The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1893-05-25
"Injun ride UNI pony nowl Mebbt

"lnjun ride um pony now! Mebbe
little white boy git hurtl Savvy"
Percy smiled against his will. Com.
pared with these Yumas he had to con.
fess he was a very little white boy"
All five were broad shouldered giants Of
fellows, with arms and legs like bronze
beams and muscles that stood out in
knotted rolls of strength.
The Indian who had grasped Percy's
shoulder stepped up to the overturned
bicycle, drew out the shaft of the larrs
and swung himself awkwardly into the
seat. The safety toppled over with him
as soon as he tried to set his moccasined
feet on the pedals. A laugh greeted his
failure. but Il comrade came to his as.
sistance, and the discounted Yuma tried
again.
He seemed to find it great fun to sit in
the saddle and be wheeled about on the
sand, but it was impossible for him to
keep his seat and work the wheel with
out aid
Another and another tried it, with no
better success.
If the entire performance had not been
80 exasperating, Percy might have seen
in it much to amuse him. 1t was really
most laughable exhibition of awkward
ness. These Yuinas would have had no
trouble in mounting and riding the
widest pony that ever bounded across
that desert, but here they found their
skill at fault. What looked so easy
proved to be entirely beyond them all.
Grunts Of delight or derision arose at
each failure, and when one of the fellows
was shot head first into the sand and got
up digging it out of his mouth and eyes
and making wry face the yells of his
companions rose in an ecstatic chorus.
They spent more than an hour in an
endeavor to conquer the little white
boys" steed, but at the end of that time
were forced to give it up as hopeless.
'Little iron pony heap buck" one Of
them explained, CT ossing over to where
Percy reclined ON the sand and pointing
to the unmanageable safety. white boy
show Injun how to ride um."
This was an opportunity Percy had
begun to fear would never come.
ooh, ride it yourself" he said, with q
show of scorn and indifference. you'll
learn soon."
But when the Yuma gravely shook his
head and pointed once more to the BIZ
cycle Percy arose and walked toward it
with assumed indifference, though he
felt his limbs trembling under him.
He examined the injured wheel leisure.
ly and saw that practically it was as good
as If sound. Nevertheless he pointed te
the twisted spokes as though the trouble
the Yumas had experienced lay In them
The Yumas were watching him, and
with evident suspicion. Some of them
took up their lances and stationed them
selves near, plainly to prevent any effort
to escape
Percy mounted. At first he rode thu
bicycle round and round in a little cir
Gle, all the while causing it to wabble as
IL it were out Of order. Under his indif
ference he was closely watching with Q
wildly beating heart for chance Il
break past the line of lances and sent
his wheel spinning across the sand
Slowly he increased the circle adding ,
yard or two to its diameter at every
sweep. Suddenly seeing an opening h
made sharp, quick turn, and throwing
all his strength into the rush made ,
dash for liberty.
A threatening yell arose behind, AM
several lance points whizzed past him
but the haste with which they wer
thrown caused them to fly wildly. Non
touched him, and in another moment tn
young bicyclist had spun well out be
You'd the yelling circle and was flynn
with all speed across the gravelly waste
the Yumas in pursuit.
Being splendid runners, the Indian
crowded him uncomfortably close 70
the first 100 yards. At that point til
earth became yet firmer, and with th
advantage of this better roadway Pero
rapidly increased the distance betwes
himself and these very unpleasant az
quaintances.
They hung persistently on the tracl
however, though at the end Of half q
hour they had dwindled to mere speckl
At the expiration Of an hour they wer
no longer visible, and then Percy thre,
himself on the sand, feeling that b
could not propel the safety another var
if his life depended on 1t.
The Yumas did not come into vie,
again, probably having abandoned I'll
useless chase, and the next afternoo
Percy reached Barbazon safe and SCUM,
-John n. Whitson in New York Pres