The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-23
SPUN INTO POND
BIOYOLIST TAKES AFIRE AND THEN
REsOUBS BIMSBLF.

When scorching Down Hill He Discovers
That His Coat is on Fire-It is Impos-
sible to Stop, So He Lets His Wheel
Out and Yearns to Reach the Bottom
of the Hill at Which Lies a Pond
At the Bottom He Leaves the Road
and He and the Wheel Take a
Bath
Tarrytown. n. Y. Dec. 22.-Afre and
ewheel, ''scorching" and being scorched,
Frank Taxter raced down the Gobble-
man hill, on the White Plains road, this
afternoon. steered for pond and shot
into IT, neck and crop. fire. bicycle and
all. He needed the pond and needed it
badly. 1t put him out
This, you viii observe, is essen TALLY a
tale of scorcher," but 1t has new ele-
ments, fire and water among them.
Earth and air also figured, but in minor
roles.
The trouble was that while the young
man was riding along at high speed
something-it may have been his hot
pace-ignited two boxes OF parlor match
IS which he carried in mis- coat pocket
The cause of this fire. az In the case OF
many others, is really unknown, but
Wnen young Mr.. Taxter found a youth
ful but ambitious conflagration travel
ing on his wheel with him he hurried,
and yearned for a pond.
To return to the cause OF the fire for a.
~. Ia
iheTe are those vino believe the Gobble-
man hill. commonly called the Goblin"
h.l, sinister uame even by day. may have
had something To do with IL AS the
sAarp sl9pe assisted young Mr.. Taxter in
staHd.ng-not siJting-upon the order Of
his going. but going at once. the victim
OF The accident AMI the quips and jests
ICiloAius il is inclined 70 entertain the
idea that 1t had.
IaEteT. living in GlenvilIe, was home
ward bound from White Plains. his
1oud ot matches, two Christmas boxes
slowed in ms coat The keen wind bit
Inio thc down on his chin. but in the ex-
hilaratlon of flight he needed Il not
HIS blood raced through his veins IN
tine vita his whizzing tres He had not
care. for who 50 young as Taxter
would suspect ought evil of two simple
boxes of matches?
Before him lay the Goblin" htIl. q rib
bon og white, sloplng SHARPLY 10 the Nat
Tar below, where the road Swung sharp-
y away % the left to avoid Sacketi's
Pond The young man flying. would
back neial for no hill He simply grip
p~I t1e bar. ljite5 his feet. aud. 10 use
his own words. let her hum" She
hummei.
While the wheel was fairly devouriny
distance toe rider fell a senSa ton OF rap
1dly increasing warmth on MS leN hip.
Ia , moment the sensation grew into
pain and, giving one swift glance down
ward. be saw that his coas Vas On fire.
Smoke rose from the pocket ana was
sratched away by the Wind. Fire was
eating up the cloth. ana the breeze was
tanning il nicely.
There ara perSons-an minimizing IN.
would nave attempted 10 stop the b,cv-
Gle on the down grade. though II was
going faster than a trotting moose which
IS very last. bat Taxter had another sorf
O. head To have ,arried would have
been y have been scorcaed az tha -oss
size. To tarry was a matter ot dtfficuitv
as well as peril, for the wheel ha5 the
OF IN its teeth. 50 10 speak.
But at the foot Of toe aig glimusred
Saoketi's pond-lInpii. cool. inviting
What more could man want7 Tax,s-
his flesh sHarting. painted for Sacke;tz