Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-12-30

uhLB the rottenent yarn ever nb-
tened to-not a new thing in Il from
beginning to end"
When siisby had got his pipe lighted
he resumed without noticing the com
ment:
1.-THE lovers in great Joy turned down
into the canyon. The road Ia good
there. but very winding; consequently
an auto can't be driven at anything
like full speed without upsetting. But.
the race being over. they slowed down
to an average OF about eight rniles an
hour. Pretty soon there was a clap OF
thunder In the distance. Ned looked
/ uneasy.
| "'Stop her a Moment he said.
"Molly slowed down. and they looked
at each other, white as sheets. A dis
tant roar told them they were chuRht
in a narrow canyon four miles long.
| with a cloudburst behind them.
HADN'T ! better take the wbsalr
gasped Ned.
| ".No. I'm. more used TO II than you
"For about a mile the road made q
number of short turns. so It was Inn
possible to make time. And while
they were zigzagRing the water psnned
In between the two walls of the can
yon-there was only room for the road
was gaining on them very fast.
Before they got beyond these turns
and came to a scrap of straight road.
looking behind. there was a wall of
water not hundred yards away. roll
ing powders. logs. branches and mud
before 1t. II they left the auto and
| tried to climb the cliff on either side
they would be caught long before they
could get beyond the waters height.
Besides. the cliff was pretty near
straight up and down. The only thing
to do was to drive the auto for all 1t
was worth. Molly turned on power.
and they shot of as fast as they dared
60. for the road was not perfectly
straight and the slightest detection
from a straight line In a quick moving
auto means an upset.
"They gained something during this
FIRST mile. but In the second there were
several turns that required them to
slow down almost to a stop. After
making one of these turns Ned looked
back. Molly was about to do SO, too,
when he put his hands on her head
and prevented her. The sight would
have taken away her nerve. A mass
Of water and debris was hurled at the
turning point against the side Of the
| canyon. like, an ocean wave dashing
against a rock. water. stones and splin-
tered tree trunks rebounding in every
direction.
Fortunately these turns delayed the
food as they delayed the fugitives
| A quarter of a mile of comparatively
straight road lay before them. Molly
again put on power. and they spun
along at a tolerably fast gait. At the
next turn-a broad curve-the wheels
on the outside Of the auto were lifted
from the ground. and for few mo-
ments the pair were suspended be-
tween two Deaths the one by being
dashed against the cliff. the other by
the bowling cataract.
"There were still nearly two miles to
go without egress from the canyon
and destruction not a hundred feet be-
hind them. At times while slowing up
for turn the food came so near that
they were drenched with the spray.
Greater and greater were the risks
they took in making the curves. Mol
ly kept control Of herself and auto.
and, though the monster was ever ready
to make one last leap to destroy her
and her lover. she held the machine
down to a point where its equilibrium
was not entirely destroyed. FiFst the
auto would bound forward after de-
lection; then the wall of water and
debris would plunge after 1t. In this
way they reached the fourth mile. at
han ~ ~xvht h. La ~
canyon and rose over a hill. But for
the greater part of this distance they
must race over a course which, though
broader, was beset with many turns.
Onward they sped, behind them the
food OF water. stones and tree trunks
making great leaps and gaining slow
ly at the straiter parts-roaring, howl
Ing, hurting itself against the right
Cliff, now against the left, then push
ing forward with renewed vigur. while
the din was deafening.
molly held steadily to the wheel
but 1t In questionable II Ned was not
equally heroic In r8fraininR from
touching either 1t or any part of the
machinery.
Starting upon the last half mile of
the race. with the food not ffty fest
behind them and a comparatively
straight road ahead Of them, Molly
put ON sufficient power to take them
ON without losing-gaining. rather
till they reached the outlet. where,
shooting up the road out Of reach OF
the torrent, Molly collapsed. Ned
turned or the power. brought the ma
chine to a standstill and, with the girl
in his arms, looked down upon the baf-
fed monster rushing madly on"
Silsby stopped, evidently having
reached the end of his story.
did they get married7' asked Will
kins.
"Get marriedr' exclaimed the story
teller. his patience evidently having
been sorely tried and now exhausted
by his critic. You're the man that
has got tired of hearing stories told
and wound up In the old fashioned
J way. Lovers have been chased on
foot, on horseback. in buggies and car
riages. even ON railroad trains. and
there are stories Of their running away
from foods. but whoever heard of
their being chased by food and in