Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-10-26

Beside him was lump of mixed machin
cry that had once been bicycle. He
looked up as approached, and the light
of my lamp fell full on his face.
"Barkinstone!" exclaimed. "Barkin-
stone of the Enderdown road, by all that's
miraoulousP'
"No, no." he said, "my name is-er-
Brown"
s'Not bit of it," replied. "You
taught me to ride, and know you. You're
Barkinstone."
II knew this would happen one of these
days." he said to himself mournfully.
eyes, sir, it's no good to say otherwise.
Pm Barkinstone."
''And the amazing part of it is you
don't talk in the least as If you were
drunk"
"Im not drunk. know my business
we'll enough--s see-look at this" He took
couple of tools from his pocket. Then
he picked up bundle of spokes, some
scraps of tire, a handle bar and what was
left of the saddle, and in very few min
utes had made bicycle out of them.
"There, does that look as If were drunk?"
"No," said, "it doesn't And, drunk
or sober, nobody but you could have done
it. But why did you ride like that?"
Because I can't ride any better. In
fact, that ride tonight was the best I've
ever done. I've never been 80 far before
without falling off.
"Still don't understand. You taught
me to ride. You have taught hundreds to
ride"
eyes, but I can't teach myself"
"You have theory of riding that IL alb
solutely correct 1t has been tested.'
Eyes, tile theory is correct in nina hun
dred and ninety nine cases out Of a thou
sand. I'm the thousandth. Was riding
properly when you saw meg"
"You were pedaling very unevenly and
badly. You olung hard to the handles
YOU
ooh, you needn't 60 on I was doing
everything I oughtn't to do. l know it..
The theory fails with me because l am
the thousandth case Do you think 1t
takes any courage to learn to ride the BIZ
cycle?'
"None whatever-not in the least"
"I'll put it in different way. Can you
conceive of want Of nerve so terrible, a
physical cowardioe so great, that 1t might
absolutely prevent a man from learning
to bike, or at any rate cause him to take
years over it, where other men would only
take daysp"
"No, / can't
'Very likely not, sir. But I suffer from
just that want of nerve just that physical
cowardice. I stand beside the machine
and my nerves all right, and l know all
there is to know about riding. I've only
got to put my foot on the step and my
nerves gone, and in moment I've for
gotten everything. Then founder about
and come off and hurt myself and break
things"
He limped up the embarkment to the
road, carrying his machine and refusing
any assistance.
"Going to get on again?" l asked.
"Oh, yesl I've got perseverance and
moral courage If ! haven't got physical
courage and nerve"
He placed his left foot on the step, pro-
PEELED the machine in slow curve with
three oonvulsive kicks with his right foot,
rose slowly into the air, then slipped of
the step and came down in the road with
the machine on top Of him. He was ap.
parently quite used to this kind Of thing,
for he observed in an unmoved voice from
under the machine, "There was one thing
forgot to mention, SIR
"Well, what was it?''
"You would do mo great favor" he
said, rising slowly, if you would for the
present keep this incident secret You
know what the public is, sir. If the pub
lie knew that could not ride, 1t would
never believe that could teach other peo-
pie to ride. am about to retire. In an
other six months shall he able to give up
the business and live In comfoYt In fine
house in the country for the rest of my
days. After that 1t doesn't much matter
what you say, for no pupil has ever been
dissatisfied with me. But until then 1t
might spoil business"
"But why give up your businessf
You're far too young man to retire.
What interest have you got in the country
What would you do with YOURSELF"
LEARN the bicycle. shall be my own
pupil. 1t will take me all my life. Good
night, sir. Well, thanks--if you'd just
give me hand"
He relit his lamp held the machine
while he mounted and then showed him OF.
He vanished like a diamond pointed cork
screw, more or less in the direction Of the
village.
He has retired now. The grounds of his
country house are secluded by high walls.
am told that inside an asphalt track has
been constructed. 1t hurts to fall on as.
phalt. Woman at Home