AN IDYL OF THE TIRELESS BIKE 



129 



further incident. Will we eat? Watch 

 us ! 



And we will find that on Monday 

 morning our tireless steed is both ready 

 and willing to serve us again. No mat- 

 ter how far from our' work our homes 

 may be, we are independent of the 

 street cars, and can feel assured that 

 we will get there on time. Not only as 

 a means to a glorious outing, but as a 

 steady, reliable, every-day convenience, 

 the motor-cycle stands in its appointed 

 place. Distance ceases to exist for us 

 now. Without care or attention be- 

 yond that of a bicycle, exacting only a 

 supply of gasoline and oil, and demand- 

 ing only a common-sense treatment as 

 to its care, it will carry us mile after 

 mile, day after day, and last us season 

 after season. 



But there is one phase of the motor- 

 cycle game which I never could quite 

 understand. To the ordinary mortal, a 

 motor-cyclist is either a speed-crazed 

 freak or else a reckless fool. Why this 

 should be I know not. Possibly the old 

 days when the "infernal machine" 

 served to pace the riders on the track 



has much to do wiih it, and the public 

 has not as yet realized thai a pacing 



machine and a motor-cycle are not one 

 and the same. But the fact remains 

 that while to a very few of my friends 

 I am a hero, to the majority I am only 

 a suitable risk for an accident insur- 

 ance company to reject. Time and 

 time again 1 have heard people say, "I 

 wouldn't get on one of those machines 

 for a hundred dollars." Perhaps not, 

 But I feel fully as safe on my machine 

 as I do in my bed. Occasionally some- 

 body makes a few pointed remarks 

 about the danger of the game, and I 

 then admit that a reckless man has no 

 business on a motor. Neither has he 

 any business driving a horse. Come, 

 let us reason together. Did you ever 

 know of a man getting killed on a mo- 

 tor-cycle unless he was racing and de- 

 liberately taking great chances, or even 

 then ? Well, no, — but they might. Possi- 

 bly, but how many people are killed hunt- 

 ing every year ? Would you say a man 

 was safer in a boat than on a motor-cy- 

 cle ? Did you ever see a party riding to 

 hounds? Or a game of football? And 



. "feed cork has been jarred shut' 



