THE BONESHAKER 67 



The two-wheeled mystery w r as helped out of its 

 wrappings and shavings, the Gymnasium was cleared, 

 and Mr. Turner, taking off his coat, grasped the handles 

 of the machine, and with a short run, to MayalPs 

 intense surprise, vaulted on to it. Putting his feet on 

 what were then called the " treadles," Turner, to the 

 astonishment of the beholders, made the circuit of the 

 room, sitting on this bar above a pair of wheels in line 

 that ought to have collapsed so soon as the momentum 

 ceased ; but. instead of falling down, Turner turned 

 the front wheel at an angle to the other, and thus 

 maintained at once a halt and a balance. 



Mayall was fired with enthusiasm. The next day 

 (Saturday) he was early at the Gymnasium, " intending 

 to have a dav of it," and I think, from his account of 

 what followed, that he did, in every sense, have such 

 a day. 



As Spencer had hurt himself by falling from the 

 machine the night before, Mavall had it almost whollv 

 to himself, and. after a few successful journeys round 

 the room, determined to try his luck in the streets. 

 Accordingly, at one o'clock in the afternoon, amid the 

 plaudits of a hundred men of the adjacent factory, 

 engaged in the congenial occupation of lounging 

 against the blank walls in their dinner-hour, the 

 velocipede was hoisted on to a cab and driven to 

 Portland Place, where it was put on the pavement, 

 and Mayall prepared to mount. Even nowadays the 

 cycling novice requires plenty of room, and as Portland 

 Place is well known to be the widest street in London, 

 and nearly the most secluded, it seems probable that 

 this intrepid pioneer deliberately chose it in order to 

 have due scope for his evolutions. 



It was a raw and muddy day, with a high wind. 

 Mayall sprang on to the velocipede, but it slipped on 

 the wet road, and he measured his length in the mud. 

 The dav-out was beffinninjj famously. 



Spencer, who had been worsted the night before, 

 contented himself with giving Mayall a start when he 

 made another attempt, and this time that courageous 



