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      FRED HUMPHREYS was a boy of an original mind; that is to say, he was very fond of thinking for himself and doing things of which he had never either heard or read. This may or may not be a good disposition in a boy. It depends altogether upon what kind of a boy he is. If he mixes a great deal of reason with his original thinking, if he is able to see when he has made a mistake, and is willing to acknowledge it, — and if he is of a prudent turn of mind, and is not willing to dive into a new enterprise until he knows how deep it is and whether or not the current is too strong for him, it may be very well for him to do his own thinking. But if he does not possess these requisites, it would be better, until he is older, to let some one else attend to this matter for him.

      Fred was an only son, and his father was desirous that he should find out as much as possible for himself during his boyhood. He was to be a business man, and would probably have a great many ups and downs in the course of his life; and Mr. Humphreys had an idea that if his son could get through with some of the "downs" during his minority, the experience he would thereby gain would prevent his having just as many of them in after life, when they would be much more important.

      When the bicycle came into use in this country, Fred Humphreys was one of the first boys who had one. When an improved form of the machine was invented, Fred sold his old one, and his father added money enough to what he received to buy one of the new kind. This change from good to better occurred several times; and when the tricycle came before the public, Fred gave up his last bicycle, and bought one of the three-wheeled machines, and, after using this for some months, he disposed of it and became the possessor of a first-class double tricycle, that would carry two persons. Sometimes with his sister, and sometimes with a boy friend, Fred made excursions in this tricycle through the country round about the town in which he lived.

      This town was situated in the interior of one of our Northern States. It was much frequented in the summer-time as a watering-place, and some of the roads leading to hotels and places of popular resort in the neighborhood were unusually smooth and well made, and, therefore, admirably adapted to bicycles and tricycles. On these fine roads Fred and his machine soon became almost as well known as were the famous "tally-hos," with four or six horses, which in the season made regular trips between the town and various pleasant spots in the surrounding country.

      But, much as Fred enjoyed his tricycle, he became convinced in time that there might be something better; and as nothing better had, as yet, been invented by any one else, he determined, if possible, to invent it himself. The idea which gradually developed itself in his mind was this: If a boy can pull a vehicle, say a tricycle, at the rate of a certain number of miles per hour, and with an amount of exertion which he can keep up for a certain time, and if that boy, by getting into that tricycle, and working it with his legs, can propel it at a far greater rate of speed and can keep up the exercise for a much longer time than when he was pulling it — then it must follow that if a horse, which pulls a vehicle of any kind, could get inside that vehicle and work it with its legs, it could propel it at a much higher rate of speed than when it was dragging it along the ground. And if one horse, why not two, or four? Why should there not be a great tally-ho coach, with six horses working tread-mills on the lower story, while crowds of passengers sat above enjoying the rapid and exhilarating excursion? This last idea came into Fred's mind as a picture of the Great Tricycle of the Future. How proud and happy he would be to build and own a machine of this kind! He would sit in front with his hand upon the steering gear, while six fine horses steadily trod the propelling arrangement behind him, eating, as they worked, from mangers under their noses; while the ladies and gentlemen who used to crowd the old "tally-hos" would sit comfortably on the second story, and never tire of telling one another how much better this was than the comparatively slow trips they used to take in the ordinary coaches and carriages.

      After thinking over this matter for about a week, and making a good many plans and drawings, Fred determined to try to carry out his invention. He did not set out to build at first a machine for six horses and two or three coach-loads of passengers; but he would attempt to make something much more modest, although constructed upon the great principle that it would be better for the horse to be inside the vehicle and propel both it and himself than to stay outside and pull it. If the comparatively simple contrivance which he proposed to make should work satisfactorily, then it would be easy enough to get sufficient capital to build the grand machine (with driving-wheels twenty feet high and a six-horse team to work it), which, in his mind, he called the Tricycle of the Future.

