Harper's Round Table, March 24, 1896

In this lively tale set against the backdrop of an 1890s Easter holiday, a group of boarding‑school boys hatch a daring scheme to prove the tactical value of bicycles. Fred March pitches the idea of a “bicycle corps” to Colonel Howard, outlining a plan that would see single‑wheel and tandem cyclists equipped with carbines and even a motorized “Happy Thought” joining a mock engagement on a local golf course. As the youngsters rally their friends, tallying sixty‑five bicycles and a handful of motorized rigs, the story captures the era’s blend of youthful optimism and inventive military curiosity.

The narrative follows the boys as they present their proposal, win the colonel’s tentative approval, and begin the meticulous preparations for the staged battle. Their enthusiasm is matched by detailed discussions of strategy, equipment placement, and the logistics of coordinating a makeshift army of riders. Through witty dialogue and vivid description, the opening offers a snapshot of a bygone time when imagination and mechanical innovation collided on the common green.