A MEMORABLE RIDE.

Southern Cross, Volume 3, Issue 3, 20 April 1895, Page 9

A MEMORABLE RIDE.

On a bright summer’s day, hot many weeks ago, a local cyclist fared gaily forth on a ten-mile ride, as cyclists love to do. Having ridden' sora;e distance, he drew up at a wayside inn, and feeling uncommonly droughty, he freely slaked his not unnatural thirst. While so doing, he foregathered with several acquaintances, with whom he entered into friendly controversy as to the superiority of his mode of conveyance as against theirs, which was a cab. The talk was long, and the refreshers were frequent. : The time for departure came, and the wheelman essayed to mount his machine. The attempt was a lamentable failure, and he was offered a place in the cab. No ! a thousand times, no! Acknowledge the superiority of the old-fashioned degenerate horse, never ! Wilful man must have his way, and with assistance our hero found himself seated. The wheels revolved,, and away he sped. But not far. A. wriggle, a waggle, and over he went into the road, where “ he lay like a warrior taking his rest ”, with his bicycle twined around him. “It’s all right,” he said, undauntedly, “it’s only a twist in the front wheel ; I’ll straighten it out--see if I don’t.” Once more he started, but soon got off the track and into the tussocks, where he appeared for a time to be making'SS, to the intense amusement of some half-dozen bushmen who were loitering on the roadside. With difficulty this intrepid cyclist again got under way, and, turning a corner, disappeared from view. The next development was a huge splash, and, fearing the.worst, the bushmen rushed to the spot, only to find that they had been anticipated, and that two lads were doing their utmost to haul the luckless adventurer out of a pool where he had taken an involuntary cold bath. Notwithstanding his pitiful plight, he stoutly refused to own that he was beaten, and still muttering something about a twisted wheel, he made another start. All might have gone well had it not been for the accidental intervention of a telegraph post, which not only stopped all further -progress, but damaged both man and bicycle. Fortunately at this time of dire distress relief was at hand, for the occupants of the cab now appeared upon the scene, and man and* machine were ignominiously hoisted into the four-wheeler, and so home,- as good bid Samuel Popys would -say.:- It has now been clearly demonstrated to this expert wheelman that a bicycle is a downright rabid prohibition machine.