The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-03-10
NUMBER 25.

"Pn show you. Now, boys, who's
yoing with me? Hurrah! The more
he merrier."
I'm wild ye," shouted Jim Delany.
:. .It'n be bad luck for any horned
baste we run into"
/ One after another the larger boys fol-
lowed Jim, and Court never stopped to
count.
keep your feet on the foot rests"
be shouted. "Hold on hard. Hold
steady as rocks. Well be off in q
Ready, all? Go. then"
And 90 it was, with nearly mile of
road before them. and beyond
that the long glittering reach OF the
level.
There was time for q cheer or two.
and they gave one and nearly half OF
another; but that second cheer seemed
to be cut in two by something.
Court Hoffman grasped his wheel til
ler with all the strength he had in him
and looked straight ahead He had
ridden on that sort of machine before,
and he knew what was coming the mo-
ment she got her speed on.
But the other boys?
Dan Varick's grip on Jim Delany
would have brought q yell from him IL
he had dared to open his mouth. jim
was thinking, too, but he and all the
rest were thinking the same thought.
"Fencesp They're nothing but two
black streaks at the side of the road.
Oh, dear! we'll go clean through the
village. What if we should run into
somethingr'
They held on like good fellows, and
made that ripperload Of boys as nearly
as possible one solid mass, SO that it
was easier for Court Hoffman to steer.
Even he, though, was beginning to
have his doubts as to where they would
bring up, and whether he could steer
safely around the curve where the road
from the West Hill crossed the main
street and met the road from the east
that led over the bridge.
The speed was awful! No express
train ever went faster, and q race-horse
would have been passed as if he were
standing still.
Danger in itp OF course there was,
and the lives of all of them depended
upon the nerve and pluck OF Court
Hoffman and the skill he might show in
getting around the curve. Yes. and on
whether or not there should be clear
road, or stray team or COW or human
being to run against.
IL was y G6IIlUAC IISA W AuhS eSAA0 SsAA
the boys left ON the hill were glad they
had let somebody else try the first ride
on the ripper.
Before the beginning of that swift,
perilous dash, however. Rod Sanderson
and the East Side boys had completed
their preparations. Some of them had
to get off and push to get the old sleigh
started, and only one of these managed
to get on again. Three more jumped
of before the "whopper, as Rodney
called her, had gone ten rods. and it
may have been because they had doubts
as to where she would fetch up.
ssShe Just steers lovely" remarked
Put Wlloughby, as he noticed how Rod
Sanderson was straining at the long
handle of his rudder.
"She's beginning to go faster?'
"She's a-gainingr'
"Don't she go itr'
eHurrah-ah-aw-
They all Joined in that, but at just
that moment the old sleigh showed her
goose-necks over the little roll at the
edge of the first really steep slope ofthe
East Hill road, and she seemed to give
a great jump.
"Rod. where's your rudder?"
"Gone! I-''
Jhere was no more 10 De said. !.
naI Deen Je1Aeu .lol. y. I'm, III ~ snoun .ue ue
mole me- nau cuI ,ot ~, W. o.; uoo' ,,nea .nS SnS
Dent SPiHe causn' N an 10y piaoe' anu
tne oia sleign hau e.S !" ne' o"n
nanas rom tna' noMen' :. -
S1e seemed 10 Know ~ anu ~ us Us
uckiea nan 20 uea.l oser :.S .ue no.,on s,, -,
ooing ner ~ own tant rs ~ hsr ~ Sha wa. S" no,
noIseS ~ nut " e. ~ -,
ripper, nueeu' 9uS SuT "as Inop r,
per, anu sue nau wo.S' % eno III IN
ooa.u 70 give neI on, gu 'n0 "np0'"' Sne
needed Gown tnat nin. Ia.
how sne ala Piunge anu sup. auI =
how the loose snow ana pits OF ICE oiG
n.y.! Still. she nad Deen over tnaI roaa
many tme' ana seemed 10 Know II
like book now; that ls' the ruts were
deep, ana ner runners kePt IN tnem Is
surely as the wneels OF strees car keeS
IN the grooves OF the track. raster anu
faster, with nooooy 10 steer, anu no
earthly chance OF stopping her! inere
never was such coast,ng. nor nor so many
boys doS'ng g II On one at o.g s,ea a.s .h..d ove,
III nou osanch;r% HJITu i".d % and the the Wind cni
ms croacning ioSu, anu 'ne w.au oG'
by his lace as II there nao oeen an nulri, !,
cane. team on the Dnoge: "nne u
it should come ON INTO tne roaa! ma
If the old sleigh should take nosion ge
60 on over the orldge ana lneo 'ne VII
iage; ~ or ANY aaywIe!s. aSa's oo;nv fasterr,
TIL shn,t Iea .sretcb sne % of isveI % road at th.
hotto,, ~ the East HiIl was reached
he . fssb and II was now poino by
i;ee arothar faah-a I;ttle slower. 70 be
n.,.. In ' h,,t ,.r;.h No .;on of stonn;no
SUR, IT, ~. VIII - ~ tha faan, on tba hr;dgf
d h.itaS h;s oxan and the hovs in tRs
a,s;h l,au h" .eon,a5 s o al a. or onca to feeI ths
same imnnIse to dodoe. Thew leaned
toward the r;obt. and It NAV be some
of them meant to iump; but the pres
snre helned a clog of wood the runner.
tonched at that moment to turn tho
.syvhonner,, ont of the ruts of the mad
; .rd ;ntc tho wolj.worp slide that lef
down the riyer-bank. It was her las
plunge, and she was nearly out O
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