      When he laid his plans and his schemes before his father, Mr. Humphreys considered them very carefully. He had not much faith in Fred's grand scheme of the two-storied tricycle with six horses, but he thought that something on a smaller scale might succeed. He agreed with his son that experiments with dogs or goats, which Fred had first thought of, would be a loss of time and labor, because it would be so much trouble to teach these animals to act properly; whereas, an ordinary horse was already trained sufficiently for the purpose. Besides, a dog or goat machine, in Fred's eyes, would appear like a mere plaything, and would not attract the attention of capitalists; but one worked by horses, however rough it might be, would show at once what could actually be done.

      Having received his father's consent and the promise of a moderate amount of money for his expenses, — for Mr. Humphreys was a rich man, and very generous toward his son, — Fred went to work upon the machine, which was intended to show the principle of his invention. It would be a rough affair, but if it worked properly, its crudity would not matter; all he wished was to show that the thing could be done. For the building of his machine Fred employed a man who was both a carpenter and a blacksmith; and as he himself was very handy with tools, and this was summer holiday time, he worked nearly all day and was of great help in finishing the thing.

      When all was done, the new vehicle was indeed a curious affair, and attracted a great deal of attention, especially from Fred's boy friends. It consisted of a strong frame-work, or floor, at the back of which was a pair of enormous wheels, which had been made for a truck used for hauling great stones and slabs of marble. These were the driving-wheels, and in front was a small but strong wheel, which was turned by a tiller, like the helm of a ship; and with this the vehicle was steered. Between the driving-wheels was set up a machine known in some parts of the country as a "double-horse-power," and which is used by many farmers to give motive power to various kinds of agricultural machines. It consists, in the first place, of an inclined floor of slats which moves like an endless chain; and when a horse walks on this the animal remains where he is, but the floor moves, and continually passing from under him and going down to the lower part of the machine, comes up again in front of him. This motion of the floor turns various cog-wheels under it, and a very rapid motion is communicated from them to the machine which is to be worked. The horses are penned in by a low fence, and all they have to do is to walk or tread steadily on, along the moving floor. Some of these "horse-powers" are for one horse and some for two; and Fred had hired a double one from a farmer who lived not far away. This machine was connected with the driving-wheels of his tricycle, and, when horses were put into it and started, the great wheels would be turned, the vehicle would move forward, and the Tricyclism of the Future would begin.

      There were no accommodations for passengers; all that could come afterward. What Fred wanted to show was that a tricycle could be run by horse-power as well as by man or boy power, the horses being carried along just as the man or boy is carried along. In front was a seat for the steersman, who was to be Fred himself, and in the extreme rear was a small platform for his assistant, whose duty it would be to attend to the brakes and to stop the "horse-power," when necessary, so that the floor on which the horses stood should become immovable.

      A great many opinions were expressed in regard to this new vehicle. Men generally laughed at it; some of the boys thought it would work, while others thought it would not. Among the latter was one, small for his age but old for his years, who was generally known as "Putty" Morris, — this name having been given to him by his companions on account of his having a complexion the color of which was not unlike that of ordinary putty.

Fred's ideal tricycle of the future

      This youth did not believe in the new tricycle at all. Everything was too heavy and lumbering, he said, and if Fred ever did succeed in setting it going, it would be a very difficult machine to control, and there was certain to be some sort of a smash-up.

      "Now, look here, Putty," said Fred, taking him to one side and speaking to him in a manner which he intended should be of service to the youngster, "I've been thinking of asking you to be my assistant; but I wish you to know that I am not going to do it now."

      "All right!" said Putty.

      "I don't want with me any boy who is a pessimist," continued Fred.

      "What's that?" asked Putty.

      "Why, that's a fellow who 's always thinking that everything is certain to go wrong. Now, I like optimists, who believe that things are sure to go right; that is, as long as there 's any chance for 'em. Everybody who ever did anything great in this world was an optimist; for, of course, he would n't keep hammering at, or fighting out anything if he did n't think it would succeed. Don't you see that?"

