The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-07-13
BULL AND BICYCLE.

storied expanse Of Minas. lowered the blue
black bastion of Cape Blomidon, capped
with rolling vapors. To our left and be-
hind us rose fair, rounded hills, some thick
ly wooded, others with orchards and mead
ows on their slopes, while to our right lay
far unrolled those rich diked lands which
the vanished Acadian farmers Of old won
back from the sea.
Though another race now held these
lovely regions, we felt that the landscape,
through whatever vicissitudes, must lie
changelessly under the spell Of one en-
chantment, the touch Of the beloved poet.
We felt that something more than mere
beauty OF scene, however wonderful, was
needed to explain the exalted mood which
had taken possession OF two hungry and
athletic wheelmen like ourselves, and we
acknowledged that additional something in
the romance Of history and song.
Presently we came to stretch of road
which had been treated to generous top
dressing of loose sand. Such ignorance Of
the principles Of good roadmaking soon
brought us down both from our lofty
mood and from our laboring wheels. We
Itrudged toilsomely for nearly half mile,
Saying unklnd things now of the Nova
lScotian roadmakers and quite forgetting
the melodious sarrows of the Acadian ex-
iles.
Then we came to the village of Port
Avon and were much solaced by the sight
OF the village inn.
In the porch of the unpretentlous hostel
ry we found fellow cycler in n sorely bat
tered condition. Several strips of court
plaster, black and pink, distributed artis-
ltically about his forehead, nose and chin,
gave nightly grotesque appearance to
his otherwise melancholy countenance.
One of his stockings WAS rolled down about
his ankle, and he was busy applying arnica
to badly bruised shin.
Against the bench on which he was sit
ting leaned bicycle which looked MS II it
had been in collision with an earthquake.
i The poor fellows woebegone countenance
frightened up as we entered, and we made
ourselves acquainted. He was solitary
tourist from Eastport, Me-, and principal
in the important case Of Bull versus Bicy-
Gle, which had Just been decided very much
lin the favor of Bull. We dined together,
and as our appetites diminished our curios-
Iity increased.
Presently Caldwell, ms the woebegone
-lcyclist called himself, detailed to us his
lmisadventure as follows:
=
fellows came that got here myself. was
in nice mess, can tell you, but plenty OF
cold water and Mrs. Briggs arnica and
) court plaster have pulled me together lot
/ only hope we can do as much after dinner
for that poor old wheel of minei
This morning l had fine trip pretty
nearly all the way from Hanston. Splendid
weather, wasn't IL; and a good, hard roaf
most of the way, eh9 You remember thai
4 long, smooth hill about two miles bach
. from here and the road that crosses it al
the fort nearly at right anglesP Well, as
came coasting down that hill happy as
clam, my feet over the handles, almos
) ran into party Of men with ropes and
4 gun, moving along that crossroad
81 stopped for little talk with them ant
> asked what they were up to. 1t appeared
/ that a very dangerous bull had got loos
from farm up the river and had taken t.
I. the road. They were afraid 1t would gor
= somebody before they could recapture it.
asked them if they knew which way it hal
n gone, and they told me the 'critter' wa
8 sure to make right for the dixie lands wher
= it used to pasture in its earlier and NOR
{ amiable days.
+ THAT crossroad was the why to tn
-ldikes, and they pursued it confidently.
it into my head that it would be
lark to go along with them and see the car
: ture of the obstreperous animal, but tn
d Imen, who were intelligent fellows an
+ knew what they were talking about, toll
me | should find the road too heavy an
: rough for my wheel. Rather reluctantly
Z bade them good morning and continued m
I journey by the highway.
j Now, as a fact, that bull had no MOTTO
-inf to ha 10 n
y the crossroad and sauntered along the high
i way, just where he could get most fun an
see the most of life But I'll venture
:, say lie hadn't counted ON meeting bicycle
: II hadn't gone more than half mile, c
II perhaps less, when little distance ahea
of me noticed some cattle feeding by til
: roadside. thought nothing of that
ID course, but presently one of the cattle
. tremendous animal, almost pure white
h stepped into the middle Of the road and b
gan TO paw the mud. Certain anxior
iquestionings arose within me.
II "Then the animal put his great head
:. the earth and uttered mighty bellov
81 With much perturbation Of spirit l col
clnded that the angry bull had not betakt
= himself to the dikes after NIL.
II felt very bitter toward those men I,
e. this mistake and for not having suffert
" me to go along with them on their futi
errand They wanted the bull and wouldn
,e find him. l, on the other hand, had four
n him, and didn't want him at all.
e II checked my course, pedaling vel
I, slowly, uncertain what to do. The Blu
stood watching me. If turned and mao
!; tracks, he would catch me on the hill or {
N the soft crossroad. If took to the Woo
p there was little to gain, for there was I
fences behind which to take refuge, and
Ill should climb tree ! knew the bea
'st would demolish my wheel.
e straight ahead, however, ms far as
or could see, the road was level and good, al
t in the distance saw farms and fences.
j. :. decided to keep right on.
Sc Sc 1.-THE road along there is wide and har
lie las you know, and bordered with a de,
or ditch. put on good speed, and the bu
as he saw me approaching, looked n lit
In puzzled. He took the wheel and me / pr
Ielsume for come uuheard of monster
~ ~ guessed his meditations and concluded
on was getting frightened.
nd But there was mistaken. He was on
syi; getting in rage. He suddenly conclud
I that it was his mission TO rid the world
. monsters, and with roar he charged doy
ITO meet me.
then a race in which will show pref
n speedy pair of heelsp 1 rode straight
}, the bull, who must have had strange m
lgivings, though he never fiinched. At
last possible moment / swerved sharr
Inside and swept past the baifled animal
: a fine, triumphant curve. Before he cou
stop himself and turn l was away down
road at pace that knew would try
lmettle.
ty "But the brute had most pernicious
ergy. He came laundering and poundi
u along my tracks at a rate that kept !
. lquite busy. / staid ahead easily enout
/, but did not do much more Chan that
fear of getting wiuded.
ne There's where ! made the mistake
think. ought TO have done my utmost
Intl order to discourage and distance my p
nj. suer. didn't allow for contingenc
i ian ahead, but just pedaled along gayly a
enjoyed the situation. OF course l KEEP
'ek. sharp lookout 10 order that / should