The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1906-11-15

| trail into narrow deflle in the hillside.
The drivers long whip fickered out
over the bucks of the leaders. aud ths
| stage Jumped on toward Matanzas like a
cannon ball There were no passengers
inside the vehicle. and tho last thug
| saw was the white, scared face OF the
! messenger looking back at the scene OF
| the automaton'a exploit.
Marcus kipton," said !, finding
| tongue now that the excitement YVES
| over, "you have betrayed my trust Ia
| you. Motor cowboy, indeedr' added sdr-
castically. why didn't you tell me IL
was a motor highwaymnn In the FIRST
placer
Don't get on your high horse. Will
Ham, answered Klipton. IT wanted the
truth to dawn on you by degrees. 1 have
demonstrated, / think, that Klipton's au-
tomato road agent Is an unqualified sue
cess. We can build ourselves a nice little
rendezvous out here in the hills and sit
In the shade and play seven up and let
our indestructlbe highwayman transform
us Into millonaires."
"De that as 1t may" went on relent-
Iessly in taking the loot collected by
this iniquitous machine you are receiving
tainted money!
''Jf 1t comes to that" he broke In, "there
isn't dollar In circulation in all this
broad land that has not ct some time or
other been won dishonesty and passed
through criminal hand3."
"You will become fence for stolen
property I proceeded. "Knd then" 1
finished sternly. suppose the autoinaton
should kill somebody
"Hang Il, Nilliam" cried Klfp4on,
you're about the worst case OF dis,
couragement an inventor ever went up
against! l know when I've got a good
thing, and I'm going to let my invention
work and collect royalties for me- Take
your own trail. and I'll take nine'
With that he spun around and rushed
down the hill in a temper. / could not
bring myself to abandon him just yet and
followed.
The automatic road agent moved out
into the road 10 meet us es we advanced
upon the place where it had been Sc
creted. My friend proceeded very conf
IDENTIFY, but came TO n startled halt as
one of the Colts was lifted and brought
to bear on him simultaneously the
Hands Up!" card flashed into view
1t was more than plain that Kllpton
was not expecting this. rhe revolver
cracked, and Kliptons hat was twisted
half around on his head.
Whats the matter, Klip?' shouted.
THE blamed thing must have slipped
cog or soTnethingg' he flung back at me-
Then the other card faunted its order
for him TO deposit his valuabies in the
basket
"Run" yelled. "You know what hap
pened TO that fellow they called Franlsen-
steih, Get Dehlnd inc rochS OF youu Do
killed"
"It's geared for fatalities If victim
tries to rum" he groaned, palpitat!ng back
and forth in the trail. Sneak around be-
hind it. William" he added. c1,itching at
straw of hope, land push button. No. q
Hustle. The black card is up!"
1 hustled. but the other revolver TO-
cused itself upon me before 1 had taken
dozen steps Kiipton pulled disaonso-
lately at his red locks and Jumped around
in the trail like an Indian doing war
dance.
Now you're In It, toov' he whooped.
Go UP close and put your contribution
in the basket We've got to do It! AFTER
that we'll follow the car till the electrtcity
gives out. and then we can sat the stufr
back"
With tho frowning muzzle of the sIE
shooter looking rae sqrarely in the face.
laid my forty dollar donation In the
iron basket and followed 1t with an heir
loom in the shape of an CID silver watch.
Thereupon was permitted to back away.
hlpton advanced with one hand in hts
pocket. l don't think no had any ynlu-
abies about HIN, and l watched with in
tense interest TO gee what happened.
OF sudden. when close to tho ,nsrari-
Gus machine, my friend hurled himself
upon 1t. one hand reaching aroand to-
ward button No. 8. There followed a
sharp report which struck on my heart
like knell.
With groan Kfipton dropped acrosa
the iron basket. a meapehely tribute to
his own misguided genius. ieaped for
ward instinctlvely. but before could
come anywhere near. Inc machine 1t had
got under headway and was moving at =
moderate gait ia tho direction OF Pslra
Notch.
made haste to recover my horse and,
trailing Klipton's mount behiAi me,
started In pursuit. CHATTER OF hoofs
drew my attention. and l discovered the
sheriff and a posse OF four galloping un
from the rear.
They had started from MatanzaS an the
trail of a cattle thief and had encountered
the stage two miles out. Tho narrowing
tale of the driver pnd messenger had sent
the officers after The angular bandit who
had annexed the express company's
strong box.
The sheriff. as 1 could sre. looked upon
me with moro or less suBpicion. ] was
known TO be ~ close friend OF Ki.pton's
and Klipton. so the sheriff h1d been In
formed. had pushed mGchine answering
the messengers description to the Masan-
Ea9 power house that morning.
Our pursuit did not lead US far on the
Pe!Ps Notch road. Just beyond tha rocky
hills the motor wheels left well delned
tracks across the desert southward
Spurrlng forward at top speed, we soon
had the machine Ia sight-a slowly moy-
Ing blot ion the horizon. At about the
same moment ws discovered q tFailina
plume OF smoke or to tho west
"rhe 1870 local for Albuquerque" re.
marked the sheriff. ana presently the
train was seen writhlng like q snake
across the sand.
The blot representing the motor car was
observed 10 be at q stan6still. 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 frant,e waulnE,
The automatic road asept failed 10
move. and we sat our hoyses and gazed
while the train glided into tho blot. PASS
ed ON for hundred yards or so. ANA then
slowed to a halt,
"By Jupiter" cried the sheslff. "ths
local has eollided with the boEaeless HaS-
on! les all Up with the htahwayinaps
epurs and quirts. boys."
rode on with q slekening sansatloA or
fear Tor my errins and luekieaa friend.
but the fear faded into wonder when. aIa
reaching the spot. we failed to ind Klip-
ton anywhere In the wreck.
The automatic road agent had been
knocked Into q scrap hsap. BY sans
miracle or poetic Justice. however the
messengers strong box was found a
dozen feet from the track uniAtured.
Taked my watch ous OF tbs debris a
shapelesa thing fattened to the thtaassa
OF knife blade. l likewise reeovsred
ntteen OF my forty dollars.
Yet, despite my personal lasA / sho.ald
have been happy man a. 9onomnAniad
the sherim and his posse back to MatansAa
could have known that kliptou was saes.
Ay doubts concerning his fate wsrn sst
eanI s..aNr n.