Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1909-04-03

wheel ruts. 1t was foolishness to think
Of driving by, and the sleighs were
crawling at snail pace to allow the
sled to overtake them. He held the
impatient. colt to a mincing trot, fret
ting all the time and fuming like q
trapped bear.
Soon from the distance behind came
the echo of bells. Rose caught It in
stantly and turned to look back.
MY, but that horse of Karl's is COM
laughed in his ear, a most bewitching
little ripple. 1t was evident that she
was enjoying his dilemma.
He did not answer. The furious
driving behind was becoming more evil
dent The driver in a minute would be
right upon the hind sleigh, and Jim
| would be forced to stop and explain.
He looked right and left at the brush
tangle, the wild desperation of the cor
nered animal in his eyes.
Hell be here in just half a minute -
she laughed again in his ear He turned
to catch the twinkle OF mischief in her
| eyes, and ii smote him like a spur.
Then came loud hail from the rear:
Hold on there, Farthing. I've got
my horse now. Hold on there
Not by long chalk" The words
fairly hissed.
Say, you're not going to try to drive
| by? She Strengthened up in real
alarm.
That's just what I'm going to do.
Heigh there" he yelled to the sleighs
in front. Turn out there, quicker n
| lightning. Turn out there! Turn out.
| say. I'm going by on the right. Sharp
there, or I'll smash into yeh. Hold tight
Miss Harswick. Here she goes"
| The road had grown slightly wider,
| but 1t was inviting certain disaster to
| try to run by in such a place Auto
4 hA ell teyh oh
| into the opposite wall of scrub, and the
colt struck with the whip, darted for
ward like Il wild thing. Instantly the
slelght was crashing and grinding into
the horny tangle. 1t reared on one
runner and rocked and plunged at a
maddening angle amid a chorus of ex-
Carnations from the sIeighs. The
shaggy branches raked and gouged
They bit into the driver pitiless as
barbed wires, but he sat stiff as a
Inch pin to trim the sleigh and shelter
the girl. His hat was smashed off by
sprawling branch, but what's a hat?
A Jagged limb, cruel as a fish rake,
clutched into his face and hair; an
other snatched at the colt, and caught
sinister finger into the harness, but
the straps held. In a minute il was all
over, ana they were spinning along
with Il clear road.
There" he cried exultantly; think
uc III IOllOW, MISS HartSWiCk?'
Mercy, no." she burst out. Say. that
is the most reckless driving l ever saw.
/ don't believe you could get through
there again in a thousand times"
perhaps not" ne retorted grimly,
but | started out t. take you home,
and it'll take moren bushes to stop
me- There was bitterness in his heart.
The girl beside him was his only by
capture. Her heart was in the sleigh
ne ntEiI
She did not reply. THIS was a new
type of man, truly. She glanced up
again furtively to catch a glimpse OF
mis- square jaw and warlike figure. The
glance startled her.
"Why-why," she exclaimed, your
face is all blood"
"Only scratch" he answered light
ly Bush struck me back there"
But let me see." She spoke impera-
lively, and he bent over toward her.
why, there's regular cash, and
it's bleeding terribly. Here, let me
wipe off the blood"
mo, no; not with that" he objected
quickly, but she paid no heed.
His heart began to beat almost au-
dibly. He would have his face carved
like German students If she would
but bend over him like this and stroke
away the blood with her handkerchief.
His exultation was short-lived. BY a
curious chance no sooner was he clear
of the bush than the road became sud
denly wide enough for two teams
abreast. The man behind delayed not
an instant, but dashed by the line of
SleighS, and now it was a straight
away race, with Jim handicapped by
a hundred pounds. Soon the breath of
the great bay was spOuting down the
back of his neck, and a lusty voice
shouting almost in his ear:
"Heigh, there. amt you going to hold
up? Stop, l say"
Not by long chalk" Jim wheeled
and flung back the challenge in hot
wrath.
"Heigh? What's that?"
i've started out to take her home
and by gum I'm going to-"
What do yeh mean?" snorted the
man, the true inwardness of things be-
ginning at last to filter through his
constituencies.
II mean exactly what I say" There
was no mistaking the mans tone. III
you want her, come and get her"
by mighty: so that's the game, is
it? You just wait minute" came
roaring back the answer, a sweep of
wrath shifting him in the face like a
whip. But 1t is not an easy matter on
narrow road to rescue a purlOined
maiden from sleigh ahead, especially
when the etiquette of the race forbids
shooting. For a mile it was a stern
chase, and it threatened to be
long one.
What are you going to do when he
catches you? Fight" There was
suspicion of fun in her voice.
He hatn't caught me yet" he snap
ped, rattling the whip again in the
socket.
But he will on Moon Run flats. He'll
run right round you"
lyon wait and see. -.
But you're handicapped, and you
cant expect to beat that great bay,
He's got the best horse, and -
Yes, and he's got the best every
thing" he answered bitterly. That's
just what's the matter. l don't have
the ghost of a chance in-anything.
But by king!"-the words fairly ground
through his teeth,-"he hain't got the
best horse, II! tell him that"
At that moment they came out of the
rough, bush-bOund road upon Moon
Run flats. where for a mile or more
the road was level and double. Karl
keichline saw his chance. He would
drive by, then turn and head off the
fugitives. With whip and voice he
urged his horse into a great burst OF
speed, and in a moment he was right
alongside.
Thought you was going to run away
from me, did yeh? Heigh? Think you
can beat me with that little runt of a
boss, do yeh? Heigh?" he sneered
almost in Jim's ear. The two men were
so near together that they could have
touched each other.
Then it was that Jim Farthing's colt
showed the stuff that was in her. AS
if catching for the first time the spirit
of the race, she let out burst of
speed that astonished even her owner.
Neck and neck they raced, the little
long Ual6inU
cited now to fever pitch and boiling
mad, jerked at the reins and urged and
stormed, and the lank beast with
mighty strides swung along like a gi-
raffe. Jim spared whip and voice, but
he held the colt firmly in hand, and
watched eagerly for something to hap
pen.
He had not long to wait Suddenly