Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-05-04

| ssA WHEN HE STAGGERED TO HIS FEET l AND LOOKED BACK THE NOUN I TAIN WAGON HAD DISAPPEARED.
 AS IF BY MAGIC.
 old man yet thought 1t possible that he might be able to do something.
 Have you seen anything of smooth-fa man in corduroys?" was the strangers next question. I Uncle Alb pricked up his ears. Pos sibly he was mistaken in the smooth l voiced stranger, after all.
 ''Ridin' calico cayuse?' demanded the under foreman.
 Yes replied the other, with bright l ening eye.
 Thunder! So that's the yap that's 1 wanted over Sandy Bar way. seen him, sure: and he was lopin' off this piece of War Eagle trail about three this mornin', when I was pikin fer l Anacondy ter git this load O high ex- l plosive An ter think that was as clost ter him as me an you Is, an l didn't know he was wanted an never raised a hand. Shucks"
 Uncle Alb was morbidly disappointed
 (Which way was he going?" asked the stranger.
 West" was the answer. Say. friend, jump up here with me an I'll take ye along as fur as the Eagle, any, l how"
 The stranger thanked Gryce for his offer and climbed up on the seat. At word from the driver the bronchos plunged away at their usual break 1 neck speed.
 The War Eagle trail west of the Half Way house, threaded a very rough section of country. With clear head, firm nerves and steady drivers the way was sufficiently dangerous, but with Gryce in his half-tipsy condition, the bronchos charging ,pell-mell and the boxes of giant powder leaping around in the rear of the wagon, the risk might have been denominated extra i hazardous.
 "Whoa, consarn yet" yelled Gryce. saving at the reins. Dynamite. ye're the wust internal trolble-maker ever hitched ter pole An ye're sawed off'n the same piece, Terror. Drat 'em! They'll have us sky-rocketin be- fore we know what's struck us''
 A lurch of the mountain wagon all but hurled Gryce from his seat The lines slackened and would have dropped had the stranger not grabbed them as they rippled over the dash | board.
 Bear down on 'em friend!" shouted the old man, making frantic attempts to keep himself in the wagon. They've taken the bits in their teeth an we'll go up like couple O shootin' stars if ye can't hold 'em in.'
 A chatter of galloping hoofs could be heard behind, broken now and again by distant shout. The stranger threw look over his shoulders and instead of holding the horses in, leaned for ward with loosened reins and urged l them on
 l Directly ahead the trail made sharp l turn around shoulder of rock At the present rate of speed 1t looked very much as though the carecning wagon would be thrown from it's wheels in taking the bend
 With grinding teeth and hands con- ! vulsively gripping the seat, Uncle Alb abandoned himself to wild profanity Around the curve raced the bronchos, the inner wheels of the wagon scraping l the rocks and the outer wheels whirring in the air
 The seat was lifted from the wagon and cast to the outer side of the trail, the old man going with it. Darrel saved himself for few moments by dropping b his knees and, with a quick move ment, winding the lines across his ] palms
 Then 200 feet from the spot where the under foreman had fallen and was lying unconscious, the bronchos swerved slightly. In a moment the forward wheels struck bowlder a crash followed, the team broke away from tho wagon and the stranger was jerl1ed over the dashboard and hauled a hundred yards along the rough trail before he could disentangle his hands from the reins.
 As he lay, bruised and dazed, in the roadway, the frenzied team vanished in the distance, a roar as from hun dred cannons came from behind him. The very hills seemed shaken to their foundations, lurid glare flashed sky ward and the snn was darkened with A cloud of rocks. dust and debris.
 Gro Be Continued.)