The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-12-27
JONES THE
TRAVELLER
BY wlIfred II. Auburn.
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BY Wilfred n. Auburn.
I had met Jones before. In fact,
meeting him had become sort OF
habit The first time saw him he
was hanging by his feet, an apoplectic,
sauirming mass, ON the facade OF
Barney Castle, kissing the stone of
eloquence. My camera caught him in
the act. "Gad," he sputtered, when !.
told him that his feat was immortal
lied. rs my face in it? Send me
one, will you? That'I prove to the
folks back in GAINESVILLE that did
It."
I had run across him again in Lon
don, where all ways meet. ] was
sauntering around the Whitechapel
ghetto, and through the window of an
alley tavern I noticed two men drink
ing stout. One was bobby" in UNI
form. His eyes were bleared and
his face purple. The profile of the
other looked familiar : ! walked In,
and behald-Jones. The policeman,
startled by my intrusion, brought HIM
self together and wabbled out. Jones
turned to me with a look of vast re-
proach:
"Glad to see you again, old man,
but--why couldn't you stay away a
little longer? I'd have had it in half
an hour more. ~
ssHad what?''
AWhy, his club, Lord, what souv-
enir that would have maden
Our ways had parted again for a
while. was riding wheel over the
crest of the Black Forest, near Titisee,
pumping slowly to the top of the long,
white road. A pine cone struck my
handle-bar. Another Knocked my hat
OF. and looked up. An aerial voice
emitted a Tyrolean halloo with much
JUNCTION, and saw swaying speck
silhouetted against cloud. My in
stinct told me it was Jones.
'Hey old mani" he yelled, trumpet
ing through his hand, take my pic
re-quick-you'ra just in time
can't hold on much longer-camera' s
at foot of the tree-lost it half way
up!"
His camera was smashed, so used
my own. Were you expecting me?''
I asked, when he Skinned down, with
barked hands and frayed trousers.
.sNo, not exactly. Look here-big
gest pine cone in Germany. from the
tallest tree on top of the highest
hill in the Schwarzwald. There's
something worth while!"
/ admitted it, and We stood sur
veying the panorama of mounded
hills. and deep-cut gorges full of the
sound of falling water.
lovely" murmured
"What?-Oh, yes, / s'pose 1t is.
But say wonder if / couldn't find
a bigger cone somewhere in these
parts. Let's move on"
Then l ran across him in Meir
ingen-after it had happened. In the
cool of the evening l found him, {
swathed form on crutches, motionless
in the middle of the main street, star
ing up at the mountains to the south
$50 it is all over, Jones? And you
have survived. Come and tell me-
about it,
He lowered his gaze from the noun
tains and turned to me with a lcok o
hopeless sorrow.
:" You deIt believe I'd lie a5ou
II, do your" he asked
Certainly not"
l followed him to table near by
and while we slipped he told me hi
story. thus:
maybe I'd never have tried 1T
the trip across the Scheidegg-if II
known what was up against. Eas,
enough, with a good pointed stock
But with a bicycle
sYou don't mean to say You crosse
that pass with bicycle!"
with 1t, ON it, and under it," h
declared. Il wanted to do it-for tn
experience. you know. guess n
cyolist ever did it before. And tina
footpath was the shortest Way fror
Grindewald to Meiringen.
"Ah, I groan yet when ! think .
that path. / started up, shown tn
old bike, alidin' on the powders an
stickin' IN the mud. and pluggii
M and up. and stoppin' for breatl
MP and then up again. BLOWN an
stsamin' and groanin', and Away
Ipokin' for then*an Every once