St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-09-25
THE CApTU iHD WHEEL.
Bicycle Story OF the Great Call.
fornia Desert.

| Percy Terrell began 10 realize the
O0lisnness of his act in salIyipg forth
! Ill by himself. says the Detroit Evening
| News. The miragy exDlnse of the
| sandy desert stretched away from him
| on every hand until it was lost in the
vast distance. Far out, wan mountains.
[hnstIy and uncertain i'll outline, ap-
| ueared to him to dip and swim. their
oasPs hidden in saa Of blue haze.
! The previous morning Percy had
started out on his wheel from the
| Needles, town near the California and
| ArlZoha line. intending to make the run
| 10 BarhazUn. ia the desert. instead OF
| waiting 10 take passage on the weekly
| s''0". and NOT all the discussion of his
| friends at the Needles had been suf-
| hcient 10 induce mm 10 abandon the
| liea. lie wished now he had paid some
heed To what had been told him.
| lie had dIsnOunted for rest and was
| sitting an a 'ravpllv hiilOrk. He un-
slung his water bottle and took short
| .,"II d. II. ) h walter WAS warm and
| dlSdgreeahle; and, worst of all, il was
alarminglY low. and he had no knowl-
| edge OF how soon he might get more.
| AIS progress had been slower than liz
| hah antirinaiPd. The sand was SO deep
| IN places that wheeling was out Of the
!
remedy faiiguing instead Of being All
| eXhiiafating exercise.
soon h" r"mOunted and again set out
| IN the direction Indicated as the right
! one NY the ilttlr pOcKrt compass he had
been th"nghtfml enough 10 take. As he
| set The wheels in motion he heard a
nih=uiaf ciucK!ng sound; turning half
around III the saddle he saw three In
clans rise from behind q low mound
amt come running toward him.
he sight ALMOST took away Perry'S
breath. Although hP knew at glance
they were Yumas, an had been told
that the Yumas were npaceahly dis
'H'sed, there was something in their
:-hrlng that filed him with fear. he
'rIJ even more nervous WRpn he saw
two others rise from another mound q
short distance ahead and place them
selves in position to intercept him.
The wheeling was fairly good at that
point ami Percy sent the bicycle for
ward al RAPID gait and hoped he could
tlhde OF dash by the two Indians In
ir0nt. lie Swfrvrd to the right as he
hrared the two Indians, and when they
rushed in that d.rectIrn too, he gave
quick turn and gent the safety spinning
away on new tack. Meanwhile. the
three I'D The rear were hugrying up with
ali the'r migii,, ana yelling III manner
To diseoncert the bravest; and the TWO
IN 'front.' now "A 1 ted their wild cries to
the hidecuS chours.
yell away, tArre, You red scOun-
drel>!, Perry shouted. a. with a SDurt
he sped 10y, beginning 10 feel he would
make al easy estdpe. yell away
there; and catch me if you cant"
Tie ilf'i seen that hone of them had
firearms. carrying only long laLces of
RaffsN'G'.t ftDIt with IFnH-
But he had boosted TOO soon. The
UNA NEAREST Dited his lance aud
hurled it through the air with marvel
GUS force and skill. Percy glimpaed it
Sh"Oting toward lin, tnd with a cry of
fear bent down to escape it.
IHe W'"po.4 had HOs been hurled at
him. however. The willy Yuma had
aimed at the forward spinning wheel OF
the safety. The 0lade of the lance
passed between the Sp0kps and down
ward into the sand. where it stood
lmbedded. the shaft between the Spikes.
one of the Spikes had been broken, and
several others BENT AMI Percy had been
pitched headlOng over the wheel into The
sand.
Before he could rise, the Indians
hands held him in Il viss-like grip
Pleased gr!ns Rested on the ugly faces
OF the 1umas as they gathered around
1he'r captive and glanced from him to
the iniuled bicycle.
"Nhdt do you want with mp?'' Percy
demanded, struggling to sitting post.
are and making show of bravery.
why did you wreck my safety that
WAY? ! Ii lave yOu punished for it -
"Want tn see 'um iron pony" one of
them c9ndPScsnded To explain. "Injun
want 10 ride 'um iron p0nyi lniun
want 'uIn iron pony! Savvy? 'Um iron
pony no Eat, ne drink, no git tired, no
git slerpy. Make bully pony for pore
Injun."
Light dawned on Percy. These
YumaS wanted the bicycle for thrir own
USE Perbapsstney hal seen HIM wheel
ing around tie Needles or it. Ii so
they probably had dUgged him all the
way.
His spirits rose. lie vowed he would
thwart them. lie SAW that though some
or the SpOkeS were ruined the wheel
was Stroh2 enough to do good service.
An lnIian stepped up to the over
turned bicycle, drew out the shaft of
the lance and swung himself awkward
ly mic The seat The safety toppled
over with him as soon as he tried to set
his mucrGSlned feet on tile pedals, A
laugh greeted his failure: but a comrade
came to his assistance and the discUm-
fted Yuma tried again.
lie seehPd 40 ind 1t great fun to sit
in the saddle and he wheeled about on
the sand, Dnt it was imp ,ssible tn keep
Ills seat and work the wheel without
all.
Another and another tried it, with no
bel ter results.
GruntS of delight or dersion arose at
pacn FAILURE; and wien one of tine fell
lows was shot head first into The sand
.tIH ,rfht al tr ri 4,
and eyes and making wry face, the
yrllS or his companions rose in an
ecSlatic chorus.
They spent more than an hour IN an
rndraVOr to conquer the little white
boy 5" steed, but at the end of that
time were forced 10 give it up as hope
less.
Little iron pony heap buck :" one OF
them exclaimed, crossing over 10 where
Percy rccIined on the sand and, pointing
To the unnanagrablr safety, "White
boy show lnjun now to ride 'um."
This was all opportunity Percy had
btgnn To fear would never come
lie examined the injured wheel lei
surely, and saw that practically it was
us good as if sound. Nevertheless he
pointed to the twisted SpokeS.a though
the trouble the Yumas had experienced
lay i'll Il n.
Inc lllaS 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 the
bicycle round and round in a little
circle, all the while causing it to w0bnle
as If it were out of order. Under the
Indifference he was closely watching
with Willy beating heart for chance
to hrtaE past the line of lancps and
send his wheel spinning across the sand.
Slowly he increased the circle, added
yard or two to its diameter at every
sweep. Suddenly seeing an opening,
he matte a sharp, quick turn. and throw
ing all his strength into the rush made
dash for liberty.
A threatening yell arose behind and
several lance points whizZed past
him. But the haste with which they
were thrown Pausph them IN t1v wildly