An Unfinished Race

by Ambrose Bierce

James Burne Worson was ashoemaker who lived in Leamington, Warwickshire, England .He had alittle shop in one_of_the by-ways leading off the road to Warwick . in_his humble sphere he_was esteemed an honest man, although like many of_his class in English towns he_was somewhat addicted to drink .When in liquor he_would make foolish wagers .On one_of_these too frequent occasions he_was boasting of_his prowess as apedestrian and athlete, and_the outcome was amatch against nature .For astake of one sovereign he undertook to run all the way to Coventry and back, adistance of something more than forty miles . this_was on_the 3d day of September in 1873 .He set out at once, the man with_whom he had made the bet--whose name is_not remembered--accompanied by Barham Wise, alinen draper, and Hamerson Burns, aphotographer, i_think, following in alight cart or wagon .

For several miles Worson went on very_well, at an easy gait, without apparent fatigue, for he had really great powers of endurance and was not sufficiently intoxicated to enfeeble them .The three men in_the wagon kept ashort distance in_the rear, giving him occasional friendly "chaff" or encouragement, as_the spirit moved them .Suddenly-- in_the very middle of_the roadway, not adozen yards from_them, and with their eyes full upon him--the man seemed to stumble, pitched headlong forward, uttered aterrible cry and vanished ! he_did_not fall to_the earth--he vanished before touching it .No trace of him was ever discovered .

After remaining at and about_the spot for some_time, with aimless irresolution, the three men returned to Leamington, told their astonishing story and were afterward taken into custody .But they were of good standing, had always been considered truthful, were sober at_the_time of_the occurrence, and nothing ever transpired to discredit their sworn account of_their extraordinary adventure, concerning the truth of_which, nevertheless, public opinion was divided, throughout_the United Kingdom . if_they had something to conceal, their choice of means is certainly one_of_the_most amazing ever made by sane human beings .