Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1912-04-16
of horse Is holding back. Can't you

on horse Is holding back. Can't yon
touch him up Httle?"
Lightning was not holding back BY
any means, but nevertheless Mtlly
touched him up" and the crazy old
blackboard lurched and swayed and
buck-jumped in it's efforts to hold to.
gether and keep up with the horses.
The girl, not to be outdone by the
new super in display OF reckless
courage, steered always for the
toughest part of the road.
AS result it was not long before
one of of the front wheels collided
with a rock that was too big for It
to climb. A jolt followed that threw
the travellers into the road, the Whit
hetree gave way, the neck-yoke slip
ped off the pole and the bronks went
on without the blackboard.
Larry was up first and he hurried
to Milly, who was lying beside the
trail with very white face, more
frightened at the manner in which
her escapade was turning out than
she cared 10 ADMIT.
"Are you hurt?" cried Larry.
''Not Bit" answered Milly, get
ting up slowly, "but was afraid that
you might be. 1t was very foolish
of me to drive like that
"It's my fault" declared Larry. II
it hadn't been for me this wouldn't
have happened"
"It's kind of you to shoulder tho
blame said Milly, picking up the
glasses and presenting them to him.
'but won't have it that way. Here
we are, right in the desert, twelve
miles from Phoenix and six from
camp. How are you at waiking?"
Good" replied Larry, but lets
not talk of walking just yet. The
blackboard doesn't seem to be in
very bad shape and if we can catch
the horses"
Might as well try to catch a cou-
pie of jack rabbits" broke in Milly:
they went through that gap in the
mountain like streak
Something may have happened in
the gap persisted Larry. "At any
rate, before we give up trying to
haul this freight into camp, let's go
over there and see what the situa-
ton is"
So they started on foot for the gap
and had got about half way to 1t
when there came a roar like that
from hundred cannons and tho
very ground shook beneath their
feet. Dazed, they could do nothing
for a moment but stand and look at
each other; then they shifted their
eyes back along the trail and saw
that the blackboard and its freight
had vanished completely. Where It
had stood there was now hole OF
good-sized house.
What could have caused that?"
gasped Milly.
''It's hard to tell" replied McKays
mo one can ever guess what crys-
talized giant powder is going to do.
noticed, though, that the bottom
OF the blackboard was pushed back
on the front axle. II the box drop
ped to the road, the powder might
have Jared IN Such a way tnat IL
exploded or the caps might have ex-
ploded and set off the powder"
Anyway" said Milly, with ner-
vous little shudder. 'it's done, and
it's lesson for me that I shall new
er forget The buckboard's gone,,
the powder, the caps and the carboy
of acid"
"And my grip" added Larry. rue
fully
with all you've got in the world
said Milly.
Their eyes met and something in
the situation caused them to laugh.
What of it?" cried Larry. We're
saved, let us not forget that. Come!
Wen set out for camp and find the
horses if We can" William Wallace
Cook