      "Of course," said Putty, "if a fellow really thought a thing would work, and wanted it to work, he'd better be an optimist; but if he thought the other way about it, why, I think the more he pessimed the better."

      "Goodness!" said Fred, laughing. "If you twisted my machinery as badly as you twist the English language, you 'd spoil everything for me very soon."

      A boy who believed in the new machine, and who was willing to act in the position of brakeman and general assistant, was found in the person of Johnny Hammond, a stout fellow of sixteen, who was always ready for anything of a novel or lively character.

      Nothing now remained but to secure the working power, that is to, say, the horses. Fred had hoped that his father would let him have the carriage-horses, but to this Mr. Humphreys objected; he did not wish them used for that sort of work. He had, however, a steady brown mare, named Jenny, who was often employed in farm-work, and was accustomed to a "horse-power," and he told Fred that he was welcome to use this animal for his experiment. After some trouble, for horses were much needed by their owners at that time of the year, Fred hired from a farmer an elderly animal known as Glaucus, which had once been, according to tradition, a very fine and spirited horse, but had now settled down into the soberness and placidity of age. Glaucus was tall and bony and not anxious to work, but he had weight and strength, and these are important points in a beast which is to work a "horse-power." These two horses did not make quite so good a team as Fred had hoped to have, but, as he said, they did very well to begin with.

      It was determined that the trial trip should take place early in the forenoon, before there were many carriages and vehicles on the road, and they did not make any general announcement of the matter, as both Fred and his father thought it would be better to have as few spectators as possible at this first experiment of the running of the machine. If it succeeded, then every one who chose could see it work.

      In spite of their precautions, however, quite a crowd of boys assembled to see the horse-tricycle start, and Mr. Humphreys and the man who made the machine were also there. Heavy planks with cross-slats nailed on them were laid from the back of the vehicle to the ground, and up these the horses were led, and placed in the two divisions of the "horse-power." The bars were put up behind them, and each horse was tied by its halter to the front rails. The gate of the yard in which the machine had been built was opened; Fred climbed up in front and took the tiller, Johnny Hammond mounted the rear platform, and all was ready.

      "Take off the brakes, and start the horses!" cried Fred.

      Whereupon, Johnny released the big wheels from the pressure of the brakes, and then moved the lever which gave play to the machinery of the "horse-power," at the same time starting the horses into a walk. Around went the moving floor on which the horses stood; around and around went the two driving-wheels, and the tricycle was off!

      At first it moved very slowly, as was to have been expected, for the ground in the yard was rough; but when Fred had safely steered through the gate, and the tricycle was on the hard, smooth road, it began to go along much more easily. Mr. Humphreys and the man walked by the side of it, greatly pleased with the success of the experiment, while the boys surrounded it on all sides, some cheering and some chaffing; for, although it moved along very well, it certainly was an odd affair to look at. They were in the suburbs of the town, but a great many people stopped to gaze at the horse tricycle, and very soon Fred determined to let every one see that his new vehicle could go at a much faster speed than a walk. The machine was a heavy one, and rather awkward and clumsy in its appearance, but the wheels turned easily on their axles, which were well oiled, while the machinery which connected the "horse-power" with the driving-wheels was simple and worked smoothly. Therefore, although he could make no such speed as he expected to give to the great Tricycle of the Future, Fred felt sure he could go along at a pretty fair rate, and ordered Johnny Hammond to make the horses trot. Johnny therefore touched up Jenny and Glaucus, and, after some unwillingness, they broke into a trot, and the tricycle began to move over the road at a very creditable speed. Mr. Humphreys and the mechanic soon ceased to follow; and although the boys ran after the machine for some distance, they dropped off, one by one. A few of them tried to climb up behind and enjoy a free ride, but this the sturdy Johnny Hammond would not allow.

