Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-11-01
A NIGHT RIDE.


bicycle and worked my way for five or
six miles through one Of the prettiest
lanes in England to a country village
where friend Of mine lives. The lane
which leads to this village is one in
which 1 did good deal of practicing
when I first took to the bicycle some
months ago. It is bordered by hedges
and trees on each side and looks like a
long green tunnel through which the
sun sends some frtering, Pickering rays
down on the excellent roadway, making
a sort of dancing carpet of light and
shade, eternally weaving themselves to-
gether and mimicking in shadow and
sunshine the interlacing of the trees
above.
But there is, alas, along the side of
this lane ditch with which I have be-
fore now made acquaintance while
teaching myself how to ride. 1t is al
ways a pleasant experience for a blcy-
cler to revisit spot where he has had
his conflicts with the machine. 1t gives
him a sense of having accomplished
something. recognized all the places
where had been thrown i'll the ditch
and where had been thrust through the
hedge. 1t was nice to know that these
exciting days were past, and that now
rode the machine as if were part OF it.
The lane is lonely place at any time
of the day. Broader roads and more dl-
rect ones lead to the little village l have
spoken of, but whose name l need not
mention My friend proved so entertain
ing that staid on and on. was in
yited to stop for dinner, and did. l
was afterward censured for this, when
I ultimately did reach home. People in
the country, I was told, were not al
ways prepared to receive unexpected
visitors to dinner It was not the thing
to drop down with my bicycle upon a
helpless man in the country and then
hang around the premises until l was
invited to dinner. am always putting
my foot iii it this way. It makes me feel
guilty afterward, but what is man to
do?
1t was pitch dark when I left the
house, and when I came to the entrance
of the lane it was even darker than
pitch. if such thing be possible. lit
my bicycle lamp for the first time in
my life The lamp had cost me lot of
money and was said to be the best III
the market, but when it tried to COM
pete with the appalling darkness of the
Jane I saw what futile thing it was.
It shed dim circle of light a long way
ahead that didn't seem to me to be of
much practical use. pushed the ma
chine along and sprang lightly on its
back. Now I thought { knew how to
ride perfectly, but was to find ont that
riding in the broad daylight and riding
in the darkness are two entirely differ
emit things. The machine gave wabble
first in one direeti9n and then in the
other and my heart came into my mouth
syhen ] found that unless I saw the
wheel ! did not know how to balance
the concern. Sitting down moment
afterward, fortunately not On the side
where the ditch was, had some time
80 mediate On the situation. The wheel
was Oh top Of me, and the lamp was
ont. This was old times oyer again, and
bad pot even the chance in the dark
ness to select the spot Oh which to fall.
Z did not like the idea of trundling the
machine all the way along the lane
when ] ought to be able to Dc SO much
better time On its back, so rose slowly,
splaced the machine upright again, and
feiis~thes lamp. The lamp hung on a
eoupleef Facilitating fanges which ap-
parently were actuated by springs and
gave the lamp sgabbly motion when
you ioggled unexpectedly over gtone. I
cot ones more upon the machine, this
time with better success, and we went
along nicely for. SONS distance Then
got off again, Coming along that road
in the daylight the lane seemed perfect
~ smooth and unotstruGted. Yet I sud
denly came against some unseen obstacle
that appeared to me as alighted to be
a bowlder lying On the road. 1t was in
reality stone about the size of my fiat,
Tbs lamp had gone out of course stimuli
faneousiy with my fall. This one have
goes out whenever I joggle over any
thing. I have been told that il was Oh
account of the bad oil was using, bep
/ have since secured the most expensive
oil in tho market, an Oil with beauti-
full name, but the lamp joggles out Just
the same.
After going over the stone saw that
I had to IS something definite with the
lamp. took oeS my handkerchief and
tied down the springs, SO that the disk
of light touched the front wheel. This
WASH t so bad, as it showed me plainly
the stones in the road, but hardly III
time for me to avoid them, although |
did dodge some by performing acrobatic
feats that Usually led to the ditch. La
my evolutions and anxiety about the
famp ! had forgotten tie existence Of
that ditch. bnt it was there just the
same, lying losg and saying nothing. I
found it without the least trouble. The
lamp went cut again, of course, and |
began to fear that I would not have
matches enough to last until I got into
fhe radius of street lamps. l crawled
out of the ditch. righted tbs machine
apd once more applied a match to the
wick. had lost the handkerchief, but |
tied the lamp down with the oi!ing
cloth, I was bowling along at rapid
and satisfactory pace through the bright
circle Of light in front Of me, when all
aS ones, within az incredibly short dis
tance, there appeared before me a young
man and a young woman, strolling
along together with their arms about
each others waasta, Their backs were
toward me, and the lamp did not shine
far enough ahead to let them know !
was coming. OF course, if 1 had had
presence of mind, could have steered
around them and passed on, bat they
mad become SO suddenly silhouettcd
against the darkness, jhss Az q magic
lantern picture is thrown upon screeh.
ShaS tbs unexpected sight drove what
2ittle sense had clear away from me,
and [ gave one terrific yell fit to rouse
any recently dead man and flung myself
from the machine. The girl complicated
matters By wildly throwing her arms
around the young mans neck and call
ing upon him to protect her, which he
had no chance TO do. because the mex
instant the machine elinbed his bach,
yye three were in a heap in that silen',
lane before any of us knew what haf
happened, and of course the lamp wen
out, By way of e3cusipe myself ane