Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-01-14

TlSnC at the Dank OF grey granite
which guards the entrance to the Roy
al Borough of New Galloway.
In the early morning two cars had
passed. Yes, it had been remarked
first, because few cars have only one
man In each, and still fewer take the
mountain road to Newton Stewart,
across the eighteen miles of terrible
surface and between moors so wide
and desolate that only the little way
side house of Clatteringshaws is pass
ed before reaching the wooded vale
and the sea-edge by Palnure.
We have them now" said the in
spector, with comfort in his tone. And
they left the little borough village be-
hind them, came out upon magnifi-
cent glimpse of the distant Loeb of
Ken, and so bore away into the soil
tudes.
But 1t was no good place for any
car, new OF old-and long before some
thing in the steering gear snapped,
and the chauffeur stopped at the bot
tom of the long hill before "Ruther-
ford's monument" 1t became evident
that (as the driver saidD, "she was
willing to stand up to anything in
reason, but this stoneshute was fair
ly breaking her heart!'.
Then almost they had given up
hope, But Phil, arguing that what
was bad for light machine like
theirs must tell much worse on cars
so weighed with machinery that they
would sink at the axle, called out that
at any rate he was going on.
They can't be far ahead!" he in
sisted
I'm iwth you!" said Gridling,
mot that I'll be able to keep up. l
am carrying too much ballast my boy,
these last years."
The inspector wavered a moment,
demanding from the chauffeur tor
rather from his legs, for the speaking
how long it would take to repair the
damage.
"It depends on what they can do at
Dumfries,' said the man testify. II
told you what 1t would be, breaking
her heart over this rattle-trap free
toon.' Now, nobody but Penman can
put this right, and for him you must
go to Dumfries."
Inc inspector joined them, leaving
the disguised driver in charge of his
damaged car, privately resolving to
put on the ex's"-which Incubus Il
Co., would have to pay-Incubus or
another, he did not care whose long
as somebody suffered
The three men hurried forward.
They gained the top of the opposite
hill. For at Rutherfords monument
the road ocrkscrews up and down in
a big capital s. No one was to be
seen, however-only in the distance
Phil spied tiny yellow streak on the
morass. 1t was, at least, mile away.
All else about them was empty with
the wide moorland stiffness which
goes from the Cairnsmuir to the Loeb
Of the lilies from the back shore to
the buttresses of Little Queensberry
They went forward at a run. Two
tracks were now perfectly apparent
the heavied Mercedes planning direct
~ forward like an eagle in fight, the
lighter yellow car having got out, of
hand from the ignorance of the driver,
or the roughness of the road, had
swooped this way and that in short
dashes, like bird closely pursued.
Phips began to tell. He drew
away in front.-the inspector was much
older-Walter Grinding both old ana
stouter.
Take care!" shouted the inspector,
don't run your head into trap! If
1t comes to taking them, we shall need
three, at least-now that Fox and
Frost have gone off on wild goose
chase"
But Phil was far beyond any taking
OF advice. With his clsar young eyes
he could now see the overturned yell
low car, lying all abroad as on a
scrap-heap = the fine upholstery
scraped away in its tumble over the
rocky bank, beneath which the stream
-brawled.
In falling the petrol had escaped,
caught fire, famed up, and burned
circle on the heath, till stopped va
long moss-nag in which the water
slept deep and black. A light haze of
smoke hung all about like a pail
But Phil saw no living creature.
The others came up, and Walter Grind
ling and the detective examined the
yellow car with attention.
She had been struck from behind,"
said the inspector, after careful ex-
animation.
"Rammed, by Jove!" shouted Grind
ling, as he pointed out where the nose
of the big Mercedes had taken the
lighter French car and tilted it, like
feather, over the slope.
Il have brother in the navy!" he
explained with pride in the use of the
correct term.
But neither underneath nor any
where about did they find the least
trace of Casimir or James Kahn. No
well-lihed coat of fur was in the car,
packed with bank notes, nor could
they find anything among the still hot
heather roots, on the blackened and
powdery peat.
But, somehow, Phil Calmont was
not satisfied. PARALLEL to the road ran
long deep moss-hog or deep open
ditch, its sides of crumbliJ peat, and
the cleft or nullah filled halfway up
with water black as ink. This Phil
skirted running at speed. 1t was no
more than couple of hundred yards
in length, but as he went he became
conscious that other footsteps had fol-
lowed the same margin not so long
ago Moisture was slowly oozing up
into the deep-trodden, messy tracks.