      Fred steered his tricycle into a wide and handsome road which led to a much-frequented hotel standing on the shore of the lake, about four miles from town. The boy was flushed and happy. The experiment was a success, and he was going along as fast as a horse at an ordinary trot. If he could do so much with a home-made affair like this, what could not be accomplished with a vast machine for six horses, which should be as light and strong and as perfect in all its parts as the finest bicycle or tricycle in the world? Johnny Hammond, too, was in high spirits, and he continually shouted to Fred his approbation of the working of his "gay old machine." The only individual on the big tricycle that seemed to be discontented was Glaucus. He had never been in the habit of going so fast on the "horse-power," and besides, there was something in the manner of his progression along the road which seemed to disturb his mind. He tossed up his head, the fire of his youth came into his eyes, and from trotting he began to canter. Johnny's shouts did not moderate his pace, and Jenny, feeling that she must do as Glaucus did, also broke into a canter. Fred shouted to put on the brakes and stop the horses; but this Johnny found to be no easy job. The "horse-power" was going with such force and rapidity that the regulating apparatus could not work, and the brakes seemed to take but little hold upon the driving-wheels. Then he climbed up by the side of Glaucus, and, seizing him by the halter, tried to moderate his speed; but he found that the horse was thoroughly frightened and that he could do nothing with him. The spirit of Jenny, too, was now aroused, and she seemed to be trying to get out of this scrape by running as fast as she could. Fred could do nothing to help, for, if he let go of the tiller for a moment, the steering-wheel would turn round, and the great tricycle would be dashed to one side and be upset and wrecked in an instant.

      Fred mentally noted the fact that in a properly constructed machine of this sort, there would need to be some way of throwing the driving-wheels "out of gear," so that there would be no connection between them and the "horse-power." In that case the vehicle could be stopped, no matter how fast the horses were going.

      Johnny now again put his whole weight on the brakes of the driving-wheels, but he found this was of no use.

      The fact that the road began to slope gently before them, so that they were really going downhill, made matters all the worse, and the panic which seemed to possess the two horses now extended to Johnny Hammond, who, shouting to Fred to save himself while he could, promptly jumped off behind.

      Fred was pale and frightened, but he did not jump off. He knew that if he did, the tricycle would upset, and the horses would probably be killed; and, besides, he knew well that it would be a very dangerous thing to jump off in front of those great driving-wheels. All that he could do was to stay at his post, and hope that the horses would soon tire themselves out.

      The two animals were now working the "horse-power" at a furious rate; the few people in the road stood in amazement or ran after the machine as it passed, while carriages and wagons gave the on-coming tricycle, with its rattling and its banging and its bounding horses, a wide berth.

      Fred was now nearing the hotel by the lake. The broad road led directly to the water, but on one side it branched off into a narrower drive which ran along the shore. It was Fred's intention to turn into this road, because his only safety seemed to be to go as far as he could, and so tire out the horses. But he was dashing on so fast that he made a miscalculation; when he reached the turning-point, he did not move his tiller quickly enough, and so lost his chance of running upon the lake road. Now, before him, at a very short distance, lay the lake, and on its edge, directly in front of him, was a row of sheds for the accommodation of the horses and carriages of the visitors to the hotel. Fred's first thought was to steer directly into these sheds, and so stop the mad career of his tricycle; but this would result in a general smash-up, and, as he was in front of everything, he would probably be killed. He did not dare to jump off, as he would have to jump directly in front of the big driving-wheels. There seemed nothing for him to do but to steer into the lake. If this had to be done, the deeper the water into which he plunged the better; and with this idea in his mind, he deftly guided his machine past the sheds, and toward a pier which extended a short distance into the lake. Thundering upon the plank floor came the great tricycle, and in the next instant it had gone off the end of the pier and down into the water.

