Evening star., 1896-08-22
PART I.

thing i know 10 tDe COHti6iyy o0e i AAA
pretty sure from personal experience that
the enthusiasts themselves don't always
enjoy the process of running 1t. Take my
own case for instance: I am an enthusias-
tic bicycle ridar-I have been branded by
tnconsiderate acquaintance as bicycle
fiend-and here was l. at the moment when
this unvarnisned tale begins, feeling very
clearly and unpleasantly that l wasn't In
It, Now, this was all the worse because
had been decidedly in 1t during the four
days of our hill picnic at the cave temples
Il Murishabad. AS a stranger bringing
good introductions, 1 had bean received
with the open arms of Indian military So
clety. and the fact that 1 had come to
make a tour of India my bicycle had
given me something of the vogue that at
.aches all the world over to anything spe-
cialiy eccentric. l had been persuaded TO
sbandon my original idea of making the
hill journey from Koondewalla to Mursha-
bad on my wheel, which had gone up In
one of the wagons. and in spite Of all my
enthusiasm 1 would willingly have let it
go back iii the same way had L not felt
ashamed 10 seem far to renounce my
freely-expressed opinions
1 felt very much. 1 confess, like the en-
gireer hoist with his own petard that
morning as 1 stood watching the last of
our cayalcade win ding down the mountain
road. and felt that 1 was condemned by
my own choica to a more or less solitary
Journey as the only representative Of the
new locomotion. / glanced round at the
site of our now deserted picnic camp by
way of taking last farewell before leav-
ing. There was little left. indeed. even
row, except the site, for already the little
crowd of retainers, conspicuous In their
turbans and white linen garments, had
he
completed the stowage of the thousand
and one pieces of baggage which go to
make up the strict essentials of an Indian
picnic. The place had been well chosen
and picturesque. and even now the open
glade. where the giant teakwood trees cast
heavy shadows the grass and the level
sunlight lay in flecks and splashes of gold
formed scene to delight artist. Four
or nye wagons, drawn by pairs of mild
eyed zebu oxen, were receiving the last
OF their loads, and it was evident that In
few minutes more the guard of the
picnic party would have started, and the
mountain glade which had re-echoed to so
much laughter and been the witness to
great an amount of pleasure would be left
Ic its solitude.
AS my eye fingered over its last survey
or the place something unconsciousy led
1t upward from the level of the camp to
point on the hillside, where as l re-
mem 5ered. well-defined path ran along
the slCre between clumpS of tall bamboos
di-u SIdtelE tobacco Inc pain had
been a favorite one, and perhaps 1t was
this that led me TO glance up at 1t for i
final farewell. As / did so, however l
was startled by the apparition of the head
ana shoulders OF a man cautiously peering
out from the screen of shrubbery AMI
leaves 1t was a noticeable face, with a
pair of fiery bright eyes that even in the
distance CLEANED and sparkled with what
seemed to me expression of deadly ha-
tred as lie watched the proceedings of the
servants. and then glanced quickly down
ha Oft
horseback. The face was a startling one
and its expression made it still more i'm
pressive. and 1t was several minutes be-
fore | could shake off the impression that
it bcded good to the party which he
watched so intently. He did not seem to
notice me, or perhaps he felt sure he was
concealed. for he remained if in thought
Tor a minute or two. and then suddenly
disappeared
1t was not without sense of vague un-
easiness that 1 mounted my bicycle and
followed the party, whose voices and
laughter could still be heard from time to
time, although bend in the noun tain road
had hidden them from sight. a minute or
two of the familiar exercise reconcilel ne
to my choice of locomotion, even at the
expense of company There was something
In the smooth. gliding motion, SILENT easy
and eminently Independent, that seemed
Well suited to the place; none of the heavy
numbering gait of the elephant; no nervous
starts like those of a high-spirited horse;
9srfect independence and control with an
amount OF exertion hardly greater while
the freedom of action was all in favor of
he machine -
l had soon overtaken the others and
made one of the little cavaicade that was
making the most of the morning hours to
dlmnisn the march Of forty miles that lay
between US and the cantonments of Koon-
deWalla fortunately, 1t was all down hill
and the road. though in its upper parts lit
Tie more than good mountain track. was
sn-ooth and good. For my own part,
though the sun was hot, my effort was so
trifiing that In the ccmparatfyely cool air
or the high table land 1 was quite able to
efJoy the scenery, and the oriental fea-
lures or the landscape. which had not yet
mad time to lose their charm since 1 lad
landed month before at Bombay We
made good progress and by the time we
reached the spot that had been chosen for
our midday halt and meal we began to feel
that we had diminished good deal of the
1.so rect that represented the difference in
e,evatien n of the temples at Murishabad ard
the cantonments at Koondewalla The
stately teakwood trees the most striking
feature of the vegetation of the higher
evei. were rapidly giving way to masses
There were still great trees, indeed but the
wide-spreading banyans, with tn ,ir many
stems and f1g-like foliage, the wool tree
with its vast leaves. and the stately to-
oacco plants were becoming more and more
mingled with the palms and the hundred
other vegetable forms that tell so unmis-
fakably of a tropical forest.
The spot chosen for our halt was a ro-
mantle one, and IL was rendered still more
30 by the close neighDorhood of an old Kin
fort, said to have dark history In the
old Mahratta wars. and even to have been
used as robber stronghold in much more
modern times. The preparations for luncn
were not yet complete, and it was proposed
that We should spend the time of waiting
in exploring the old fort. 1t stood but a
short 1istance-perhaps 200 yards-to one
Eide of the road which we were, and
the idea was hailed as a good one and acted
upon at once. at least by the younger men,
bers of the party Most of US dismounted
and sought one or the other of the forest
paths which appeared to promise short
cut to the fort. the top of which, dark and
threatening looking. could he seen rising
out of the masses of tropical jungle that
lay between US and the higher ground on
which the old robber fastness had been
built.
Perhaps 1t was a little spice of native
obstinacy that led me to cling to ny BIZ
cycle instead of joining one of the parties
on foot, whose laughing voices made the
echoes of the jungle ring with the unac-
customed sounds of pleasure and amnse-
ment Reasons are nearly always mixed.
and i didn't take the trouble to analyze
my own as 1 once more mounted and rur-