Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1892-01-09
RACING WITH A TIGER.
A Eicyclist's Desperate Ride 70,
Life in India.

"a A"ACyCuSL q desperate 6t1O0 1Or
Life in India.
was always very fond of bicycling,
and from the time when was a small
boy, and labored for hours with bone
shaker, to the days when I became the
proud possessor of one of the first bicy-
cles ever manufactured, l rcveled in the
enchanting pastimc, spending hours
which should have been otherwise oc-
cupied on the back of my iron horse,
thus putting my physical powers 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 a
doctor in a little Kentish village, and,
having large family, he was thankful
indeed when. at the age Of nineteen, a
commission was obtained for me by
wealthy friend in a regiment about to
sail for India-
A grand new bicycle was my fathers
parting present to me, and great was
my delight at finding that another
young ''sub" in my regiment was also
a bicyclist. In these days when the
''iron Wheel has SO many votaries this
may seem nothing strange, but to real
ize my surprise and pleasure you must
remember that a bicycle was then a
comparative curiosity and n bicyclist 4
person to be stared at and admired or
otherwise. Our bicycles were, l be-
1ieve, the first ever seen in India, and
as we rode together into town some
days after our arrival one would have
| thought it was the triumphal entry of
some eastern potentate.
l could fill book with the curious
incidents and accidents which befell us
in going 'up country" Our regiment
was always on the move, and papics of
! one kind or other were very frequent
| on our bicycling excursions.
One evening after mess Fred and l
/ drew up and signed articles to ride a
ten-milc race.
There was grand native road within
a short distance of our camp running
away for ten miles as fiat as Il draw
| ing board. 1t lay through the open
| plain, and then n deserted track was
| reached, becoming wilder as the road
proceeded, and finally swallowing it up
in an impc cnetraole jungle. Bent had
found a circular path around some ma
tive huts a short way from the station,
measuring about six laps to the mile,
{ and there he prepared himself for the
coming struggle
| After week Of such training as
would make a modern athletes hair
stand on eud-mcat almost raw,
chopped very finely; little drinks OF
neat brandy, etc.-we considered our
selves fit for the contest; and the adj
| venture l am about to relate occurred
the evening before the evcntful day.
| was just starting for a last ride over my
favoritc course, when an officer stopped
INC and said:
"Havc you heard of the tiger, Har-
| vie?''
| NO" / answered.
THE natives have just brought word
that 4 large tiger is marked down in
the jungle about ten miles from here
! so don't go too far this evening"
"All right" laughed. 81 think a
| tiger would find it difficult matter tc
catch me-my training would tell or
| him"
l had not seen any large wild beasts
as yet, and my notion of a tiger was a
thin, sIeepy-loolsing animal, as I had
once seen in travelling mena geric
Away l rode, my comrades caution
forgotten before l had gone Il mile.
started at good pace. but not
racing, as l intended to do all llnc W
coming home. In about an hour
reached my usual halting-place, ter
miles from the camp; but this being the
last night Of my training. l made ur
my mind to ride another couple OF
miles, and then do tho whole distance
back at my best pace.
rode on, and in another ten minutes
found myself in the jungle.
Now for the race home.
Dismounting, / oiled my machine
frightened up every screw, and then sa
down on bowlder to rest and enjoy
the prospect, A beautiful scene it was
too.
Above me rose the grand mountains
their snowy tops blushing crimson il
the setting sun, here waterfall, like
a thread of gold and silver, washing
down the mountain side, and twininf
in and out among the masses of tree:
and rocks; there glimpse of fairylane
through a jungle vista
a post. or tank" as they are called
surrounded by dense foliage, festoonet
by parasitical climbing plants glow
ing with flowers of every imaginable
hue; humming birds, like fiery
gems, flashed hither and thithcr, dart
ing in and out among the trees. Or
the tank" floated water fowl of every
kind, and the banks were alive with
gorgeous birds, their plumage rivslina
the flowers in brilliancy and variety o.
coloring. But now the shadows were
deepening, the crimson on the noun
tain tops had disappeared. and colo
snow began to look gray and ghostly
A flying fox went rustling past me
and l hastily prepared to mount; fol
there is scarcely any twilight in In
dia, and I knew it would soon be dark
AS rose my eye encountered some
thing which made me start and nearly
| Srpr nv bicycle,