Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-06-06


several perfectly unavoidable cameras
and now that he had taken up cycling
with all the fervor of youth, he had
naturally concocted many improve.
ments, so.called, upon the machine.
The wheel upon which he was now
mounted was practically his own in
vention. 1t was exceedingly light and
strong, the framework being made of
aluminium and his pneumatic tire had
acovering which he was positive would
make it absolutely non.slipping. A
celebrated rubber manufacturing com.
pany had constructed tire, faithfully
following Rogerss designs, at tremen-
dous cost, and now the young man
was for the first time mounted on his
new machine, finding, to his delight,
that it worked beautifully.
In his eagerness to test the machine
fully he went further afield than he
had intended and he was somewhat
tired when he came to the forking of
the road, where it branched off in
three directions with never finger
post to guide the bewildered traveller.
Night was coming on rapidly and
earlier than the season called for, be-
cause the clouds hung low in the sky,
and the weather seemed threatening.
Rogers had come too far to return
home that night. He knew in vague
and general way that Saddlesbury was
ahead OF him, and he thought he must
be within ten miles of the place, but
which of the three roads led to it was
question he could not answer, and
there was no one abroad that lowering
evening from whom he could make in
quiries. After moments hesitation
he again mounted his wheel and took
the road which appeared to be the
most travelled, but after following it
mile in increasing darkness this road
again branched and neither of the
new ways seemed particularly inviting
1t was now sc dark that he resolved
to light his lamp, and then discovered
that in his intense absorption regard.
ing the improved qualities of his new
wheel he had neglected minor details;
he had no oil with him and his lamp,
new one, was entirely empty. He
concluded to risk arrest by the local
authorities, so he once more mounted
his wheel and drove ahead. The rain
now began to come down steadily, and
the moon, which he knew hal risen,
was entirely obscured by the clouds.
The roads became wet and slippery.
aud he found that his new invention
was still capable of improvement, for
on turning an unexpected corner some.
what suddenly, the wheels slipped
from under him and he sprawlel on
his hands and knees in the mud.
Nothing that human ingenuity has yet
concocted is SO treacherous as the
absolutely non-slipping tire on
slushy corner. Rogers picked himself
up and struck the mud from his
clothing as we'll as he could, CROPPED
about in the rain and darkness for his
machine, put it on its wheels once
more and trundled it along, trudging
by its side. He longed for habita.
tion of any sort, but the road seemed
absolutely deserted,
Tramping gloomily in the downpour
he cursed his inventive faculties that
had led him astray, and the bad
weather which made his journey
misery. Once or twice he mounted
the machine and tried to make quick
er progress, but the darkness was so
intense and the roads so bad that he
finally abandoned all thought of
wheeling. at last he came to an ave.
nue. of trees whose thick, overhanging
branches formed kind of shelter
from the storm. He stood his ma.
chine up against one of the tree
trunks, filled his pipe, and after many
futile attempts, succeeded in getting
match to burn long enough to light
the tobacco.
Although it was wet night, it was
not cold, and he had some thought OF
remaining till daylight under the shell
ter of the trees. He smoked pipe or
two, and rested for perhaps an hour.
when, with a sigh, he made up his
mind that anything was better than
this, even the pitiless storm which
showed no sign OF abatlng. 80, still
trundling his machine. he tramped in
the slush along the lane until he came
ont in the open once more, where half
an hour inlhe pelting ram made him
wish he had remained under the shell
ter of the trees. Another grove pres
emily gave him the shelter he had
abandoned. and there he relit his pipe
and smoked gloomily. 1t seemed to
him that daylight would soon reap
pear, but on striking q match and
looking at his watch he found that the
night was not yet half over, it being
but little after IL o'clock. He was
hungry, wet, tired and thoroughly
miserable, in a condition of mind 20
welcome the toughest faro.
AS he stood under the trses Rogers
noticed that the rain slackened, and
finally it ceased. The moon now