Show IN TIRE by lube lule sharp HERE is 1 just a little littie bit of the devil in acry bicycle 1 I suppose this bomea through tho the fierce heat and the weldin ing of things that take place before a 10 machine is 1 thoroughly constructed anyhow theto tho the touch of satin is and 1 I 1 know now no way ot of eliminating it when wo we read the parable of tho the devil erterina ert cring ering into tho the alwine and the swine at once rushing to thir destruction in III tho the sea we recognize a certain likeness to tho the actions of a bicycle when it gets a man at ita its mercy A bike will behave beautifully on level gronn 1 I but get got it U on the top of a long and unknown hill and then trouble begins I 1 dont know whether it 1 Is bec tuse of a follow feeling with bogs hogs or not but tho the morvent I 1 cm am on a bica bicycle cle going down a hill I 1 think of tho the swine that ruined down to the sea it would be just as easy tor for a tire to become punctured when hen lou are home as when ou are far away but I 1 never inow that to happen the first time a man gets his pneumatic tire punctured Is a very serious occasion ith him I 1 suppose that most pet poisons sons nhen taking on a bicycle bae hae been b some kind friend just bow how easy it Is 1 to slip the pneumatic tire over the jhc l rim and mend a puncture uro in the inner tube in my back yard a friend took off the tire extracted extract cd tho thin inner tubo tube the whole operation looked like a clinical demonstration in anatomy fixed a mythical puncture slipped on the outer covering again pumped it up and there it wai wag my aly friend claimed that he mend a puncture and have everything in going order again in three minutes uy vy tho the watch and I 1 hao hane no doubt ho he spoke the truth but I 1 am freo free to confess that I 1 cant do it and on the first occasion I 1 hadbo had to meet with a real puncture I 1 am sure I 1 could coul it not ha have e fixed the machine inside of six weeks when I 1 first took to riding te t e bicycle I 1 waa was in constant fear of puncturing I 1 dodged every piece of stone on the road and would rot run over a piece of glass if it I 1 could help it I 1 seemed to bo be constantly watching watch inc tho the path ahead of me tor for anything that would puncture the tire but by and by as nothing happened I 1 grew more easy in m mind and at last completely forgot that such auch a thing as pune punctures tures added to the many troubles of bley bicyclers elers in touring around I 1 have a fancy for leaving ne e main traveled roads and journey 14 K along unfrequented hanei more out ut of tho the way of trade riL lying on good luck and a reasonably accurate map to brin brinz me to civilization again it was on ono one of these occasions when I 1 was at least 20 miles from home as the crow flies and right in the depths of the country that I 1 came just around a corner upon a bit of new road bristling with flint stones into which I 1 drove full speed before I 1 noticed what was ahead of me the tire collapsed and the wheel came down with that sickening thud thud on tho the road toad which once exi 7 11 1 1 AI 4 I 1 eilif P 11 t 57 i 4 I 1 1 TRIED TO SLIP TUG THE OUTER co COVER V OFF perien ced Is never forgotten to fo gotten I 1 suppose that five or six times a somebody comes come alon that lane sal nal a 1 a aloas ang those these fi the 0 or six persons there ta Is perhaps one who neer saw or heard ot of a bicycle i drow draw my disabled machine iachine i to the grassy side it the lane under tho the hedge and sat down with nith my hei he I in m ma hands trying to hinl what thit man had done first when bo he took off oft tho the tiro tire it was u as months before and though I 1 had seemed to understand tho the operation at tho the time my ideas now were in the most hazy condition conditto 1 possible As far as I 1 could recollect he uns unscrewed crowel something first and anti then things seemed to come apart so I 1 attacked the valve into which pump the air anti inalle got it into a position where I 1 knew I 1 could never get it back again I 1 tried to slip the outer cover off hut but found to my that a couple of wires were concealed somewhere in the edge of the outer tire that I 1 had entirely tor for gotten after an houra hours hard work I 1 had gotten tho the machine in such a state that I 1 very much doubted if it it could over oer be put together again I 1 now consulted my map to find it if possible in what part of creation I 1 really was I 1 hadn haan t much confidence conn dence in tho the map anyhow it had led me