Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-06-24
INVISIBLE FRIEND.

INVISIBLE FRIEND.
The members around the clubhouse
fire were talking Of the prospects of the
spring road races, and from that the
conversation turned to road racing in
general, and every member had some
experience to tell. Only the wheelman
who had travelled was silent, as was his
won't until stirred to tell some tale Of
wild adventure by the questions Of his
companions. who seemed not more than
to half believe his stories and yet to
feel that they were really true, such in
disputable proofs did the travelled M
always present. On this occasion it was
the clubs road race champion, a men,
Der who wore a string Of century bars
three yards long, who said sarcastically,
II suppose you've been the greatest road
racer Of all Of us, haven't your"
II won't say that exactly" replied
the wheelman who had travelled, "but
there was a time when I would have
backed myself against the best man in
the business. That time has passed and
will never return, but il / should tell
you the story you wouldn't believe it,
10 what's the use?"
"Come on, tell it," broke in the
bugler. "Don't mind him. He thinks
he's the only tune the orchestra can
play just because he's got a few bars"
The wheelman who had travelled put
his hand in his pocket and drew out a
plain leather pipe case. Without a word
he opened it and passed it to the club
captain, who examined it %ouriously, for
the travelled ones manner presaged q
story.
II don't see anything about road rac-
ing in that" remarked the captain.
"What's in it," asked the champion
liar.
+ "Nothing apparently, responded the
captain, and, in fact, the case appeared
to be empty.
"Feel Of the inside" suggested the
wheelman who had travelled. The cap
tain obeyed the suggestion and started
as though he had been struck.
"Why, there's a pipe there, but I
can't see it," he exclaimed.
The other members felt Of the inside
Of the case, and, sure enough, plain to
the touch, but at the same time absolute.
~ invisible, was a pipe. The wheelman
who had travelled took the oase, lifted
something out Of it apparently and held
it up. His hand appeared to be empty.
"What ia TIA fine piece Of glass?"
asked the member with the pink golf
socks.
"Not a bit of it," answered the pos
SCISSOR Of the wonderful pipe. "That
pipe is a relic Of the most faithful
friend I ever had and n who saved my
life on more than one occasion. l never
hear road racing spoken Of without
thinking Of him. Give me some tobacco,
some one, and I'll tell you why l prize
this pipe SO highly"
The other members watched him
curiously as he rammed the tobacco
down into the empty air apparently,
and they shrank away from him az
though he were something uncanny as
they saw the smoke rise from a distance
of several inches from the smokers
mouth, but the member who had trav-
eled settled back in his chair and be.
gan:
"It was in the winter following my
disastrous experience at ostrich farming
In Africa that I decided a change Of air
would be necessary, and I consequently
went to Australia, where it vas then
summer, of course / had an idea that
there might be some good touring in
that country, and I took my wheel
along as q matter Of course I landed at
Melbourne and found the town very
dull. wheeled along near the coast to
Sydney and found it no ~livelier there,
20 / made up my mind to strike for the
interior Of New South Wales. I was
warned that it would be dangerous to
venture far into the bush alone, but ]
had plenty Of nerve in those days and
started out feeling better than I had
ever felt in my life.
1.-THE trip was wild enough to suit
the liveliest imagination. and I thor.
oughly enjoyed myself. l passed
through the heart Of the kangaroo dis.
trict and often stopped to watch the
.--snc .rkSnu - khoco olo.o. ons.n.Io