Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-01-27
sign next the Mountain Valley House
and entered

automobile had stopped at the curb.
Two men whom it carried were just
entering the hotel Something In the
sight of the long, low racer" reminded
Harry-of what? His eye traced its
polished lines, noting Its cunning mech
anism. its build for silent speed. with
the eager lighting of connoisseur. He
took step toward 1t, oblivious to all
about him.
He did not note that men were gath
ering, that the nearest saloon was
emptying Of its occupants. Nor did he
see Il girl on horseback, with tiny
child before her on the saddle, who
refined up sharply opposite.
The rider was Jessica, the child an
ecstatic live-year-old she had picked up
on the fringe of the town to canter in
with her hands gripping the pommel of
the saddle. She saw Harry's position
instantly and guessed 1t perilous. What
did the men mean to do? She leaned
forward, swift apprehension in her
face.
Harry came back suddenly to n real
fzation of his surroundings. He looked
about him. startled. his cheek darken.
ing its red. every muscle instinctively
tightening. He saw danger in the low
cring faces, and the old lust of daring
leaped up instantly to grapple with the
rejuvenated character.
Devlin's voice came over the heads
of the crowd as, burly and shirt sleeved.
he strobe across the street:
Hand over the dust you've stolen
before you are tarred and featherel,
Hugh Stirps!"
Harry looked at him, surprised, his
mind instantly recurring to the placard
he had seen. Here was tangible ac.
cusation.
II have stolen nothing" he respond
ed quietly.
Where did he get what he just sold
me?" The jewelers. sour query rose
behind him from the doorway.
wen find that outw was the rough
rejoinder.
In face of his threatening peril Jes-
slca forgot all else-the FESTIVE horse,
the child. She sprang to the ground,
her face panied and indignant, and
Started to run across the street But.
with Il cry of dismay. she turned back.
The horse had caught sight of the red
automobile and. snorting and wild
eyed, had swung into the roadway.
"It's Devlin's kid!' some one cried
out, and Devlin. turning, went sudden
ly ashen. The baby was the one soft
spot in his rutfianly heart. He sprang
toward the animal. but the movement
and the hands clutching at the bride
sent it to leaping terror. In another
instant it had broken through the ring
of bystanders and. frenzied ut its free
dom, dashed down the long, level
street with the child clinging to the
saddle pommel
1t was all the work of moment.
one of panic and confusion. through
which rang Jessica's scream of re-
morse and fright. Torpor held the
crowd-all save one. whose action fol-
lowed the scream as leap follows the
spur. In n single step Harry gained
the automobile. With an instantane-
Gus movement he pushed the lever
down and jerked the throttle wide.
The machine bounded into its pace,
the people rolling back before it, and,
gathering Roadway, darted after the
runaway.
The spectators stood staring. He'll
never catch him." said Michael Hal
loran. who had Joined the crowd. "Fu-
neral Hollow's only a mile away"
With others he hurried to the hotel
balcony, where he could watch the eS-
citing race ,Iessica stood stock still,
as blanched us Devlin, wringing her
hands.
With the first bound of the car under
him, as the crowd was snatched behind
a weird. eXultant thrill shot through
Harry's every nerve. Each bolt and
bar he knew as one would tell his fin
gers. Somewhere. ut some time, he
had known such flight through mel
low sunlight. with the air singing past
Where? When?
Not for the fraction of n second,
however, did his gaze waver. He
knew that the flat on which the town
was built fell away in II hollow ravine
to the southward-he could see it from
the cabin doorway-a stretch OF break.
neck road only Il mile ahead. Could
the child hold on? Could he distance
those frenzied boots in time? The ar.
row of the Indicator stole forward on
the dial
Far behind as the crowd watched u.
cry rose from the hotel balcony. 1t
was Barney McGinn. the freighter.
with u glass at his eye. Hes gain
ing" he shouted He has almost
overtaken the horse!''
The horses first fury of speed was
firing. The steel steed was creeping
closer. A thunder of hoofs in pursuit
would have maddened the flying ami.
NAL, but the gliding thing that WIS
now so close to him came on with
noiseless swiftness Harry had re-
served with the nicely of practiced
hand a last increment of speed. With
the front wheels at the horses flank.
he drew suddenly on this. AS the car
s 81.