Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-14
l6

to shout with Joy, put on speed, and the Gloria
sprinted over the white and silent way as if happy
to her back upon Inferno.
Yesterdays study of the map had assured me that
at length we had struck the main road from Malaga,
and there seemed every to believe that the
ordeal just would be our last Flying along at
good fifty miles an hour, under tired moon which
sought the west presently a town rose grandly be-
fore throned rocks in a wide valley and palid
in the strange light as some sad queen Lola, and
only thirty miles more to Granada.
The moon gone and it must still be long before
the sun would shine the mountains. when a
black shadow like great coffin deserted on the road
made me pause | pulled up in haste only just in
time and could hardly believe | saw Alright But
there was no illusion We were on the highway from
the port of Malaga to Granada; vet here was
broken bridge noble structure which should have
outworn centuries tumbling into ruin. The fall of
the great central arch was no new thing. for moss
and lichen enameled its jagged edges with green and
gold. Some branches loosely across the road
the only signpost indicating this tragedy,
though perhaps it was a story as old as the great
earthquake of twenty-five years ago.
a ward more. and we should have been over;
but San Cristoval had not forgotten and the
next thing was, how the river without
bridge. l turned and back, discovering wheel
tracks which showed obscure by path dipping
over the edge of the embankment. l followed and
beheld the ford little farther on in baby forest.
where broad stream lay in flood between low
banks.
Well have to get through" said, and drove
the Gloria into the water. If there should be mud
but there were stones instead; and with tiny waves
swishng among the spokes of her wheels she set
to rumble
Il believe she'll do it l had begun, when she
gave great hiss when blacksmith punges
red hot horseshoe into water; and cloud of steam
gushed up. Still | forced her on, expecting each
instant to hear fatal crash. while we plunged
deeper into the stream Now the little waves
splashed coldlv across my feet Would they mount
to the carburetor spoil the ignition, or, still worse,
would they crack the cylinders:
Neither spoke. and the stormed on, sobbing.
For moment she clawed in vain at something, and
then stumbled, if her knees, up the
farther bank. Dripping water and putting
steam, she climbed to the high road again
and with bound started through spout
ing mud, if nothing had happened. One txE
would have thought her fired by some in
centive as powerful mine which forced
her on in the face of all difficulties; and per-
haps it a song of gladness which the
motor hunmed she upon the
Vega.
Suddenly the first beams of the sun
streamed down the white slopes of the far
Sierra Nevada, touched the vast fertile plain
and wrought magic with castled hill which
where great city Law asleep. Clustering YER
million towers blazed with the gold of dawn
and dazzled eyes with the glamour of
For the sleeping city was Granada, u
and the red towers and gardens on the
CaStled hill were the towers and gardens of
the Alhanbra.
The adventure was And under
Of those roofs, dove gray in the dawn, hoped
that Monica sleeping.
CHAPTER XXXVI.