The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1896-03-27

the wheel, Ae would stop AT The frs:
rnnch-house he passed and get ID horse.
In an incredibly short time he found
himself NJ the end q his first ten
miles and felt but very little the worse
for the ride that far. on 10 the east,
probably a mile. he could see the rays
Of light from ranch house. but he had
no desire to ask for the assistance OF
horse now. lie believed thut he had /
better chance of succeeding With the |
wheel.
| Such thing as the executi,.n being !
DELAYED until later .hnn four o'clock
had never entered lis mind, Ever
since the trial he had though. OF tn,
people there more as fiends tpan as
human beings, and he mad no doabt that
| lcfore the clock In the Wild Rock jail
had finished striking The hour Of four
his friend would be launched into
eternity through the trap OF gallows
If he did not reach there in time to
rescue him. Sometimes he feared
that they even might set the clock
ahead little. and then he would
throw such an addii ional force onto
the pedals as 10 send his steel steed
around the sharp turns OF the noun
tain road at a dangerous speed Many
times he came near striking the heavy
powders that lined the road. SO
, miraculous was his escape from these
that it seemed as though kind Provl-
dence was guiding his machine.
/ When the second tea miles had been
. completed he found nat his pace was
telling on him. and his heart sank as
+. he thought of the distance that still lay
, between him and The gallcws I'M
+, patiently awaiting its prey. lie locker
i nj his watch and folnd that his mrs.
!. 20 miles had cost him less than two
> hours of time. and he had over twe
! hours left in which TO beat that fiend
- the hangman. lie would do IT.
Il IN the third ten niles II was neces
sarv TO cross three mountain streams
= that were unbridged At two OF thes
II he found il possible 10 carry his whee
=. across by stepping from stone TO stone
ia but at the other he had 10 wade across
-, and the momentary delay SCENE
n mary times as long % it really was
and once on the road again he pm
80 forth every effort To make up the los
time.
As he role out of the mountains o
~ to the level road that stretche
co straight away TO the north Tor seVe
miles TO Wild Rock. his head seemed
bc i'm n constant whirl, the whe
=. seemed TO run In zigzag fashion oV'
\, the road and then to stop entirely II
IA minutes at n time. But dominant vii
III. the rider was that intense purpose
!. succeed: TO beat the iiendish sheriff
81 The goal. He kept repeating. time ART
T. time: "I'l do it. I'll do it.'
NJ 1t lacked n quarter TO four when
es- passed the first scattered houses OF q
town. lie had grown simply part
"a the machine. and threw his force III
a. on one and then on the other OF I
Medals only because he had been doil
so for how long-to the rider it seem
I'M, for weeks.
~ The fierce barking of the towns
49,, Vulnerable dogs aroused the sleepi
populace along the business sire
whose curiosity brought them TO
. windows to see the cause of the co
un motion. But only white cloud
cx- all<ali dust. visible in the break
70 dawn, was To be seen. The man ana
ar wheel neared the end Of the straggl
ugh street, but the pace had never Stacker
y until with a crash the wheel struck
al steps leading to the door of the sheri
zed office. Inside were tlD' two men OF
her death watch and the sheriff. When
yet prisoner had given up all hope OF
Il d nardon reaching him. he asked 70
ime left alone and the sheriff had wlllin
complied with his request.
rrn Al the sound of the noise made by
WYNN wheel striking the steps the she
INlllN ,tenped to tho door and looked out.
'Nllli the bottom OF the steps lay the bro
wheel and off to one side lay the
conscious form Of man. Summon
~ the assistance Of the two men with i
IN they carried the man into the Office
ala what they could TO restore hin
- consciousness.
"Some young Teller what was r.
round at night on bicycle mas
into the steps outside and hurt i
self" replied the sheriff.
The prisoner was too much absor
IN his own fate to give the matter
Their thought for a moment, ana IN
: meantime the stranger seemed t'
recovering from the shock he nae
ccivcd. But the long ride ana the ne
fall had been too severe. ana whei
recovered sufficiently from the Ia
to speak ii was with mind wnnde
with the first symptoms OF fever
ot Ii was destined to last for days. Inc
ten words uttered in this condition ga
IL he shock to the three men in the 9
cover and carried n thrill OF hope to the
ntain demned man.
* be- .Am | in time? l must bel IL
four o'clock yet! You mustn't
stool him,"
Its Burgess." cried the pris'
said. Swinging from the cot on when NJ
or a ly,n sitting. HE has the pard'
iition know he has!"
II but search through the stran
nping pockets revealed the telegram an
unconscious man was for the mo
{! ms n ,orpottcn in the excitement or the
sL<,, .r-ten