Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-12
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Race With Satan.

IOriginaL1
We We're in the square in the center
of the town talking of the robberies.
| The moon now shone feebly behind a
mist and again was hidden by clouds.
leaving the sky as black as ink. The
air was balmy, and at times few big
drops of rain battered on the ground.
Off in the west there were flashes of
lightning and the low muttering of
! thunder
| Up comes little Maggie O'Brien and
tells how she fell asleep in barn and
| was Weakened by four men lying low
in the hay at the other end, talking
about robbing st. Patrick's church at
B.. ten miles away, and how they set
out an hour ago for the purpose.
What's that you say?" queried Fa-
Their Higgin, who just then came into
| the square, passing from the chapel
| to his rooms.
THE robbers have gone to git the
silver service at st. Patrick's church
at B. Maggie 6Brien heard 'em sayin'
So
We all made a rush for the stable,
mounted Mike NIonahan on the best
horse we could find and started him to
B. to give warning of the intended
| sacrilege. Some said two men would be
better, but there was only the one fresh
horse, the other being very tired. Mike
shot down the pike, which for a mo-
ment lay white toward the valley, then
was swallowed in gloom. The last we
saw of him was on the crest of the hill
| beyond, his figure dimly shown by a
flash.
What was that movin' up behind
| him?" asked Tim Murphy.
He'll no give the warnin'," said
Maggie O'BFien. 1T was one of the
robbers"
Tut, child" said her father; "'twas
no such thing"
Maybe twas the divil comm up to
hinder him. said Teddy Gallagher.
They say Satan has Il foine collection
of service plate an dimes off 'em every
Sunday"
By this time it began to blow and to
rain, and the lightning was so vivid
and the thunder SO loud that we all
went into the inn at the corner of the
square and sat there tipping for an
hour, when all of sudden the door
flew open and Mike Monahan, white as
a ghost and drenched with rain, stag
gered in and fell in q heap into one of
the seats beside the fireplace.
What is it, Mixer" shouted all ut
once. Never a word of explanation did
we get till we had poured two glasses
of brandy down his throat. Then he
stiffened up and told the story:
I'D made a matther of three mile
whin the storm KEN on in earnest.
There was such a rattlin' an rollin' of
thunder that L couldn't hear me horses
hoOfs on the stones. Then STUDENT.
lookin' up, l saw to the east n fOine bit
of sky wild the moon in the middle,
while the west was still black wild the
grumblin' storm. An says |, l says,
In the fair spot there the angels is a
GRIMM at Satan in the storm beyant
an remarkin' Yell not git the plate,
We spalpeen.' An 1 felt happy as pig
wallyin' in a foine bit of mud at bein'
the divine Instrument to prevint the
robbery. But what's that L was hear
in behind me-a cIatterin' of horses
hoofs? l could hear it between the
rollin' thunder, an onct whin 1 looked
back 1 saw it by fash of Hghtnin'.
l knew he had come out to race wild
me to prevint me interferin' wild his
servants. / dug me heels into me horses
belly an laid on the whip, Determined
to kill both the horse an mesilf for the
church if 1 might but save the holy
service. But do what l could the one
behind was gainin' on me. L was goin'
at n mad pace, an just as 1 plunged
down into the hollow where the bridge
crosses the creek L looked up an saw
a black cloud the exact shape of Sa-
tan's face, wild the two horns on his
head, passin' over the moon. Then it
was black ag'in all about me, an l
couldn't see yard before me.
"Just as 1 KEN on to the bridge me
horse stumbled on a. loose plank, an 1
shot over his head. 1 could hear the
divil shoot by me, though divil a bit
of him could 1 see for the darkness. an
as he clattered up the road there KEN
back to me his fiend's laugh. Then l
knew he'd got the betther of me, an,
findin' me horse had gone lame. what
could do but lead him back"
"Tut, man." said O'Brien, we've
been scared by one in league wild the
robbers. Why didn't we sind yer
betther?"
Scared, is it? An We don't believe
my story? There's proof of it. Satan
as he whit by me threw somethin' at
me that caught on me horses ear,
somethin' that shines wild hell's own
fire. livery tonne the lightnin' KEN it
fared and went out after the dark KEN
back. Go outside an yell get it,
O'Brien, with a growl, went out and |
in another moment came in. holding |
up something hanging to a chain.
''Howly mither!' cried the crowd. |
ITS a rosary"
There, true enough, was q string Of |
beads. to which was suspended a silver
cross.
Nor,y hour xuoC fbaf tho HpUi nos |