The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1906-08-23

The. drivers long whip fiicke-ed OIt
over the backs of the leaders. and the
stage jumped on toward Matanzas Ike a
cannon ball. There were no passengers
inside the vehicle. and the last thing
saw was the white. scared face Of the
messenger looking back at the scene of
the automatOn's exploit
Marcus Khpton,' said /, finding
tongue. now that the excitement was
over. you have betrayed my trust in
you. Motor cowboy, indeed" l added sar-
castiCally. why didn't YOU tell me it
was motor highWayIlan In the first
place.
Don't get on your high horse, VIII
liam,' answered Klipton. Il wanted the
truth to dawn on you by degrees. | have
demonstrated. l think that KIiptoas au-
tomato road agent Is an unqualified sue
cess. We can build ourselves Il nice little
rendezvous out here in the hills and sit
in the shade and play seven up and let
our fncestruCtlble EiShwaynan transform
US into milionaires.''
BE that as it may" | went on relent-
lessly, lin taking the loot collected by
this Ubiquitous machine you are receiving
tainted money
IF 1t cones to that" lie broke in, there
isn't dollar in circulation in al this
broad land that has not at some time or
other been won dishonesty and passed
You will become a fence for stolen
property l proceeded. And then" l
finished stern!y, suppose the autonaton
should / somebody"
"Har- It, William" cried Klipton.
you. about the worst case of dis
courG c-ceCt an inventor ever went IN
against I i.Eow when I've got a good
thing, and In going to let my invention
work and collect royalties for me- Take
your own trail. and I'll take miner'
WITH that he spun around and rushed
down the hill in a temper. l could not
brinS myself to abandon him just yet and
followed.
The automatic road agent moved out
into the road to meet Us as we advanced
upon the place where it had been Sc
GREETED. My friend proceeded very conf
IDENTIFY, but came to a startled halt as
one Of the Colts was lifted ana brought
10 bear on him. Simultaneously the
Hands Up" card flashed into view.
1t was more than plain that Klipton
was not expecting this. The revolver
cracked, and Eliptons hat was twisted
half around on his head.
whats tag matter. Kiip?" l shouted.
The blamed thing must have slipped
cog or sc1ethIng." he fun; back 1T me.
Then the other card Gaunted its order
for him TO deposit his valuables IL the
basket
Run" yelled. You know what hap
pened to that fellow they called Franken-
stein. Get behind the rocks or you'll he
killed."
''Its geared for fatalities if a victim
tries TO run. be groaned, palpitating back
and forth In Re trail. SNEAK around be-
hind it, William" he added. clutching at
straw Of hope, and push button No. g.
Hustle. The black card IS up"
l hustled, but the other revolver 70
cuscd itself upon me before l had taken
dozen steps. Klipton pulled disconso-
lately at his red locks and jumped around
in the trail Ike an Indian doing q war
dance.
Now you're in it, too" he whoopcd.
Go up close and put your contribution
in the basket. We've got to do it, After
that wei follow the car TIL the electricity
gives out and then VIC can get the stuff
back"
With the frowning muzzle Of the six
shooter looking me squareiy in the face,
laid my forty dollar donation in the
iron basket and followed ii with an heir
loom In the shape Of an old silver watch
Ihereupon l was permitted to back away
klIpton advanced with one hand in his
POCKET | don't think he had any vaIu-
ab!es about him. and I watched with in
tense interest 90 see what happened
OF sudden. when close to the nefari-
Gus machine. my friend hurled himself
upon 1t, one hand reaching around to-
ward button No. 3. There followed 4
sharp report which struck on my heart
like a Encll.
With a groan klipton dropped across
the iron basket. a melancholy tribute to
his own misguided genius. l leaped for
ward instirctiVcly, but before l could
come anywhere near the machine 1t had
got under Roadway and was moving at a
sslN srafe to ~
Notch
l made haste to recover my horse and,
trailing KIiptons mount behind me,
started il pursuit. A chatter Of hoofs
drew my attention, and l discovered the
sheriff and a posse Of four Ealioping up
from the rear.
They had started from Matanzas on the
trail Of a cattle thief and had encountered
the stage two miles out. The narrowing
tale of the driver and messenger had sent
the officers after the singular bandit who
had annexed the express company's
strong box.
The Sheriff. as l could see looked upon
me with more or less suspicion. | was
known to be a close friend of Klipton's,
and Klipton, so the sheriff had been in
formed, had pushed machine answering
the messengers description to the Matan-
zas power house that morning.
Our pursuit did not lead US far on the
Fell's Notch road. Just beyond the rocky
hills the motor wheels left well defined
tracks across the desert southwark
Squirting forward at top speed, we soon
had the machine in sght-a slowly NOV
ing blot On the horizon. AT about the
same moment We discovered a trailing
plume of smoke off to the west
THE 1920 local for Albuquerque" re
marked the sheriff and presently the
train was seen writhng like a snake
across the sand.
The blot representing the motor car was
observed TO be at a standstll. presumably
experiencing difficulty in getting across
the rails. A long drawn out whistle from
the locomotive reached our ears, followed
by Shrek after Shrek Of frantic warning
The automatic road agent failed to
move, and we sat our horses and gazed
while the train glided into the blot pass
ed on for a hundred yards or so, and then
slowed to a halt.
by Jupiter" cried the sheriff, the
local has coll!ded with the horseless wag-
on! It's all up with the highwayman!
Spurs and quirts, boys!"
l rode on with Il sickening sensation of
fear for my erring and luckless friend,
but the fear faded into wonder when. on
reaching the spot. we failed to find Kip
ton anywhere in the wreck.
The automatic road agent had been
knocked into a scrap heap By some
miracle of poetic Justice however, the
messengers strong box was found a
dozen feet from the track unnjured.
| raked my watch out Of the debris, a
shapeless thing 1attened to the thinness
Of knife blade. I likewise recovered
fifteen Of my forty dollars.
Yet, despite my personal loss, l should