Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-10-06
CHAPTER XII.
4 Wild Ride.

CHAPTER XII.
4 Wild Ride.
Once he realized the futility Of re-
sistance, Britt busted himself with ef-
forts to get a line on his direction. He
was in an ordinary brougham, drawn
by a pair of housekeeping horses. He
was lying on the floor, but on a pile
of rugs. The silk scarf with which
he had been fastened had been loosed
from his neck, only to be drawn tight
Of silk, rolled into a ball, had been
thrust between his teeth, gagging him
beyond his power to utter a cry. His
wrists and ankles were bound with
similar scarves. He vas as helpless
as II In the electric chair. His life,
1t might be, depended on his self-con-
troll and resourcefulness.
In the faint light that flashed from
time to time through the windows OF
the brougham as 1t whirled past park
lamps, Britz saw that all three Of his
oaptors were dark Of feature and 1.-the
Of form. One moment he was con-
WINGED there vas something foreign
in the appearance of the e The
next, he was less certain they were
not American. A hawklike sharpness
OF profile, however, inclined him more
strongly to the former belief. He had
seen recently, be thought, a face that
in such a light would resemble those
bending above him. As he was strtv-
ing to recall 1t, and the circumstance
surrounding 1t, a fourth scarf was
behind his head. The s1lken strip was
Light in texture, but folded SO many
times that he could not see the dim
NEST glimmer of light
Britt focused his forces on the task
OF ascertaining his whereabouts and
direction. One, two, three blocks the
brougham sped westward. Britz knew
he was headed for the Hudson. Had
not his ~blindfolding convinced him his
life was not in peril, he might have
thought his captors were hurrying
him to the river to make an end of
him. He continued counting the
blocks until, wheeling sharply to the
right, the horses headed north, and
a change in the sound Of their hoofs
betrayed that they had left the as
phalt and were on the macadam
again.
The Drtve!" Britt told himself
with a slight glow Of satisfaction. The
distance travelled from the park, the
change of direction, and the altered
pounding of the highsteppers' hoofs
~-..r l-k o,1 %hjr~. Tho -oh{oIo
was bowling along the beautiful Riv-
erside oncour New Workers. have
come to appreciate only in recent
years.
It was at that point Britt made his
first mistake Of the trip. The latch
Of the left door was Jared loose by
an uneven crossing, and the detective
felt the door give slightly against his
shoulder. He sensed in an eyeflash
the door had not swung open. Prob
ably an end Of the rug had caught
under 1t sufi GENTLY to hold it shut.
But it undoubtedly was unfastened,
and that evidently without the knowl-
edge of his captors. Had any Of the
three noticed the unlatching of the
door, he would have drawn it close i'm
mediately. There was momentary
danger Of that. There was not a mo-
ment to spare. Britz had little time
for thought. With a powerful contor-
ton of his wiry frame he threw of
the men above him long enough to
Ming himself against the door.
Britt reckoned on the likelihood
that his fall from the carriage would
be seen by a patrolman-at any rate,
that his attempt at escape would
cause a commotion u r to result In
police interference.
The detective omitted from his reck-
oning the astuteness and readiness OF
his captors. He thought the surprise
Ringing on his desperate attempt at
escape would be Of sufficient duration
to lot him roll to the road. He was
shocked mentally as well as physical
ly, therefore, when his fall was stopped
with a jerk. and the back of his head
struck with cruel force against the
carriage step. Just for a seconds
fight, reinforced steel and rubber
though he was, he lost consciousness.
When his senses returned, he was in
the same position-head dangling.
shoulders resting against the rods OF
the step, back bent painfully over the
steel-shod threshold Of the carriage
door, legs inside. gripped in a hold
not all his struggles could break. His
ankles sti1 were bound. So, for that
matter, were his wrists, with his
hands behind him.
Then began as strange q struggle
as any In which Britt had engaged in
all his exciting areer The men in
the cab strove to pull him inside: he