15-taming the bicycle-第2部分

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leave　his　education　in　quite　a　complete　and　rounded…out

condition；　till　he　should　come　again；　some　day；　and　go　to

bouncing　a　dynamite…can　around　to　find　out　what　was　in　it。



But　we　wander　from　the　point。　　However；　get　a　teacher；　it

saves　much　time　and　Pond's　Extract。



Before　taking　final　leave　of　me；　my　instructor　inquired

concerning　my　physical　strength；　and　I　was　able　to　inform　him

that　I　hadn't　any。　　He　said　that　that　was　a　defect　which　would

make　up…hill　wheeling　pretty　difficult　for　me　at　first；　but　he

also　said　the　bicycle　would　soon　remove　it。　　The　contrast　between

his　muscles　and　mine　was　quite　marked。　　He　wanted　to　test　mine；

so　I　offered　my　bicepswhich　was　my　best。　　It　almost　made　him

smile。　　He　said；　〃It　is　pulpy；　and　soft；　and　yielding；　and

rounded；　it　evades　pressure；　and　glides　from　under　the　fingers；

in　the　dark　a　body　might　think　it　was　an　oyster　in　a　rag。〃

Perhaps　this　made　me　look　grieved；　for　he　added；　briskly：　　〃Oh；

that's　all　right；　you　needn't　worry　about　that；　in　a　little　while

you　can't　tell　it　from　a　petrified　kidney。　　Just　go　right　along

with　your　practice；　you're　all　right。〃



Then　he　left　me；　and　I　started　out　alone　to　seek　adventures。

You　don't　really　have　to　seek　themthat　is　nothing　but　a　phrase

they　come　to　you。



I　chose　a　reposeful　Sabbath…day　sort　of　a　back　street　which

was　about　thirty　yards　wide　between　the　curbstones。　　I　knew　it

was　not　wide　enough；　still；　I　thought　that　by　keeping　strict

watch　and　wasting　no　space　unnecessarily　I　could　crowd　through。



Of　course　I　had　trouble　mounting　the　machine；　entirely　on　my

own　responsibility；　with　no　encouraging　moral　support　from　the

outside；　no　sympathetic　instructor　to　say；　〃Good！　now　you're

doing　wellgood　againdon't　hurrythere；　now；　you're　all　right

brace　up；　go　ahead。〃　　In　place　of　this　I　had　some　other

support。　　This　was　a　boy；　who　was　perched　on　a　gate…post　munching

a　hunk　of　maple　sugar。



He　was　full　of　interest　and　comment。　　The　first　time　I

failed　and　went　down　he　said　that　if　he　was　me　he　would　dress　up

in　pillows；　that's　what　he　would　do。　　The　next　time　I　went　down

he　advised　me　to　go　and　learn　to　ride　a　tricycle　first。　　The

third　time　I　collapsed　he　said　he　didn't　believe　I　could　stay　on

a　horse…car。　　But　the　next　time　I　succeeded；　and　got　clumsily

under　way　in　a　weaving；　tottering；　uncertain　fashion；　and

occupying　pretty　much　all　of　the　street。　　My　slow　and　lumbering

gait　filled　the　boy　to　the　chin　with　scorn；　and　he　sung　out；　〃My；

but　don't　he　rip　along！〃　　Then　he　got　down　from　his　post　and

loafed　along　the　sidewalk；　still　observing　and　occasionally

commenting。　　Presently　he　dropped　into　my　wake　and　followed　along

behind。　　A　little　girl　passed　by；　balancing　a　wash…board　on　her

head；　and　giggled；　and　seemed　about　to　make　a　remark；　but　the　boy

said；　rebukingly；　〃Let　him　alone；　he's　going　to　a　funeral。〃



I　have　been　familiar　with　that　street　for　years；　and　had

always　supposed　it　was　a　dead　level；　but　it　was　not；　as　the

bicycle　now　informed　me；　to　my　surprise。　　The　bicycle；　in　the

hands　of　a　novice；　is　as　alert　and　acute　as　a　spirit…level　in　the

detecting　the　delicate　and　vanishing　shades　of　difference　in

these　matters。　　It　notices　a　rise　where　your　untrained　eye　would

not　observe　that　one　existed；　it　notices　any　decline　which　water

will　run　down。　　I　was　toiling　up　a　slight　rise；　but　was　not　aware

of　it。　　It　made　me　tug　and　pant　and　perspire；　and　still；　labor　as

I　might；　the　machine　came　almost　to　a　standstill　every　little　while。

At　such　times　the　boy　would　say：　　〃That's　it！　take　a　rest

there　ain't　no　hurry。　　They　can't　hold　the　funeral　without　YOU。〃



Stones　were　a　bother　to　me。　　Even　the　smallest　ones　gave　me　a

panic　when　I　went　over　them。　　I　could　hit　any　kind　of　a　stone；

no　matter　how　small；　if　I　tried　to　miss　it；　and　of　course　at

first　I　couldn't　help　trying　to　do　that。　　It　is　but　natural。

It　is　part　of　the　ass　that　is　put　in　us　all；　for　some

inscrutable　reason。



It　was　at　the　end　of　my　course；　at　last；　and　it　was　necessary

