Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-12-18
The Argus Daily Story
A Mad Race-By Henry T. Archibald.
Copyrighted. 1911 by Associated Literary Bureau.

"Moliy slowed down. and they looked
at each other, white as sheets 4 dis
tant roar told them they were caught
in q narrow canyon four miles long.
with cloIdburst behind them,
"'Hadn't I better take the wheelT
gasped Ned.
"'No I'm more used TO IL than you.
"For about mile the road made
number of short turns. so II was i'm
possible to make time. And while
they were zigzagging the water penned
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 u hundred yards away. roll
ing powders. logs. branches and mud
before it. IL they left the auto and
tried to climb the cliY 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 oil 1t
was worth. Molly turned on power.
and they shot of as fast as they dared
so, for the road was not perfectly
straight. and the slightest detection
from a straight line in quick moving
auto means an upset.
'They gained something during this
first mile. but in the second there We're
several turns that required them to
slow down almost to n 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 rock. water. stones and splin-
| tered tree trunks rebounding in every
direction.
Fortunately these turns delayed the
! food as they delayed the fueitives.
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 a 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
60 without egress from the canyon
and destruction not hundred feet be-
hind them. At times while slowing up
for q 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 q point where its equilibrium
was not entirely destroyed, First the
auto would bound forward after a de-
lection: then the wall of water and
debris would plunge after 1t. In this
way they reached the fourth mile al
the end of which the road left the
canyon and rose over 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
{ ~ at the straiter parts-roarins. howl
ing. hurting itself against the right
3 cliff. now against the left. then push
:. ing forward with renewed vigor. Will.
] the din was deafening
MOLLY held steadily to the wheel
r but it is questionable If Ned was no
i equally heroic in refraining from
d touching either it or any part Of tn,
: machinery.
/ Starting upon the last half mile o.
e the race. with the Good not fifty fee
behind them and comparativel,
/. straight road ahead of them. Mol,
put on sufficient power to take then
on without losing-gaining. rather
IT till they reached the outlet. where
t shooting up the road out OF reach o
# the torrent. Molly collapsed Ne'
! turned Off the power brought the ma
.e chine to a standstill and. with the cir
n in his arms. looked down upon the bal
fed monster rushing madly on"
y Silsby stopped, evidently having
'r reached the end of his story.
t. "Did they get married." asked WI
kins.
,f Get married. exclaimed the stor
teller. his patience evidently hayin
s. been sorelv tried and now exhauste
by his critic You're the man tina
he has got tired of hearing stories tot
pit and wound up in the old fashione
III way. Lovers have been chased o
~ foot, on horseback. IN buGgies and eel
re riages. even on railroad trains. an
II. there are stories of their running ava
Is from foods. but whoever heard G
he their being chased by Hood aud |
as an auto? And vet when ! get 70 til
re climax yon ask IL they got married
I'd You bet they got married: but. as
he said In the beginning. the wife ha
ey never got over that scare"
K Its my opinion" remarked ore c
nd the listeners. that the merit OF th
el story consists in giving the lovers a
1t, automobile ia get away with | gC
er ore % them. and when I'm speedin
On find 1t convenient fos leayin, the p'
lice behind"