Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-10

a cloud OF smoke like cyclone ripping out Its
path.
Searle had not only gained half mile lead
but his car apparently swifter. He knew
its every trick and ounce of power. He drove
superbly He was reckless now: for he had not
missed the knowledge that behind him was a
meteor burning up his trail.
Like leaping beast. road-devouring mino
taur the car with Van shot roaringlv through
space. He could not tell that Searle. ahead
slipping vet farther in the lead. He only
knew that. come what might, till the mechanism
burst or the earth should split, he would chase
his man across the desert. The dust IN the ar
from Bostwick's car drove bndinglv upon
him. Far. far away mere speck in the road
he beheld freight team approaching team
of twenty animals at least, which he and Bost
wick must encounter.
\ sudden memory of road conditions decided
him to move. The ruts where he was were bad
enough: they were worse where the team must
be met He did not reduce his speed to take to
the brush. The beneath him flung clean
off the ground, as he swung to climb out of the
grooves. 1t landed with all four wheels a-spin.
but struck only on two. y sudden swerve. tar
out of the course, and the monster righted
abruptly. Another sharp turn and away it
went again, crushing the brush and flinging up
the sand in a track of its own that paralleled
the road, but rougher though free from the ruts.
The brush was small. SIX inches high but
the wheels bounced over it madlv. The whole
car hurtled and eaped in riot of motion 1t
fend; but it shot with cannonball velocity
across the deserts floor.
FIVE minutes later Bostwick's car was almost
= fronting the team in the road, with its score
of dusty mules. He dared not take the rutS at
speed and groaned as he slowed to climb the
bank. He lost but little time, however. Once
on the side, he was going ahead again like mad;
nevertheless. he cast glance behind and saw
that his gap had narrowed. Moreover, he dared
TO- 70 RMS he
cause they were deep and second OF the teams
coming mile or SO away.
Like two pitching porpoises. discharging
fiery wrath and skimning the gray of the des
And nerve began to tell Van was absolutely
reckless: Searle not. The former would
have crowded on another notch of speed; but
BoStwick feared, and shut off trit1e of his
power. Even then he rocking, quiverng
careening, onward like a star escaped from its
course and the gains Van made slow.
The man on the second team paused to see
them pass. In smoke and dust and with wars
own din they cleaved the startled air. And the
man who the look that had set on Vans
hard-chiseled face aware that unless his
should fail there was nothing on earth he
could not catch.
Bostwick had begun to weaken. The pace
sagebruSh, rocks, and basins of sand was
racking both the and the nerves that held
the wheel. How long such flight could be
continued he dared not guess. Even steel has
limitations. To what he was fleeing he could
scarcely have told, since the telegraph would
send its word throughout the desert land and
overhaul him soon wherever he went.
y sickening apprehension assailed him. how
ever, within the minute. One of his cylinders
was missing. His trained caught the
change of the tune. and he felt his speed de-
creasing He glanced back briefly, where the
dusty lump of steel like redhot projectile
thundered in his wake.
He beheld a sudden fanlike flare of dust in
the cloud Van was making. He even family
heard the far report and grim JOY sprang INTO
his being.
Van had blown out tire Striking the high
places crowding on the speed, holding to Il
straghtaway course like merciless fate the
horseman heard an air cushion GO, felt the
lurch and lameness of the car, and steadied it
back upon its road. He did not retreat by so
much as a hair the lever advancing his spark
He did not bulge the gas control; but left it
still wide open. If all his tires should blow
out together, he would not halt his pace. He
would drive that car to destruction to tri-
umph in the race.
SEARLE'S rejoicing endured but the briefest
span. His motor had begun again to splut-
ter in mechanical death. Then, with sudden
memory sweat broke out on Bostwick's face
His gasolene had gone He had thoroughly
intended refilling his tank, having barely had
sufficient supply to run him from the claim
tO camn and this had been