San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-06-03
CAPTURED BICYCLE.

ishness of his act in sallying forth all by
himself
The desert stretched on every hand
until it was lost in the vast distance
The CRASHES, treeless hills seemed to
heave to and fro under the hot sun like
billows-a strange, spectral landscape
The previous morning Percy had start
ed out on his wheel from The Needles, a
town near the California and Arizona
line, intending to make the run to Bar
bacon in the desert, instead of waiting to
take passage on the weekly stage. The
distance was considerable, but he felt he
ought to have no trouble in making it on
his safety.
He had first fancied crossing the desert
on a bicycle, and not all the discussions
of his friends at The Needles had been
sufficient to induce him to abandon the
idea. He wished now he had paid some
heed to what had been told him.
He had dismounted fol a rest and was
sitting on a gravelIy hilIock. He I'M
slung his water bottle and took a short
pull at it. The water was warm and dis
agreeable, and worst of all it was alarm
ingly low, and he had no knowledge of
how soon he might get more. He had
missed the only spring in that section,
and for all he knew there might not be
another on the entire BarbazOn route.
His progress had been slower than he
had anticipated. The sand was so deep
in places that wheeling was out of the
question; so far the work had been ex-
tremely fatiguing instead of being an ex-
hilarating exercise.
Soon he remounted and again set out
in the direction indicated as the right one
by the little pocket compass he had been
thoughtful enough TO take. He would
have felt b. ! il there had been any
way to determine the distance yet to be
traversed. He hoped he would not be
forced tomake another night camp in the
desert
AS he set the wheels in motion he heard
singular clucking sound. Turning half
around in the saddle, he saw three In
dams rise from behind low mound and
come running toward him.
The sight almost took away Percys
breath. Although he knew at a glance
they We're Yumas and had been told that
the YumaS were peaceably disposed,
there was something in their bearing
that filled him with fear. He felt even
more nervous when he saw two others
rise from another mound short distance
ahead and place themselves in a position
to intercept him.
He could not doubt that they had
stolen on him while he rested and were
now trying to hem in and capture him.
Why they should desire to do this he
could not guess, but their actions did not
look friendly.
The wheeling was fairly good at that
point, and Percy sent the bicycle for
ward at round gait and hoped he would
elude or dash by the two Indians in
front. AS the bicycle obediently leaped
ahead under the strong propulsion he
began to feel sure he could dOit.
He swerved to the right as he neared
the two Indians, and when they rushed in
that direction, too, he gave quick turn
and sent the safety spinning away on a
new tack. Meanwhile the three in the
rear were hurrying up with all their
might and yelling in a manner to dis
concert the DraVCst. and the two in front
now added their wild cries to the hideous
chorus.
yell away there, you red scOun IreI,!'
Percy shouted as with a squirt he supI
by, beginning to feel he would make an
easy escape Yell away there and
catch me if YOU can"
He had seen that none of them had
firearms, carrying only long lances of
hard wood and tipped with iron.
But he had boasted too soon. The
Yuma nearest lifted his lance and hurled
it through the air with marvellous force
and skill. Percy glimpsed it shooting
toward him, and with cry of fear bent
down to escape it.
The weapon had not been hurled at
him, however. The willy Yuma had
aimed at the forward spinning wheel of
the safety. The blade of the lance
passed between the spokes and down.
""AN i'i'O lLlC SdllOJ NiCIc IL SIOOu iii
bedded, the shaft between the spokes.
One of the spokes had been broken and
several others bent, and Percy had been
pitched headlong over the wheel into the
sand.
Before he could rise the Indians hands
held him in vicelike grip.
Pleased grins rested on the ugly faces
of the Yumas as they gathered around
their captive and glanced from him tc
the injured bicycle.
"What do you want with me?'' Percy
demanded, struggling to a sitting pos
ture and making 81 show of bravery
"Why did you wreck my safety thai
waN2 III have Won 1nrnishnd for Il -