to
pump it down the slight in-line toward the street.

Suddenly, to Roy's delight, the motor began to fire, and, with a shout
of satisfaction, he turned up the street and disappeared from view.

In something like five minutes Rackliff, smoking his tenth cigarette
since seating himself on the box, heard the repeated explosions of the
motorcycle, and Roy, his face beaming with satisfaction, reappeared,
came triumphantly up the rise and leaped off.

"She goes like a bird," he cried.

"What did you do to it?" asked Herbert.

"I wish I knew. I just tinkered with the wires a bit. That was the
last thing I did, but I'd been at everything else I could think of, so
I don't know what it was that sent her off. If she'll only keep going,
I don't care, either. Never knew the thing to run better. Say,
Herbert, it's fine. Don't you want to try it?"

"Oh, I don't believe I do. I'd break my neck."

"Paugh! 'Tain't no trick at all. I can show you how to start her and
stop her, and, if you can ride an ordinary bicycle, you'll find it a
cinch to ride this. Come on. Afraid?"

"Oh, no," said Rackliff, rising and snapping aside the butt of his
cigarette, "but I should hate to get very far away and have it stop on
me."

"You don't have to go very far; just try her through Middle Street, up
Main, back along High, and down Willow, and here you are."

Herbert looked dubious, but finally, after his companion had chaffed
him a while, he agreed to make the venture. Roy gave full and complete
directions about the manipulation of the motorcycle, and Rackliff, a
trifle pale, finally mounted it and started down the incline.

"Turn the handles from you," shouted Roy. "Give her a little gas.
There she goes. Now you're off."

"Now I'm on," muttered Herbert, as the engine began popping away
beneath him; "but I may be off directly."

Turning into the street, he barely escaped the gutter at the far side,
and away he went, watched by Hooker, who had run out to the sidewalk.
Remembering instructions, and following them faithfully, Rackliff
speeded up the engine or slowed it down, as he desired, and soon his
confidence rose. One of the street crossings gave him a bump that
nearly threw him off, but he was prepared for the next, and took it
easily. In a brief time he had covered the course laid out for him by
his friend, and found himself back at Hooker's home, where he promptly
shut off the gas, switched the spark, and, a little f