Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1898-01-13

Cobra Tackles a Bicycle.

Every one who has been 10 the An
namallay Hills knows that after he
passes Podanur Junction the road
crosses an undulating country, and a
cyclist has to toll up ridge after ridge,
although, of course, he has the compen-
sating pleasure of letting his machine
90 when he runs down the slopes. 1t
was when I was spinning down one Of
these ridges that this adventure came
upon me. I was looking at some
gathering clouds on the horizon which
foretold a thunder storm, and l was
meditating on my chances of arriving
at my destination with dry coat,
when suddenly I saw right in front Of
me across the road a long snake. It
was impossible to swerve to either side
and avoid the loathsome reptile, FOR
the slope was too steep, AMI I was go
ing fast. The only thing to do was
to stop. back pedaled with my
whole weight The rising crank lifted
me out of the saddle as l straightened
my knee. I put on the brake with all
the force that my right hand could
exert. But the momentum was too
great or the hill was too steep, The
brake-rod had not been adjusted so as
to make the brake very powerful, and
it only checked the speed Of the front
tire, which still slithered round under
the rubber cushion as the bicycle went
on over the snake, which rose with a
hiss to meet me and extended its
hood Quick as lightning it struck
at the front wheel, and as it struck |
instinctiveiy lifted both hands from
the handle bar out of harms way
and leaned back in my saddle, the
thought flashing through my mind
that shoes and hose gave my feet and
legs a chance, but that my hands were
naked.
The instant that nv hand was off
the brake the bicycle shot forward,
for in my fright l had forgotten to
continue back pedal and the road was
very steep and weigh, l regret to
say, more than fourteen stone, so that
the bicycle simply gave bound down
hill. But only one bound. l had not
time to replace my hands on the ham
dies, when, with unutterably sicken-
ing horror, | saw that the snake WAS
half through the front wheel, and that
the wheel was drawing it through the
fork with horrid "whish" and a sem
sible slackening of speed Then there
was a thud as the head OF the snake
was drawn through the fork and hit
the road on the left, and fraction of
a second later, a flap on the tail-end
Of the snake as ii was drawn through
and hit the road on the right, followed
by the horrid "whi.h' again as it was
once more drawn through the fork.
There was no time to think. The
one idea that possessed me was to ac-
celerate this process. l leaned for
ward over the handle bar and pedaled
with all my strength. How that bicy-
Gle did fly down the hill The trees
by the roadside passed me like ribbon.
The dreadful "whish, thud, flap,
continued, but the "whish" was not
50 loud, and did not perceptibly af-
feet the speed of the cycle, as the
snake softened under the treatment.
The level ground at the foot Of the
slope l sped across at racing speed,
and rushed at the opposite slope as
long as ! had any breath in me.
Then | ventured to get off. The
snakes head was gone as far as the
spectacles on the hood, pounded into
Jelly by the hard high road; on the
right side Of the wheel the snake ia
pered off into a few heshless vetebra.
Two herd boys IN the field by the
roadside came to see what had hap
pened, and with sticks helped me to
remove the carcass from nay front
wheel. When I reached Pollachi |
had a whisky and soda. think that
no man knows how good a whiskey
and soda can be until he has had a
cobra in the front wheel of his bicy-
Gle for a mile or more, the while he
has been pedaling for dear life
Expenses Of the White House.