Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-04-23
INVISIBLE FRIEND.

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 one
always present. On this occasion it was
the clubs road race champion, a mem
Der who wore a string of century bars
three yards long, who said sarcastically,
81 suppose you've been the greatest road
racer of all of us, haven't you?''
II won't say that exactly" replied
the wheelman who had travelled, "but
there was time when l 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,
SO 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 few bars. -
| The wheelman who had travelled put
his hand in his pocket and drew out a
plain leather pipe case Without word
he opened it and passed it to the club
captain, who examined it curiously, for
| the travelled ones manner presaged a
story.
81 don t see anything about road rae
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 l
can't sec 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
ly invisible, was a pipe. The wheelman
who had travelled took the case, lifted
something out of it apparently and held
it up. His hand appeared to be empty.
"What is it-a fine piece of glass;"
asked the member with the pink golf
socks.
"Not bit of it, answered the pos
SCISSOR of the wonderful pipe. "That
pipe is relic of the most faithful
friend 1 ever had and one who saved my
life on more than one occasion. | never
hear road racing spoken of without
thinking of him. Give me some tobacco,
some one, and I'll tell You why prize
this pipe so highly"
The other members watched him
ouriously as he rammed the tobacco
down into the empty air apparently,
and they shrank away from him as
though he were something uncanny as
| they saw the smoke rise from distance
of several inches from the smoker S
mouth, but the member who had trav-
eled settled back in his chair and be-
gan;
sit was in the winter following my
disastrous experience at ostrich farming
| in Africa that / decided a change of air
would be necessary, and / consequently
went to Australia, where it was then
summer, of course. | had an idea that
there might be some good touring in
| that country, and / took my wheel
] I e I lanAaA ar
! Melbourne and found the town very
dull. 1 wheeled along near the coast to
! Sydney and found it no livelier there,
so | made up my mind to strike for the
| interior of New South Wales | was
warned that it would be dangerous to
venture far into the bush alone, but l
| had plenty of nerve in those days and
started out feeling better than l had
ever felt in my life.
1.-The trip was wild enough to suit
the liveliest imagination, and l thor
oughly enjoyed myself. l passed
through the heart of the kangaroo dis
trict and often stopped TO watch the
amusing antics of those clever animals,
which can leap 40 feet at jump and
are as strong as horse.
Zone day l was standing by my
wheel watching a herd Of them when
all of a sudden they seemed to become
alarmed at something and went off to-
ward the horizon in great leaps until
every one Of them had vanished. was
wondering what had scared them when
n felt hot breath ON the back of nay
head. looked around with a start, but
saw nothing l heard, however what
sounded like an animal painting for
breath directly in front of me, and
will confess that l was thoroughly
frightened. l attempted TO show nc
signs of fear, however, although my
hair reese so that it threw my cap off,
and stood there perfectly motionless,