The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1910-04-22

me and ! essayed to turn. The road
was not quite wide enough.
Now. one of these things" said |.
rs the reversing lever. l think this
is the one" and ! pushed the lever
over and put Oh steam.
Sure enough 1t was-I was quite
right-and next moment we found
ourselves charging up a steep bank
on the opposite side Of the road, back
wards. Fortunately, the bank was
very steep. or think we should have
gone on forever, for. finding the brake
dld not hold when running backwards.
was too much taken aback to think
OF putting the engine to ahead"
again. Happily the steepness OF the
pitch slowed us enough to afford time
Tor reflection. and presently with a
sigh of relief we found ourselves in
the road again and facing the way we
would go.
don't mind confessing that ! have
not yet got over a dislike to using
the reversing gear. II we want to
turn in the road | prefer to get. out
and pull the car back We did re-
verse once, and got OF quite cheaply
In only smashing up a bicycle that
stood by the curb. We might have
gore through a shop window.
me steam car steals noiselessly
along the road The rabbits nibbling
by the roadside nibble on unconscious
or danger till the car has passed them.
The green woodpecker, with yell OF
derlslve laughter, swings across the
road in front of us as we drive
through the woods. and the squirrel
on his way home with a beech nut for
winter meal sits up on his bushy
tail to scrutinize us and not till long
after we are gone by remembers to
run and hide behind the nearest tree.
1t is surprising that on a steamer 1t
is possible to get nearer to animals
and birds without frightening them
man one can even on a bicycle. |
think 1t is because there is no move
ment of the feet Stand at field gate
near the edge Of a wood. and If you
remain perfectly still, moving neither
hand nor foot. in a few minutes the
life that your arrival has interrupted
begins again. The rabbits emerge
cautiously from the burrows; they
see you standing there, but as long as
you don't move they see no harm in
you. The crouching pheasant in the
stubble begins feeding again. A prowl-
ing rat will pass close by your feet.
But move a foot or lift an arm and
instantly all is CONSERVATION and
flight. In steam car, beyond the al
pnot ar,,y, ~
hand on the steering lever. the only
action visible is the advancing mass
of the car and that seems to have no
disturbing significance for animals
Day after day in the glorious au-
tumn weather we drove the little car
down to the sea coast hitherto a long
and wearisome drive or a stuffy jour
ney by train. but now a pleasant
hours run over healthy moors. Hard
ly day all through the winter have
we found the weather too bad for a
drive
One great advantage that a motor
car has over horse is that one is in
dependent of inns and stables. With
well-tilled basket an al fresco lunch
con or tea can be enjoyed in the
wood or in quiet by-road, anywhere
where there is track for the wheels,
without thought of tired and hungry
horse. When the fire is turned low.
the car will stand for hours with no
need of attention.
But Sophia claims that the climax
of enjoyment is to be found in driving
the car at night
During the winter we have had |
many opportunities of experiencing
this. to me, | admit, somewhat fearful |
joy. The darkness adds enormously |
to the sensation of speed. and one
seems to be rushing at a desperate |
pace into the unknown. Certainly |
Sophia's courage is greater than mine.
for she can sit calmly straining her |
eyes at the darkness, and what the |
darkness may hold. with no power Of |
stopping the car should disaster sud. I
denly loom ahead. 1t is bad enough
when one has hand on the throttle
lever and foot on the brake.
And at night more than at any
other time the silence of the steam
car is a merit. 1t is distressing
enough. even in broad daylight to
people with any lingering remains Of
the questionable quality of modesty.
to go Gathering along disturbing man
and beast with the persistent self-as.
sertion of an explosion engine. but
he must be hooligan indeed who can
bear to make all that noise under the
moonlight, in quiet lanes. soaring the
owls and bats, surprising even the
night-jar. and disturbing the cottagers'
early rest. without feeling himself
grow uncomfortably hot with very
shame.
Japanese Swords.
frp1flra tba 70 t,,o,,.