The morning times., 1896-10-25

of the road it lay as black as the darkness
like one OF those bad dreams where you
wander helplesSly through an endless maze
! Of dusky passages, from which you can't
in any way extrieate yourself-with a
dreadful feeling, TOO, that You viii pres
emily come upon something unspeakahiy
! horrible. And somehow this very FEELING
began to get held OF me. l didn't like II,
hut l couldn't help it. / was becoming
afraid to glance on either side; it seemed
rs if the forest were full of-things. Heav-
ems! how did long for the lights of VII
lagei
Then those fearsome lines from the An
cient Mariner" ran in my mind and cone
pletely took possession of it
Like one that in a lonesome road
Doth walk in fear and dread,
And, having once turned round, walks on,
And turns no more his head,
Because he knows a frightful fiend
Doth close behind him tread"
Turn my head and look back! Not I; not
for the world. l was we'll enough aware
that there was really nothing behind me-
nothing eXCepta SIN Doth road bordered with
treeS-but my nerves Were thrilling with
the ataviStic fears of twenty generations
OF SuperStitiouS ancestors. | was confront
ed with sensation, not u theory; and
against sensation reasoning is vain.
fixed my eyes Oh the middle OF the road and
flew down the track like a frightened bird;
yet my eagerness outstripped the wheel,
and could not overtake it. painted, but
felt no fatigue, and flung all my strength
upon the springing pedals.
Just then heard a slight creakinG. and
the soft rush Of cushioned wheels close be-
hind me. Another bicycle was coming up. 1t
occurred to me that the rider must be max
ing tremendous pace; but my revulsion
| of feeling was instant. I should no W have
a companion-no matter whom. Away
with all this childish nervousness.
The pursuing wheel erept up beside me.
turned to greet the rider. I shriekad
with terror, and reeied upon my saddle.
The thing-that hidcous nightmare thing
was upon me.
| FOE saw a grim skeleton mounted on 4
| spectral bicycle close at my side. He was
| of huge stature, and was bending forward
until his grinnng chops almost touched the
handie-bar. I could see every rib and
| cartilege dimly outlined against the black
forest wall. 1t was most gruesome spec.
+ tacle.
/ 'Who-what are your" 1 gurgled.
I What are you scared about?" eiacu-
lafed the apparitiou in a cracking voice.
/ III rd Thought you were such fool
wouidnb have come up to keep you COM
pany. You ought to be cool one to be
riding here"
What are you?" I gasped.
81? OIL Pm a scorcher of
course, but still ride occasionally, espe
cially on Halloween I've got the very
best wheel this side of eternity he added.
And as he spoke he thre W his weight in some
peculiar way upon the cranks, and the
machine bounded several yards into the
| air, sending out q shower OF sparks rs il
struck the ground again. Now, YOU can't
do thing like that" he cackled-
Strange to say, this talk about the BIZ
cycle was in some degree rea ssuring. Any
how it turned my thoughts into another
channel.
"Pve got a mighty good wheel, all the
| same,,,' L retortsd; ian uncomonly good
wheel. II I'd known you meant to race
you wouldn't have come up with me sc
0asily.
He laughed until his bones ratified. II
fact. the laugh was mostly pattle.
''Oh, you'll do lie squeaked, as IL he
| were short OF breath. You're the right