Rural Retreat times. [volume] (Rural Retreat, Va.) 1892-1918, 1902-11-28

| them, ana VanlSned down the NH
threatening to have the law on US.
! 1 te1d Buggles that l didn't blamt
them, either-that 1 had been young
myself. He got mad at that and said
it was all because I'd put my bally
hand on the steering gear and switched
the machine off the road, and thai
he'd like to have been killed" in con
sequence. He wanted to know why
the deuce / should switch him up Oh
this hill-did I like the scenery 81
much, and would l pay the fine?
| What's the use of arguing with fel
low like Buggles when he's mad, any
way? | just kept quiet and got int,
| the machine and sat STILL while ht
| turned her around and tried to star
her. But she wouldn't start He pulled
all of the levers and things in sight
but she just stood still and shook. TheI
he got out and crawled in underneath
| among the works, to see what was tn,
matter. I sat in the waist effect, tina
was all red and oily
Presently I heard him say from thu
bowels of the machine, as it were
"Are you touchin' anythingT' l said
"No." Buggles said: There's chunk
of wood in the chain-I'm a-goin' t,
pull it out"
"Pull away" said I, and / heard hin
give a grunt. Gee whiz! The Desper
ado leaped like the arrow from tn,
bow; / heard wall of horror from
Buggles, and the next thing knew
he and the hill were gone, and was
ripping across the sheepfold like thu
front of cavalry charge.
1 don't remember rightly the res
of the trip | made through the Parl
in the Desperate; it's more Of bad
dream than anything else. These wert
crowds that dashed up on walls, yell
ing, and mounted police that galloped
after, yelling, and horses that sat dowH
on carriage shafts or tried to clint
up with the coachman on the box-tht
coachmen yelling, too. | pulled all
the movable bits of brassware that !
saw, but there was no stopping her
Then grabbed the wheel and fiddleG
about trying to get the hang of how tt
steer the blooming thing-plunging for
ward all the while, mind you, like 8
| runaway engine. Finally, after 8
couple of wild runs onto walks and ont
complete circle, got that straight, ant
| started on, with a splintered parl
bench hanging over the PROV, but
| happy, for at least l could put it tt
right and left. BY this time it wa;
dusk.
| As the Desperate Numbered around
another curve, the lake unfOlded away
down below, on my left. Suddenly !
got an idea. twisted the wheels, put
| the machines nose down the dusty
slope and scrambled from my seat
Figuratively, had washed my hand.
of all works. I slid over the back OF
the machine on my waistcoat. anG
dropped. My lapel caught on hook
was jerked in the air, sailed like g
bird for twenty feet, broke loose sud
denly, and struck the ground hard, but
happily. Down below, in the growing
twilight, | saw the Pea Green Desper
ado swaying toward the water at light
ming speed. A splash, muff1ed con,
cussion-and a column of water shot
into the air.
Silence fell.
After dinner I got on my hand
painted smoking coat that Miss Guinnes
gave me last Christmas-I always put
it on when I'm in chastened mood
and smoked a pipe by the fire. waiting
for Buggles. knew he would come il
he was alive.
The first thing he said when he ar
rived was:
where's the Green Desperado?" He
said it quite fearlessly, too, although
l couldn't so much as hear that name
without shuddering.
told him, though.
In the lakev' he calculated, bound
ing out of his chair
"And good thing. too,'' 1 said, sol
emily. 81 looked forward to seeing
you dead tonight, Buggles-dead--
fattened! That devilish machine
made my whole past come up in my
mind, and, by CORY, it was up to the
Desperate to finish.'
But my money!" cried Buggles pa
thetically. 1 always thought he was
paper sport. l should have imagined
he had a pretty good run for his money
that afternoon
l said nothing, however. Inwardly
I confess, | was a little pleased.
Buggles had lost his automobile, and
l couldn't see how he was any bette,