Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-09-24
A GH0STLY RACE.

UDAN MNkNNA Z NHMNAA
"Tisn't ncocssay," said tho hotel
keeper
THANKS. " called back ne I dropped
Into tho saddle a few minutes later I
was skimmlng past tho Isolated houses on
the outskirts n tho village Tho night
was mn ideal ono for n cycllst Tho breeze
wns cocl and gentle. and a. tho moon
climbed higher nickcrinr black shadows
denud 20 and fro on road VI milky
whltcncss / IN ard % couple ut merry
wagon raftics. and thou ne ] spr,i along tho
winding pike shs signs OF clyillzhti grrw
fewer until only tho wcll kept thorough.
fnre scrycd ns n reminder N The hnnd ~
man. Now. the woods un either side ~ the
rad bcrnmc more frequent, mud shot
along under long ur'hwuys ot trcs
soon / entered nuuthcr avenues ~ tr'ct
hummcd softly 90 myself o. few snntchcs
of sung md was in the myt.t vi spirits
Then bccumo aware " % rrscncu at my
side
sWcrgcd Violently and missed by u
hairs brndth n collision with awhcclmnn
who bad tnisclcssly o,crinkCn me. so
startled was / thnt uttcr0d nn angry OK.
ciniuatiun o. 1 pvotorrd myself Tho
siraneu rider shot ahnd % fCw foct and
then droppod hack nc my side \ sharp
robuhc was on my tongue. when I checked
mysolf and sought clUaar glimpse NJ my
unmddrn companion. iic bold hlq plloc
NJ my side with no apraunt CEerilpn. NJ
though our pace was mrId and / SION hc.
onmo nwnn' that his conduct WINS to Ny
the lnst, peculiar
Bent low over pair II racing handle
hars. his face was scrcnOd frnm Wow in
The uncertain light A. nrcumtrly as 1
could discern, d. was Rarlod Va suit Of
black ughtt on bis head was close 90.
ting cap His fgur was tall. slender and
athletic. iiuf what most attracted my nf-
tcution was his whcpl. which aCmci to b.
Of such tnaryclously ilnc construction that
~ slippod along without tho click of r.
chain link or tho cruk ~ % saddle nut
Ito rudo ~ clg.c a. me TINT I ruuld hnvc
touched him y putting out my hand, yet
never oncr did he raise hls head or by word
or sign give Indication that be- was awaru
Of my prscnoc.
Sldc By side we shot out into an opcn
struich II mad That I wns being tsod NJ
n raccmhkcr SON hcctmr evident II net
tied mo when | found TINT otury timc
elackcncd sp,d hn did likewise, aud every
time pc,lnlc,l monn rapidly be- held his
position ut my elbow. His conduct aud his
silence disturbed my pcnco ~ mind, and
decided 10 rid myself II bis company l In
crcassd the paco slowly NJ mt and when
we riachcd n slight incline let out Tow
links mow aud shot up the grndo nt top
sped Ny emotion upon reaching tho top
N the hill was that of chnRrin when
found him stlll nt my Side his bead hcnt
low his legs working with the cnsc and prr.
cision Of piston rods held the phoc until
pant,d for wind. but the black rider ,,ns
apparently tirclcsa 4 dozen times I was
on the point Of speaking, aud finally 1
blurtci.
"Finc night
Ilo mndo no answer. nor even turned his
head. l was astonishcd lcynnd mensur,
aud felt my anger slowly rising Tho pace
did not slArkcn-mthcr Il incrnscd-yct
never for an instant did our positions vary
nm inch Through woods aud over hills
We How. Tho Precipitation ruled on my
forehead and Into my eyes until they
smnrtcd, yet tho stranger gave no signs u
distress A heart breaking hill lnomod
hhcnd, and 1 summoned energy for u ~.
PRIME effort Ny wheel swayCd and ahly.
end under tho strain ns l shot up tho In.
cline, but my companion mover faltcpd
When We raohcd the summit, no wus still
gliding nj my sldo like a shadow. a siccp
descent followed, and We rushed down at
undated spccd
looked ahond and pcnrciycd several
hundred yards In advance small lalsn
which the ruad cncirciod after an abrupt
turn 10 tho right l also perceived that a
narrow footbridgc devoid u handrail
crossed tho pond whcro tho highway
curved. glanced NJ tho strange rider
His gaze sccmud bent upon tho ground, as
though he wow ohlivioua Of any impcnd.
Ing danger Tho situation WINS becoming
critical We could ncycr make tho turn nt
the speed az which We were travelling yet
the grndo WINS ~ step and the distance 20
short that 10 slow down wns impossible
To cross the hridgc was tho only chance,
yet them was nom for but one ahrcnst,
and who would alive way Doggod aud
angry, l resolved that would not Fifty
yards more aud w would hc upon t.
bent lower and rode like % dcmon Twcn-
ty'iiye yards and had gained not an inch
"ulNe wayl l called hoarsoly, and
Rriprcd my handle hars until Il scented ns
~ the stool must crumblo in my fingers
Five yards morc and then disaster must
coma suddenly the stranger shot out, and,
with clattcr and mover - check IA our
furious carver, We wcw upon tho narrow
structure, my wlccl tapping his by scyvn,i
inches
Then, To my horror tho blncl. rider fat
cr'ct and slnokcnod spocd 1 yelled with
terror and tack podnlcd until my chain
scrcchod and gruanod over the sprocl.ot AZ
though II would part. Tho whccls now
lnppcd by a foot ANA the crash would ho
IN an Instant rmemhcr s'cing the black
rider turn and sway IA his saddle like a
drunken man Thrrn wns tho flash " a
ghnsuy white face aud shut my eyes and
waited for the shock
Lun-o boards rattlod under my wheel.
Ihcrc was a jolt, and felt my snlf shoot out
upon the rad. 1 glnncvd hack ThOru IN
The cold, white moonlight was tho innfahy
lake tho NARROW foothrldgr, the noddlng
trocs, Nothing MON The black rider had
vanished
A wild terror seized me How reached
tho hotel l could never nlter,yurd rumom.
her, Tor ! went over the samo rad two
days uitcrNNAri, aud 20 was utterly strange
20 me. Al recall h that 1 ruclcd into tho
yarn. Then thcru was "a blank until l
found myself lying uu a honch with ca.
rious cuwd of men gathered around me
"iou fellcrs always ride nc ter I'm yer.
nclNrs said man what You came
over tho little hridgt' lhrrr WINS "a clty
SELLER drowned la that pond unc night last
summer We found him aud his wheel IN
thron font uf water the next day. ~ Brook.
Ign Engle,
.aa.s....st..a