The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-01-24

NxE. DOW uNu CEOOC0CO OOW0 anu
uttered a shout.
Il thought we were going right over
that street carl" he whispered.
"Oh, that was oil right. I saw that
I could clear the front of the a with
half an inch to spare, and SO l went
ahead. Now, there Is a lame man
crossing the street 200 feet away. 1t
probably seems to you that we are
beaded right for him and that In ten
seconds more we shall pick him up and
toss him sky high. but you'll observe
that I just shave his coat tails and give
him a bit of a jump. There's no need
Of your hanging on to the seat in the
way you do"
Are we headed toward homer"
"Why, Of course not. This Is only
the beginning of a ten or fifteen mile
spin. You see that peanut cart on the
corner? Well, its owner Is always TAX
ing up more Of the street than belongs
to him. and l am going to give him a
bit of a lesson"
"But IT.
"You are all right, Mr.. Bowser,
though l wish you'd had your eyes
open when we struck the cart. It went
ten feet high. and the look on the Ital-
ian's face was something to remember.
Peanut carts are good things to prac-
tice on. This Is exhilarating, isn't it?"
"Y-yes, but I'd like to get home early,
you know. I think Mrs. Bowser wants
to play cards tonight"
"She said that I was to take you
from fifteen to twenty miles so that
you could thoroughly post yourself on
the running of a machine. The first
thing to get used to Is the sensation Of
speed. We are now going at the rate
Of ten miles an hour, but it seems twice
that to you. I suppose?"
ut seems Il thousand!"
"But you'll get used to it. Now we
are coming to a crossing Of street car
tracks and just in time to meet four
ditfcrcn: street cars. If you were ont
in your machine what would you do?"
stop it and yell for the police!"
groaned Mr.. Bowser.
"Oh, no, you wouldn't. You'd do
just as l am doing-let those four mo-
tormen look out for themselves and
drive right ahead. If they are not IL
mind to stop, them
One car ran me down within an inch,
but l escaped the other two by more
than a foot, and for two minutes l am
sure that Mr.. Bowser didn't breathe.
When l had the time to glance at him
he was as pale as q dead man, and had
his eyes hard shut.
"Now we are out of town and there's
a good road before US, and l can show
you some speed" l said.
Say, Blank" he whispered in reply,
II am sure that Mrs. Bowser wants
me and will be mad If l don't come
home"
Wei head for home after our little
SPIN"
"But-but-hOw much will you take,
cash down, to head for homer"
"Why, Mr.. Bowser, I thought you
wanted to be an autoist."
III do, but, you see, II Mrs. Bow
ser wants to 60 to the theater to-
night
l ran the machine into a shallow
ditch and let it brush against the
bushes, and Mr.. Bowser went still
winter. then ran over q stick Of
cord wood dropped from some farmers
wagon. and the poor man groaned like
an OK in his last agony. Then l in
creased the speed to twenty-five miles
an hour, and he slid of the seat and
chung to my leg. Having carried out
my promises to the letter, l ran the
auto of the road and stopped 1t and
said:
"Mr. Bowser, shall We put in anoth-
Or ten miles?"
"For heavens sake, no." he replied
as he came to life.
"Nice moonlight evening, you know,
and l am willing to stay out until mid
night"
I got out to oil up q little and he
followed. The next thing I knew he
had slipped away into the bushes. l
called to him again and again, but he
did not nswer l went up the road for
q mile. but no one had seen such a
man as l described. l made many in
Quiries on my return and kept my eyes
open for the man l wanted. but In vain.
When l reported to Mrs. Bowser she
smiled and said:
"You have my warmest thanks. 1t
may take him two or three days. but
he will get home at last. He may
turn to fire escapes, burglar alarms,
hair dyes and the dew cure. but l don't
think he will buy an auto"
And neither do l.
BOWSER'S FRIEND BLANK.
Per NJ. Quad.
History Repeats Itself.