      There was a huge splash; there were shouts from the hotel and from the road; a fountain of spray shot high into the air, and then a foaming, whirling, gurgling pool closed over the spot where the great dive had been made. Down to the bottom of the lake sank, not only Fred's Tricycle of the Present, but his great Tricycle of the Future, with its two stories, its beautifully working machinery, its crowds of passengers, and its wonderful achievements. There was nothing of the kind now for Fred but a wrecked and sunken Tricycle of the Past.

      At the moment the steering-wheel left the edge of the pier, Fred made a wild spring into the water, and so went down by himself, off at one side of the descending machine. As he sank, thoughts and ideas passed through Fred's mind as rapidly as if they were being telegraphed on a wire. One of these was that all he had been working for so hard had now come to a disastrous end; for his father would never more allow him to have anything to do with such an unmanageable machine as a horse-tricycle: But the thought that over-shadowed everything else was the fate of those poor horses! They were tied to the "horse-power" by their halters, and would, therefore, be kept down at the bottom of the lake, and be drowned. There was so much heavy iron-work about the machinery, it would certainly hold them there like an anchor. Fred had no fears in regard to himself. No thought of sorrow-stricken parents or weeping friends passed through his mind; he had been down to the bottom of the lake before, and although he was encumbered with clothing, his coat was thin, his shoes were light, and he knew that he could swim to shore.

      In a very short time he rose to the top of the water and began to strike out for the pier. Then some distance behind him came up the head of a horse, and Jenny, with a little snort, went swimming landward. Now appeared another horse's head, and Glaucus, with wildly staring eyes, came floundering up, and, after gazing about in much amazement, made for a distant point along the shore, as if he did not wish to land at a place where he had come to such grief. Last of all, up came Putty Morris, his hair dripping with water, and his mouth spluttering vigorously as he slowly swam shoreward!

      When Fred reached the pier and had taken one of the dozen hands which were extended to him from the little crowd of people who had hurried there, he was quickly pulled up, and whatever he had intended to say was cut short by his astonishment at seeing Jenny just coming to land. Then, turning around, his amazement was increased by the sight of Glaucus, still making for his distant point. But when he beheld Putty Morris, spluttering and paddling steadily for the pier, Fred's hair, wet as it was, felt as if it would like to stand on end.

      "Do you live down there?" he said to Putty, a moment later, when that dripping boy was hauled upon the pier.

      "Not exactly," was the answer, after several vigorous shakes and puffs; "and if I'd known that you were going to take me down there, you may be sure I'd never have jumped aboard your crazy old machine."

      "How did you come to do it?" asked Fred. "I did n't know you were there."

      "Well," said Putty, "I was up the road there, and saw you coming like a lot of wild Indians. I saw Johnny Hammond jump off, and guessed something was the matter. Before the thing was up to me I knew that the horses were running away, or trying to, and that you were hanging on to your steering gear with a rather pessimy look on your face, and that you could n't let go to do anything with the horses. So I ran after you, and climbed up behind, and I had to be a pretty lively hoptimist to do it, I can tell you. All I could try to do was to get you rid of your horses, and I thought that if I untied their halters and took down their bars they 'd slide out behind, and then you 'd stop. I did n't say anything to you, for there was such a noise I did n't suppose you 'd hear me; and just as I unfastened the second halter we were out on the pier, and before I had time to jump, down we all went together!"

      "FRED," said Putty Morris to his friend a few days after these events, "are you going to make any more of your big machines?"

      "Well, no," said Fred, "not at present. These things can't be done without money, and father is rather touchy on that subject just now. He has had to pay for that double "horse-power," and everything else is a dead loss; and besides that, old Glaucus scraped his leg in the scrimmage and he 'll not be fit to be used for a month. I am going to begin again at the very bottom round, and if I run anything else of the kind this summer, I shall get a unicycle."

      "A unicycle!" exclaimed Putty; "what is that?"

      "Why, don't you know?" said Fred. "There goes a fellow with one now."