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The "life" of a machine, not less than its satisfactory performance, depends materially on its being kept in good order. The first point is to keep the bearings always carefully oiled, not only to minimize friction, but in order to exclude moisture. If, however, a machine has been exposed to heavy rain, the rider should take the earliest opportunity of wiping off all moisture from its working parts, and from all bright and plated portions. Mud should be wiped off. After all solid dirt has been removed, a soft rag, moistened with paraffin, should be used to freshen up the enamelled surface, and to give a first rub to the bright portions, a dry soft leather being employed to give the final polish. The leather should be of good quality and washed frequently, leaving the soap in it. If you rinse a leather you spoil it.

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Care should be taken when "oiling up" always to see that the oil holes are free from dust or grit, and after oiling, the holes should be wiped, and the covers carefully replaced. With the utmost care, however, dust will sometimes get into the bearings, and it is necessary now and then to cleanse them. This is done by pouring in (from an ordinary oil-can) a good dose of paraffin, and spinning the wheel, so as to cause the axle to revolve. The paraffin will speedily work out through the face of the bearing, bringing all dirt, in a state of solution, with it. The process must be repeated till the paraffin runs out perfectly clean. This achieved, let the bearing drain itself completely out, and then oil it anew in the ordinary way.

Before starting for a ride, look to your nuts, your lamp, your tyres, your brake; oil your bearings. Carry spare nuts and washers, some short pieces of wire, a wrench that will tackle every nut, a well-filled oil-can, and a box of flaming lights. Rush a short hill; go steadily up a long one. Sound your gong before passing cross roads or turnings. Take care of your heels in regaining the pedals after a quick run downhill. When riding where there is much traffic, always keep a finger on the brake lever. Never travel without sufficient cash in your pocket to take you and your mount home by rail. When riding, keep your mouth shut; drink only non-alcoholic drinks, and the less of these the better; eat no new bread. Overtaking another rider or other vehicle, keep to the right; overtaken, to the left. Cross tramway lines at a considerable angle (the greater the better). Light your lamp the moment it is fairly dusk.

Minor Outdoor Games.

DUCK AND DRAKE.

This is a very simple method of whiling away the time when nothing better is to the fore. A small sheet of water and plenty of smooth, flat stones, oystershells, or bits of crockery are the only requirements.

The stones are thrown so as to skim like a swallow along the surface of the water, touching and flying off again in a series of "ricochets" at constantly shorter intervals, until they finally sink exhausted in the water.

To the three first dips or "ricochets" the thrower cries out, "Dick, duck, drake!" hence the name of the sport; and a proud time it is for the beginner when he first succeeds in reaching the third.

A little practice will soon enable the thrower to make the stone dip seven or eight or even more times.

When two or more are together, it is usual for them to match themselves against each other as to who shall score the highest number of dips in a given number of throws.

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DOG-STICK AND SPLENT.

In the North of England a game is played which is a sort of combination of trap-ball, knurr and spell, and rounders.

A tongue-shaped piece of wood is made, as seen in the illustration, having one end tapering, and the other rounded and slightly hollowed so as to hold the ball. Instead of a bat, a rounded piece of wood, called a dog-stick, is employed. The origin of the name is rather dubious, as the stick certainly could not be used for beating dogs, a blow of it being sufficient to kill any ordinary dog. Players are very fastidious about the weight and balance of the dogstick, and each has his own stick. The ball is made of boxwood, loaded with shot to make it heavier, and covered with a coating of stout leather.

There are so many rules for this game that we can do little more than mention that the principle lies in two points, namely, striking the ball beyond a certain distance, and calculating the number of stick-lengths from the splent when thrown up.

The out-players divide themselves into two bodies, one set spreading themselves over the field, and the rest forming in close line in front of the striker, and just behind the boundary-line beyond which a ball must be struck. They may stop the ball in any way, and usually do so with their hats or caps, in the crown of which a handkerchief is placed, so as to deaden the force of the

ball. The player is out if he twice successively misses the ball, or fails to strike it beyond the boundary-line; if it be caught by the enemy; if he cuts it behind the trap; or if, when the ball is thrown up, he indicates more than the proper number of stick-lengths from the trap.

When he has succeeded in striking a ball beyond the boundary, one of the out players throws it towards the splent. The striker may, if he can, strike the ball with his dog-stick before it touches the ground, and either stop it or knock it away from the splent. When it stops, he measures with his eye the number of stick-lengths between the ball and the trap, and calls out the number. The distance is measured by the umpire, and if the guess be within the mark, the number called is added to the score; if it be over the mark, the striker is out. Thus, if the ball be three and a half lengths from the splent, and the striker call four, he is out; if he call three, he adds three to his score. In any case he may not add more than five to the score, so that when the ball is palpably beyond five lengths from the splent the umpire calls "Five," and that number is added to the striker's score without measurement.

Owing to the hardness, weight, and velocity of the ball, this is rather a dangerous game for beginners, who ought to play as out-fielders for a long time before they venture to rank among the home players.

LES GRACES.

This game derives its title from the graceful attitudes into which it throws the body if properly played. Unfortunately, when badly played, it is about as ungraceful a proceeding as can be imagined.

