they are called,
surrounded by dense foliage, fcstOoncl
by parasitical climbing plants. GLOW
ing with flowers of every Imaginable
hue; Lumming birds. like fiery
gems, flashed hithcr and thithcr. dart
ing in and out among the trees. ON
the tank floated water fowl OF every
kind, and the banks were alive with
gorgeous birds, their plumagc rivaliug
the flowers in brilliancy and variety Of
coloring But now the shadows were
deepening, the crimson on the noun
tain tops had iii appeared, auI cold
snow began To look gray and ghostlv.
y flying fox went rUatling past me.
and ! hastily prepared to mount; for
there i scarcely any twilight in H.
di;. and knew il would soon be dark
As rose my eye encountered some
thing which made Eic start and nearly
drop my bicycle
There, not forty yards off, was a
tiger. ] knew the animal well enough;
but how different ne looked from the
lean, half-starvcl little beast ] had
seen at home. lie hal just come into the
open space from dense Jungle break.
anI sat there washing his face and
ParTirg ia a coutcutcd sort of way, like
y huge cat.
Wa frightened? Not AN atom: ]
hal I,y lirvclc ami - start "f forty