Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1896-08-21
THE CYCLE HERO.

AAgAU WMo = hNGAt AlulO III hAOIG AAI
Plumbettville. There was to be 4 ten
mile handicap cycle road race and a
sham battle Of one of the two regiments
which the city supported. P~lumbettville
Is not the true name for the place, for
II It were too many might place the
characters In this tale, the subject Of
which is Of recent occurrence Plumbett-
vile had prospered much Of late years.
Financial depression had touched It
probably more lightly than any other
city In the country. The census showed
IN increase of population, and the town
laughed with its prosperity. Cycling
had more than kept pace with the gen.
ernl advance. A fortunate smooth pave
ments crusade in the city was followed
In the county by a good roads mania.
With good streets and good roads there
came many beautiful suburban resorts
to which wheelmen were always well
come. Then there was n fine park with
many driveways and a lake surrounded
by n mile Of cycle track as fine as any
thing outside Of q regular affair. On
these roads all bicycles were as free as
any other vehicle, with the result that
the sport grew apace.
The cycle race was the uppermost top
10 Of conversation In Plumbettville.
There had been cycle races before, but
never one that promised 80 well in point
Of attendance and enthusiasm. The
events that had gone before but whetted
the desire TO know more Of the local
hiers.
There was one thing that bothered
the meet promoters, and that was that
Colonel CottontOp had set the time for
his troops to rendezvous at exactly the
hour that the race was to start. He was
demonstrated with, but being an old
timer and set in his ways he refused to
change his order. He would be shot be-
fore he would change the arrangement
of his command for all tho bicyclers in
Christendom.
The unfortunate part of IL was that
the sham battle would rage over a por-
tion Of the territory used in the cycle
race. This section was the most popular
of Plumbettville's suburbs and with
reason. Two roads paralleled each other
for several miles with a distance of not
over 200 yards between them. One was
an old pike that lead to the west and
the other q finely mAcAdamized driving
road lined with suburban homes and re-
sorts. Il lead cut through the park and
was the chosen route of all ON bicycles
or horses. BY means Of the two roads
and those intcrsectinR, an excellent par
%allelogram could be obtained for the cy-
Gle race, and here t would be held. If
abe regiment assembled at the same
time as the calling Of the race, it was
argued by some that the race would be
run off long before the soldiers could
reach the grounds. This would also
was shrewdly Added-give a zest to the
cycle race. as the fight of the soldiers
might be seen at nearly the same time.
So It came about that neither the cyclers
nor tho soldiers changed the time for
their great event.
The training was done on the lake
drive, and mighty earnest training it
was, too, wen IL the latest plans were
known somewhat mistily. Here, by
break Of day, came the hiers, all dressed
in street clothing. At the base OF a stone
tower they took these off, disclosing
their racing toys beneath. Here they
Scorched and jockeyed for an hour.
Then they again got into their other
clothing and went to their days work
or business. Again In the eventide they
went through the same routine, so that
il IL evident that they were Of the white
amateur stripe.
Ono Of the young men in the party
had a decided advantage, because he
was q student on his long summers
holiday. In addition TO this, he had a
doting father who had put him on a
part Of the great circuit as the old gen
tleman thought him q sure winner.
While he never succeeded much In this,
yet he made a plucky showing, satisfy
ing his senior. II this young man,
whom We will call Smaley, could win
such . great event at home. his father
would feel that his money had been well
invested.
Another notable one Of those in train.
ina was Charles FAstleigh. Fastleigh
was naturally the fastest man, but h'
had disadvantages that probably made
6maley his bette-. thought the boys
Fastleigh Was q mechanic, and he wa
handicapped by the muscle bound trou'
BILE His grOat forte was his staying
power. Fastleigh had woh races before,
but always by setting a killing pace al
the start and with remarkable ability
keeping II 10 the finish. Smaley, on the
other hand, was a bad pace setter. 4
ROod hanger on, and o devil for q short
spuFt Nov 10 spurt was quite imposai
bic tcS Fastlsigh, a wost any Of thu
boys could pass him II they could holt
on wtihont going nat until the las
eighth.
An said tho rsos lay between Fast
leigh and smaley. and all were nightly
interested. FastlsiRh and smaley live
on the road along which the ace wouls
pass. Their homes were about foul
miles from the coulter Of the city. Il
lhe evening, alter training. they woul'
slowly ride homa The subtle quiet o
H. connkrv A. fhow entaTad eyaa defohf