The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-04-26

whom / won against hundreds of COM
petitors. But just as / was about TO
i take her fair hand and lead her to the
/ altar, there arose a horrible clam
or OF opposition from my disappoint-
ed rivals, who rushed at me in fury
Of jealousy and would have torn me
/ limb from limb but | awoke-Just in
time to hear the lingering utilization
OF my cIock-alarm. / sprang from my
1 bed and ia half an hour was ready
| for the race.
Still punctilious in holding to my
! point Of honor, i waited till an hour
/ before sunrise, and then sailed away
] IN the dim twilight and the bracing
| air of that fated morning, on a mis-
sion as oul-thrilling as any that ever
/ sent knight to the arena or poll
/ tical martyr to Washington.
| / made my first two leagues before
/ the suu's imminent glory had blanc' /,
/ ed the sweet, nun-like faces OF the
morning stars.
4 began to feel little unesy :. a7,oat
i the signs which the first avs ~ the
i sun penciIled on the -fee( /, cany.,s az
I the dawn" Natures SCI o,.tis+ NAV
/ sometimes use his d, IL ,.,i+Lcnf .
definite purpose, oO, For one ann SUI
i perstitious enough ~ .oaf saiIe x0hen
note las ! did 80 tie, lavish
ooliel. = ~ son on the edge OF the
| norma ~ It 1 scudded along the dus-
| ~ " road, not exactly under
- ,0les." but under the kind OF
asAu1 aus that turns burdens into pil
@ and obstacles into incentives.
J / made She first twenty miles with.
out serious check or interruption
barring the temporary annoyance o.
being at one time chased mile by q
ferocious dog, that persistently nIel
to fasten his fangs in my trousers. bul
when I finally slowed up and sprane
from my wheel to tender sacrifice e
MoIe,ch- the cowardly wEelp turned tan
and literally out-stripped the boulder
I sent after him.
The twenty station was Dlngle
wood, a queerly laid-out village DulI'
along the highway for half q mile VIII
along the highway for halt q
mile with no cross sIfeets
AS SKINNED past the houses the IN
mates came to the doors and windows
and an occasional glance at their DIS
! tta1ght visages showed that most @
i them were enjoying their first NleF
\ of a bicycle Dogs and children pour
ed out Of open gates and followed me
yeIDinp and bowling like imps OF TN
r,it. Other children and dogs, fuI
/ fber on. attracted by the clamor, anti
1 oipated me. and before reached th
aad of the burg at least twenty dog
of an sizes and varieties were hounl
mo me with that familiar impudenc
en- of which the village dog enjoys an ui
en- shared monopoly. Their attempts
IN nip me heels eXasperated me, anu
I" yelled at them sayagely, nut WIN po1
at effect. At last an unusuaby acqN
ta< arnaat-hound'' caught me by the anS
sge and his sharp teeth rasped my files
art like hacSle / jeTlSed loose ana lfls
ore ~ kick him. the effort causing 10
an wheel 30 gal,ble frightfuily. Befo'
hat e.o9ld recover balance wretche
lall looking fse got in front. and my lea
on or knocked II down and ran over
the with disastrous results 70 both hl'
o. and dog
asst II was the worst header IN my
i. p.riepce / think / fell thirty fey
and with the wheel, of course, on top.
Ter. second or two the entire hoWlAi
the pack surrounded me, like SO hai
mes Colorado wolves, snarling and sna
ach 1,ing 7 scrambled up, and pulling
the small revolver which I had taken /
our nraeaution to put in my hip pocket
her BEGAN pepDering right and left.
rem The canine mob quickly seampeF
oles ofg. leaving one of their number,
/ all nongrel cur. walloping around a
rae staining the clean dust with his p
way beian blood.
/ picked up my safety and grip, q
not ending that the wheel was all rlghi
], / was about to mount when began
ier; realize that my right ankle-the 2
tial that was bitten--was painfully spfa
lose ed. IN the excitement | had not J
the ticed it before. While was rubbi