The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1906-09-06
r n E
Automatic
Road Agent
o, WILLIAM WALLACE COOK


fhfNhAAiN ltttA1 wan hahhsA w ~
very foundations.
That Klipton In most salutary wa.
was hoist OF hts own pciard did mucl
TO restore the status quo ante OF ou
cordial relations, That myself wa
involved disastrously In his rescu,
from a scheme OF comprehensive law
iessness was OF small moment. oons!d
ering the beneGcent results OF TIN
aforesaid rcscae
Great genluses, l suppose. spin theil
giitterine webs IN the dark. AT an,
rate, Klipton's ingenuity when at high
ost pressure withdrew into some lail
where II could be alone with its origi
nator.
In the present instance the lair wal
the rear room OF our adobe dwelling
In Matanzas, n. NJ. From that real
room came all day long and far into
the night mellow ''clink' OF hammer
on anvil. and against Its closely cur
tanned windows struck sporadic CLEANS
OF n portable forge
The while he worked on In mysteri
Gus secrecy shaved at the printers
trade to keep him In funds for mate
rial. No great was my trust In bis
ability that ! handed over my wages
every Saturday night without question
Whenever Klipton showed himself be
was grimy with smoke and dust
grlmy, but complacent.
william" he remarked as we sat
over one OF our frugal meals, "the
machine | am building is going to
prove a ten strike. Money! My dear
boy, we shall take in the coin hand
over fist. Today you are to give them
two weeks notice at the printing OF.
fee"
Are you ready TO tell me what the
thing isf' I inquired.
Not yet. In two weeks, however,
II will give me great pleasure to In
form you fully"
During the next fortnight Klipton
surprised me by allowing me to retain
my wages. On the night severed my
connection with the Matanzas Mercury
he took me by the hand and led me in
to the room where he had been labor
ing for the last three months.
Before me was n skeleton motor car,
small, compact - little more than
wheels and platform, with the neces-
sary box to house the machinery. But
the car itself was only an insignificant
part OF my friends amazing machine
Welded to II and forming one with
the vehicle was a monstrosity In the
form OF a steel man; not whole man,
merely the head, trunk and arms, built
on gigantic model-the half Of u
magog.
This latter day centaur was hide
Gus conception. Its vacuous face and
staring eyes sent uncanny shivers
creeping through my nerves. and l
turned away with gasp.
In each hand the semifigure clasped
a long barreled Colts revolver. The
steel arms were jointed. and Kiipton
was lifting them proudly and moving
them this way and that when turned
my back.
80 that is what have been putting
my wages into for the last ten weeks!"
| exclaimed, perhaps triie bitterly.
had cajoled myself into the belief that
Klipton had been solving the problem
OF aerial navigation, and my disap-
pointment was keen.
"Kllpton's Motor Cowboy" my friend
explained triunphantly, primarily
designed to benefit the cattle industry
and incidentally Marcus Kllpton and
his friend, William Quinn.
when charged with electricity, this
machine will think, act and do every
thing but talk for a period varying
from twenty-four hours to week, de-
pending upon the amount Of energy
used up by the car.-
But the revolversw I cried.
"All cowboys have revolvers," he an
swercd, as | thought, evasively.
1T seems poorly designed to meet the
OF cattle range" ! ven
tured. mastering up courage to con-
tinue my examination OF the odd con-
traption.
"You don't understand these things,
said Kllpton calmly.
III you'd explain how a patent cow
boy IL going TO make money for rs
hand over fist, think ! could under
stand that
You'll have practical demonstra-
ton OF that tomorrow" he returned.
Next morning Klipton shook me into
and requested me to arise
and dress with as much dispatch as
possible. While getting into my clothes
stole a glance into the rear room.
The motor cowboy was gone. its de-
parture having been accomplished by
means Of a seven foot breach In the
adobe wall. swept Klipton with
questioning glance.
~ pushed II down to the power
plant" said he, "and filled II with cleo
tricity. It's now away on trial"
II should Ike TO see how II stands
he test" observed.
so you shall. William. There are
two horses at the door, and when we
have had our breakfast we viii ride
,ut into the country and watch opera
lions"
Don't you have TO 20 with 1T"
aueried.
.If any one had TO go with H." hs
responded the machine would not DO
! success. Ny idea as 10 the work 10
Dc done Is impaired through series
,f push buttons. There my responsl-
Dllity ceases. and the machine, OF It's
,wn voll,ion. does the rest"
We rode about Eve miles. not toward
my ranch that had ever heard OF. but
Iirccsiy into the rocky hills The mys-
ery intensified and with II my appre
iension.
There was a lawless strain In Kip.
on's makeup. and most Of his lngen-
cas undertakings frcnded In tina, di.
'ecsion
-Kilp." said severely. ~ there 10
lnythiag crosked about this you can
cunt ne out"
william" be retorted. doc, read
Pc apy ri your honilies. We're not