Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-05-15

Just ahead lay again tie death
carve" There Was . swirl movement
beside Stanton, the pendent linen
strssmsrs Aoating from his cap were
dsftly ssissd and The dust swept from
HE gogsles with prastiosd rapidly.
Car on each side ~ ono trying to
pass" The clear voice pierced the
hearing. mo room next the fence"
Stanton grunted. The boy knew
how to rise in . speeding machine.
then, and how to take care Of HE
driver, hs noted. Nsvertheless, he
| meant to take that fence side.
And no did. AZ the other drivers
shut Of power to take tho dangerous
bond moro slowly. Stanton shot for.
ward 1t unchanged speed. cut in ahead
and swept first around the turn. TAX
ing the inside curve. The spectators
rose with . universal cry Of consterna.
ton: the Mercury swsrved. almost
facing the inflsld fence. skidding ap.
pallingly and lurcLing drunkenly ON
two wheels. then righted itself under
the stcering-wheel in the masters
hands, and rushed on, leading By .
hundred feet.
The people cheered frantically. the
band crashed into raucous music.
Stanton's mechanician got up to lean
over the back Of the flying car and
feel tho rear castings.
you're tryin' to tires" he impaired.
his accents close to the drivers ear.
That was the first time that Stanton
noticed that Floyd nsped and blurred
| his final e. in moments Of excite
ment. 1t might have sounded sftemi-
| nate, II the voice had not been with
out tremor. Az it was
At the end Of the first hour. the
(; bulletin boards showed the Mercury
i've laps ahead Of its nearest rival.
And then Floyd spoke again to his
driver.
"What?' Stanton questioned, above
the noise Of the motor.
We've got to run In; I'm afraid Of
the rear inside shoe. It won't stand
another skid like the last
Stanton's mouth shut in . hard
line.
II will not" he stated. Get back
in your place. You can't tell"
II can"
Stanton deigned no reply, sliding
past one Of the slower cars on the
back stretch. To go in meant to lose
the whole time gained. As they took
the back turn. Floyd again leaned
over.
"Goin' to throw away the race an
wreck your machine, for foolishness? ?"
he inquired. That's Just like you.
Ralph Stanton. You'll risk blowout
an smash to save five minutes in q
twenty.four hour race. You can drive,
but you won't use common sense"
Something snapped under Stanton's
mask. Raging with silent fury, he
the paddock gate as they came oppo-
site 1t, laundering through to his own
camp.
Fix that tire" he commanded, &C
the swarm of mechanics surrounded
them, and descended from his seat to
confront the assistant manager. 'Have
you got me another mechanician,
yet? This one won. do"
why, no." Mr.. Green deprecated.
THE driver who alternates with you
wants to keep his mechanician: be-
sides. the man isn't exactly ready to
90 with you. and he couldn't do both
shifts, anyhow. I've telephoned to
the company to ind man and rush
him here. What" he looked toward
the group around the car. where
Floyd's bronze head shone in the cleo
trio light as he directed proceedings,
what's the matter with this one?
Scared?"
NO." conceded Stanton, grudgingly
just. "1nsolent and interfering"
We'll, II that is all"
Stanton turned his back upon the
speaker. recklessly and blindly angry.
past all reasoning.
When, the brief operation COM
pleted, Floyd sprang up beside his
driver for the start, Stanton surveyed
him through his goggles.
III you are nervous about my driv-
ing and my sense. you had better get
of now" was the grim warning. "For
drive az see At, and I'm going to
make up these laps"
why are you wasting time here.
them" countered the mechanician,
practically.
The Mercury hurled viciously down
the line Of training camps and burst
out on the track like . blazing meteor.
Stanton shifted into high gear on the
curve, and began to drive-as he saw
1T
The close-packed witnesses stood
during most Of the next hour, alter
nately applauding and shouting dis
may, climbing on seats and benches to
see. The other racers gave the Mer-
curry room on the turns, after the
Alan car tried to steal an inside
sweep. and skidding. missed destIuc-
ton through and with Stanton BY the
narrow margin Of foot.
There was neither opportunity nor
wish for speech between the two who
rode the verge Of death ON tho Her
curry. Floyd attended steadily to his
duties: pumping oil, brushing the yel-
low trackdust from the pilots goggles
to clear his vision for each turn,
watching the tires and the other ma.
chimes. But he made no protest at the
deadly methods Of his companion.
Near the end of the second hour,
- IA