ostray more tha than n once and had landed me in tho the moat most unexpected places but now it it told the truth there was a main road a milu milo or two further ahead and along that main mala road undoubtedly a bac bicycler cler would v ultimately come and the cha chances aces were that he would understand something about pneumatic tires if I 1 bad had had complete faith in the map I 1 should have trundled my bicycle to the main mala road but as it was I 1 thought I 1 had ball better mount the hill further on ami and see if I 1 could discover signs of the principal thoroughfare when I 1 got on top of tho the hill I 1 found there was another gentle decline and a still aher hill and thus I 1 flaa as lured on and on leaving my bicycle alone by tho the roadside ra daido until I 1 found as I 1 had suspected that there was as no main road anywhere in the neighborhood turning bade back in despair dot not knowing what next to do I 1 was overjoyed ed to eco coming towards me over the crest of the low hill a man on a bicycle when he saw me he apparently parent ly hesitated and made as if be he would turn back but finally concluded to come on As he approached I 1 saw with amazement the reason of his hesitation he ile nas as on my machine I 1 planted myself square in the middle of tho lane larie and although ho he attempted to dodge me I 1 grasped the handle bars now ou scoundrel I 1 said get got off he was inas a much smaller man than I 1 am and I 1 knew know that it matters came to I 1 would have little difficult in taking care of him he ile got off without a word but his free was nas rale and hia his alps trembled now ivr I 1 said to him I 1 it if I 1 did right I 1 would break your ugly head you may be thankful at getting ot oft so easily however I 1 am obliged to ou tor for mending the tire and because of that I 1 will say no more about the matter the noung fellow edged away from ao ind looked as it if he would liko like to ta to his heels you needa t bo be afraid I 1 eald said 1 I won von t hurt you opening the little tool satchel at the bick of the seat I 1 siw that bo he hud not taken away tho the oil can and some of tho the other implements bhora are the rest of the tools I 1 asked risked they are all there that ever was there he answered with hesitation it worth while discussing the matter with him so I 1 mounted the machine and ascended tho the hill ho be had come down and ran along where the disaster had happened hero here t to 0 my amazement I 1 found my own machine machina still lying chera I 1 had placed it under the hedge without dismounting I 1 whirled around and made after tho young fallow whom I 1 had robbed I 1 suppose I 1 did look alco a disreputable character with my face and clothes smeared rith oil through my hours hour of effort at trying to take my machine to the momen thu young fellow saw me coming behind him he began to run as fast as lin could and finally seeing that I 1 was bound to overtake him he tried to get through tho the hedge where he stuck 1 I have no money he shouted at a least only a lairing La illing or two in my pocket look here I 1 said 1 I am not such a villain as I 1 look I 1 am no bicycle thief I 1 thought you were on my machine vou see it aa as you came along lying up against the hedge no ho he answered with relief coming ng down to the side of tho the road again well I 1 eald said 1 I must apology apologize lz very abjectly tor for my conduct your you r machine 1 Is exactly like mine and I 1 thought it was mine I 1 never expected any sane sano bicyclist would como come along this lane ou oil come along the lane a asked the young fellow yes but I 1 said sane satie bicyclist oh ob 11 1 I have punctured my tire and I 1 dont know bow how to repair it I 1 have haie been working at it tor for hours and it if you know anything about tires for heavens sake forgive me for the robbery and come back and show me bow how to make my tire air tight once more the young tello v was very nice about it indeed and ho he returned with me to where tho the disabled machine lay jay with that expertness which receives mj m icat profound admiration but which seema seems impossible for me to enitia emulate ate ho he whipped off the tire mended the tube and put everything in shape again the whole episode was a lesson in christian I 1 carity which I 1 hope will not be lost on an vie me I 1 dant know v hea the second bunc t turo U to of that tire will take place but I 1 hope when it docs does I 1 will have so good and mild a friend within call as t the he young fellow whom I 1 robbed of hia bl cyal |