for　me　to　round　to。　　This　is　not　a　pleasant　thing；　when　you

undertake　it　for　the　first　time　on　your　own　responsibility；

and　neither　is　it　likely　to　succeed。　　Your　confidence　oozes　away；

you　fill　steadily　up　with　nameless　apprehensions；　every　fiber　of

you　is　tense　with　a　watchful　strain；　you　start　a　cautious　and

gradual　curve；　but　your　squirmy　nerves　are　all　full　of　electric

anxieties；　so　the　curve　is　quickly　demoralized　into　a　jerky　and

perilous　zigzag；　then　suddenly　the　nickel…clad　horse　takes　the

bit　in　its　mouth　and　goes　slanting　for　the　curbstone；　defying　all

prayers　and　all　your　powers　to　change　its　mindyour　heart　stands

still；　your　breath　hangs　fire；　your　legs　forget　to　work；　straight

on　you　go；　and　there　are　but　a　couple　of　feet　between　you　and　the

curb　now。　　And　now　is　the　desperate　moment；　the　last　chance　to

save　yourself；　of　course　all　your　instructions　fly　out　of　your

head；　and　you　whirl　your　wheel　AWAY　from　the　curb　instead　of

TOWARD　it；　and　so　you　go　sprawling　on　that　granite…bound

inhospitable　shore。　　That　was　my　luck；　that　was　my　experience。　　I

dragged　myself　out　from　under　the　indestructible　bicycle　and　sat

down　on　the　curb　to　examine。



I　started　on　the　return　trip。　　It　was　now　that　I　saw　a

farmer's　wagon　poking　along　down　toward　me；　loaded　with　cabbages。

If　I　needed　anything　to　perfect　the　precariousness　of　my　steering；

it　was　just　that。　　The　farmer　was　occupying　the　middle　of　the　road

with　his　wagon；　leaving　barely　fourteen　or　fifteen　yards　of　space

on　either　side。　　I　couldn't　shout　at　hima　beginner　can't　shout；

if　he　opens　his　mouth　he　is　gone；　he　must　keep　all　his　attention

on　his　business。　　But　in　this　grisly　emergency；　the　boy　came

to　the　rescue；　and　for　once　I　had　to　be　grateful　to　him。

He　kept　a　sharp　lookout　on　the　swiftly　varying　impulses　and

inspirations　of　my　bicycle；　and　shouted　to　the　man　accordingly：



〃To　the　left！　　Turn　to　the　left；　or　this　jackass　'll　run　over　you！〃

The　man　started　to　do　it。　　〃No；　to　the　right；　to　the　right！　

Hold　on！　THAT　won't　do！to　the　left！to　the　right！to　the

LEFTright！　leftri　　Stay　where　you　ARE；　or　you're　a　goner！〃



And　just　then　I　caught　the　off　horse　in　the　starboard　and　went

down　in　a　pile。　　I　said；　〃Hang　it！　　Couldn't　you　SEE　I　was　coming？〃



〃Yes；　I　see　you　was　coming；　but　I　couldn't　tell　which　WAY　you

was　coming。　　Nobody　couldnow；　COULD　they？　　You　couldn't

yourselfnow；　COULD　you？　　So　what　could　_I_　do？



There　was　something　in　that；　and　so　I　had　the　magnanimity　to

say　so。　　I　said　I　was　no　doubt　as　much　to　blame　as　he　was。



Within　the　next　five　days　I　achieved　so　much　progress　that

the　boy　couldn't　keep　up　with　me。　　He　had　to　go　back　to　his　gate…

post；　and　content　himself　with　watching　me　fall　at　long　range。



There　was　a　row　of　low　stepping…stones　across　one　end　of　the

street；　a　measured　yard　apart。　　Even　after　I　got　so　I　could　steer

pretty　fairly　I　was　so　afraid　of　those　stones　that　I　always　hit

them。　　They　gave　me　the　worst　falls　I　ever　got　in　that　street；

except　those　which　I　got　from　dogs。　　I　have　seen　it　stated　that

no　expert　is　quick　enough　to　run　over　a　dog；　that　a　dog　is　always

able　to　skip　out　of　his　way。　　I　think　that　that　may　be　true：　　but

I　think　that　the　reason　he　couldn't　run　over　the　dog　was　because

he　was　trying　to。　　I　did　not　try　to　run　over　any　dog。　　But　I　ran

over　every　dog　that　came　along。　　I　think　it　makes　a　great　deal　of

difference。　　If　you　try　to　run　over　the　dog　he　knows　how　to

calculate；　but　if　you　are　trying　to　miss　him　he　does　not　know　how

to　calculate；　and　is　liable　to　jump　the　wrong　way　every　time。　　It

was　always　so　in　my　experience。　　Even　when　I　could　not　hit　a

wagon　I　could　hit　a　dog　that　came　to　see　me　practice。　　They　all

liked　to　see　me　practice；　and　they　all　came；　for　there　was　very

little　going　on　in　our　neighborhood　to　entertain　a　dog。　　It　took

time　to　learn　to　miss　a　dog；　but　I　achieved　even　that。



I　can　steer　as　well　as　I　want　to；　now；　and　I　will　catch　that

boy　one　of　these　days　and　run　over　HIM　if　he　doesn't　reform。



Get　a　bicycle。　　You　will　not　regret　it；　if　you　live。





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