The materials of the game are very simple, namely, a couple of slender sticks for each player, and two or more hoops of different sizes The players stand at some distance from each other, and the object of the game is to throw the hoops backwards and forwards, catching and throwing them by means of the sticks.

The proper mode of throwing the hoop is as follows: Hang it on the sticks, and then cross them, so as to prevent it from falling off. Hold the sticks, with their points downwards, on the left side of the body, the left hand grasping one stick firmly, while the right hand holds the other loosely between the finger and thumb. Now raise the arms, point the left-hand stick in the direction which the hoop is meant to take, and with the right-hand stick throw the hoop, gliding, at the same time, the right-hand stick over the other.

These movements should be performed as one, without any pause between them; and if they are

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properly done, the hoop revolves rapidly, so as to keep it steady as it flies through the air. Unless this be done, it wabbles, or even turns over and over, in either of which cases the player to whom it is thrown can scarcely have a chance of catching it.

The hoop should be thrown tolerably high, and ought to be sent with such

accuracy, that if it were not stopped, it would fall on the head of the second player.

Catching the hoop ought to be done with both sticks slightly crossed, unless it be flung much to the right or left, when, of course, a single stick must be employed. Sometimes an unskilful player flings the hoop so that it presents its edge to the catcher. Even in this case an expert player will catch it by giving the lower edge a little tap with one stick, the effect of which will be to make the hoop fall over the stick.

Let me here warn the beginner against one mode of throwing the hoop, than which nothing can be more awkward. We have often seen players cross the sticks horizontally in front of their noses, stick out their elbows level with their ears, and throw the hoop by flinging both arms apart. Now, in this mode of throwing there is neither case, grace, nor certainty. A properly thrown hoop ought to look quite steady as it passes through the air, and to be thrown so accurately that there is no difficulty in catching it.

With every good set of Les Graces implements there ought to be two hoops of a foot in diameter, and two of seven inches. The test of good play is to exchange the hoops, throwing them so that the small hoop passes through the large one. This feat looks rather formidable, but all good players can perform it, and the writer has done it repeatedly whenever he could find a steady partner whom he could trust. When the hoops are thus crossed, the larger hoop should be thrown first, so that aim may be taken with the smaller one.

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This game is played somewhat in the same manner as skittles, but is, in our estimation, inferior to that despised though capital game. Nine wooden pins are set upright on a frame, the central pin being called the king and having a crown on its head. A very large and heavy ball is thrown at the pins from a short distance, and the thrower counts one for each pin, and two for the king. The ball is remarkable for having two holes: in one of these the thumb is placed, and in the other the forefinger.

TRAP-BALL.

The apparatus required are a ball such as described above in "Rounders," a short bat, like a small cricket bat, and a trap in the shape of a shoe, having a tongue or trigger hung on a pivot, with one end shaped like a spoon to hold the ball. (See cut.)

The inning side handle the bat in succession, and try to score as many for their side as they can before they are put out, an event which the outing side endeavour to bring about as soon as possible.

The game is played thus: The striker, bat in hand, stands in readiness by the trap, with the ball in it, and touching the lever end of the trigger with his bat, causes the ball to fly up in the air: this he hits hard away into the field. If he miss his stroke, or if he strike the ball outside certain boundaries marked out on either side, or if one of the fielders catch the ball before it touches the ground, he is out, and the next player takes his place.

If none of these happen, the fieldman who stops the ball bowls it towards the trap, which must be brought round at right angles, so as to give a fair shot. If he succeed in hitting it, or in bringing the ball to rest within one bat's length of it, the striker is out. If, however, he fails in doing this, the striker measures the distance with his eye, and calls a number of bats' lengths: if upon measurement this number proves to be within the actual distance, he scores it towards his game but if it exceed it he is out, and makes room for the next.

When all the players of one side are thus out, the sides change places, and when each has played out its innings, the respective scores are added up, as in cricket, and the highest score wins the game.

In some parts of the country, Essex and Suffolk for example, a cudgel or bludgeon is used instead of the bat, but the game is essentially the same in all other respects as that described above.

In some parts of England the place of the trap is taken by a piece of wood shaped like the trigger of the trap, and placed in a little hole beaten in the ground by the bat. The piece of wood is called the "splent;" and much skill is needed in shaping the hole properly, so that the ball may rise fairly.

KNURR AND SPELL.

This game, otherwise known as Northern Spell, is only to be seen in the northern counties, and is hardly known even by name in the southern parts of the island. It is a very simple game, and does not offer many difficulties to the learner, who, if he have a good eye and a ready hand, may easily and quickly acquire even considerable proficiency in it. It is wanting, however, in the interest of personal antagonism; the whole gist of it lies in driving a ball in a given number of strokes over as many yards of ground as possible. As each man tries his hand in turn, quite independently of his opponent, and takes his own time, being as leisurely as he sees fit, it becomes too cold-blooded an affair to excite much enthusiasm even in the players themselves. In the north, however, it has a certain popularity.

Any number may join in the game, but it is essentially a contest between individual players. The requisites for the game are a bat, a trap, and a bail. The ball, about one and a half inches in diameter, is made either of wood or of white porcelain, the latter being, perhaps, preferable. The trap is the same

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