The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-21
PART !.

The world is said to be really run
by its enthusiasts, and 1t may be true
for anything 1 know to the contrary
but J am pretty sure from personal ex-
periepoe that the enthusiasts them
selves don't always enjoy the process of
running II. Take my own case for in
stance: am an enthusiastic bicycle
rider-I have been branded by incou-
siderate acQuaintances as n bicycle
flend-and here was |, at the moment
when this unvarEished tale begins,
feeling very clearly and unpleasantly
that l wasn't N it. Now this was all
the worse because had been decidedly
in it during the four days of our hill
picnic at the cave temples of Murisha-
bad. As q stranger bringing good in
Productions, / had been received with
the open arms of indian military So
clety. and that the fact thatI had come
10 make tour of India on my bicycle
had given me something of the vogue
that attaches all the world over to any
tMnS specially eccentric. l had been
persuaded TO abandon my original idea
Of making the hill journey from Koon-
dewalla to Murishabad on my wheel,
which had goneup in one of the wagons
and in spite of all my enthusiasm l
would willingly have let it go back
In the same way had / not felt as
hamed to feel SO far to renounce my
freely-expressed opinions.
! felt very much, l confess, like the
engineer hoist with his own petard
that morning as 7 stood watching the
last of our cavalcade winding down the
mountain road. and felt that l was
condemned by my own choice toamore
or else solitary journey as the onlyrcp-
resentative of the new locomotion. I
glanced around at the site Of our now
deserted picnic camp by way of taking
last farewell before leaving. There
was little left. indeed. even now, except
thes lite, for already the little crowd OF
retainers, conspicuous in their turbans
and white linen garments, had struck
the remaining tents and nearly COM
pleted the stowage of the thousand and
one pieces of baggage which go to
make up the strict essentials of an In
dian picnic. The place had been well
chosen and picturesque and even now
the open glade where the giant teak
wood trees cast heavy shadows on the
grass and the level sunlight lay in
hecks and splashes of gold, formed q
scene to delight an artist. Four or five
zebu oxen, were receiving the last of
their loads, and 1t was evident that in
few minutes more the rear guard Of
the picnic party would have started.
and the mountain glade which had re-
echoed to so much laughter and been
the witness. to so great an amount of
pleasure would be left to it's solitude.
AS my eye fingered over it's last sur
vey OF the place something uncon-
sclously led 1t upwards from the level
OF the camp to a point on the hillside,
where, as l remembered, a well-de-
hned path ran along the slope between
clumps of tall bamboos and stately to-
Dacco plants. The path had been a fa =
Norlte one. and perhaps it was this
that led me to glance up at ii for a
hnal farewell. AS / did so, however. 1
was startled by the apparition of the
head and shoulders or a man eau
tiously' peering out from the screen of
shrubbery and leaves. 1t was a notice
able face, with u pair Of fiery bright
eyes that even in the distance cleaned
and sparkled with what seemed to me
an expression of deadly hatred, as he
watched the proceedings; os the SER
wants, and then glanced quickly down
the road after the retreating party on
horseback The face was a startling
one, and its expression made il still
more impressive, and it was several
minutes before l could shake off the
impression that ii boded no good to the
party which he watched so intently.
He did not seem to notice me- or per-
haps he felt sure he was concealed,
for he remained as if in thought for a
minute or two, and then suddenly dis
appeared.
1t was not without a sense OF vague
uneasiness that ] mounted my bicycle
and followed the party, whose voices
and laughter could still be heard from
time to time, although q bend in the
mountain road had hidden them from
sight. A minute or two Of the familiar
exercise reconcilod me to my choice of
locomotlon, even al the expense Of COM
pany. There was something in the
smooth, gliding motion, silent, easy and
eminent,y Independent, that seemed
well suited 10 the place; none of the
heavy, numbering gait Of the elephant:
no nervous starts like those of a high
spirited horse; perfect independence
and control, with an amount oC exertjon
hardly greater. while the freedom CT
action was ali in Tavor of the machine
/ had soon overtakea the others and
made ore OF the little cavaIcade that
was making the most of the morning
hours 10 diminish the march OF forty
mhies that lay between us and the can
torS vents of Koondewalla. Fortunate
ly, Awas all down hill, and the road,
though i'm its upper parts little more
than a good mountain track, was
smooth land good. For my own part,
though the sun was hot, my effort was
so triAihg that in the comparatively
coal aiT of the high tableland. / was
quite able to enjoy the scenery, and the