The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1896-07-16
residence, the latter being designated

l was shocked and bewildered at the
contents of the letter. After partially
recovering my wits my first impulse
was to take the midnight train, put
my wheel in the baggage car, stop at
some town near Feeder station. get
an early start, run in about 10 a. m.
and claim my prize. Then l thought
what if my hated rival should basely
Impose upon me a fifty-mile handicap!
and / mentally denounced the treach-
cry of the thing, thus unwittingly
placing myself in a very delicate at
tftude. Ny private sense of honor was
awakened, and / resolved to win Bees
sic fairly or fail in the attempt.
l spent an hour looking over such
maps as | could find in my library and
studied Dessie's diagram. Theu, real
izing that | would need sleep, | got
everything in readiness for the start.
set my alarm clock to raise its clamnr
at 4 a. m. sharp. placed it on a stand
within a foot of my pillow, and re-
tired with IN involuntary prayer OH
my tongues end. l tossed some, but
about 10 O'Clock / fell into a sort of
phantasmal Slunber. l dreamed of
mounting a single wagon wheel and
riding the clumsy thing a thousand
miles IN a telegraph wire for a prize.
the same being a beautiful princess,
" HON | won against hundreds of conf
petitors. But just as l vas about to
take her fair hand and lead her to
the altar, there arose Il horrible claln-
or of opposition from my disappointed
rivals, who rushed at me in a fury
of jealousy and would have torn me
limb from limb, but l awoke--just in
time to hear the lingering Utilization of
my alarm clock. l s.Iang from my
bed and in nalf an hour was ready
for the race.
Still punctilious in holding to my
point of honor, l waited till an hour
before sunrise. and then sailed away
in the dim twilight and the bracing air
of that fated morning. on a mission as
soul-thrilling as any that ever sent
a knight to the arena or q political
martyr to Washington.
| made my first two leagues before
the suns imminent glory had blanched
the sweet, unu-like faces of the morn
ing stars.
| began to feel a little uneasy about
the signs" which the first rays of
the sun pencilled on the 'f1eecy canvas
of the dawn" Natures scenic artist
may sometimes use his brush without
q definite purpose, but for one | am
SupeIStitiouS to reef sails when l note
as L did them a rather lavish touch of
crimson OF the edge of the morning.
But 1 scudded along the dusty road,
not exactly "under bare poles" but
under the kind Of stimulus that turns
burdens into pillows and obstacles in
to incentives.
made the first twenty miles with
out serious check or Interruption. bar
ring the temporary annoyance of be-
ing at n time chased q mile by a
ferociouS dog, that perSistently tried
to fasten his fangs in my trousers.
But when l finally slowed up and
sprang from my wheel to tender q
sacrifice to Moloch, the cowardly
whelp turned tail and literally out
stripped the boulder | sent after him.
The twenty-mile station was Dingle-
wood, a queerlylaid-out village built
along the highway for half a mile,
with no cross streets. The sun was
an hour high as l entered this place.
AS | skinned past the houses the in
mates came to the doors and win
dows, and an occasional glance at their
d~istraught visages showed that most
of them were enjoying their first view
of a bicycle. Dogs and children pour
ed out of open gates and followed me,
yelpipg and bowling like mad imps of
the pit. Other children and dogs, fur
Their on, attracted by the clamor, an
ticipated me, and before | reached the
end of the burg at least twenty dogs
of all sizes and varieties were hound
ing me with that familiar impudence
of which the village dog enjoys an un
shared monopoly. Their attempts to
nip my heels ~eXaSperated me, and
xo1InI of thnp, So un rn1r h,vf u,stI -4~r
effect. At last an unusually active
meat hound" caught me by the ankle,
and his sharp teeth rasped my flesh
like a hackle. | jerked loose and tried
to kick him. the effort causing my
wheel to wabble frightfully. Before
could recover balance a wretched-look
ing fist got in front, Inc my leader
! knocked it down and run over it will
disastrous results to both man ant
dog.
! 1t was the worst header in my ex
p%erience. l think I fell thirty feet
with the wheel, of course. on top. Ii
q second or two the entire bowling
pack surrounded me like so many Col
orado wolves, snarling and swapping
. | scrambled up, and pulling a small
t revolver which l had taken the precau
: ton to put in my hip pocket, | began
%peppering right and left.
1 The canine mob quickly scamperet
E off, leaving one of their number,
j mongrel cur, walloping around ant
!, staining the clean dust with his pie
l beian blood.
E 1 picked up my safety and grip. ant
; finding that the wheel was all right
l. was about to mount when | began II
y realize that my right ankle-the on
that was ~bitten-was painfully sprain
I ed. In the excitement | had not no