The Detroit times., 1913-10-31
1.-THE VALIANTS of VIRGINIA"
o. Pur 4
lvoy in Il
eeuAu

Ia barred fence-corner switched n
truculent tail in silence and glowered
sullenly at the big motor halted mo-
tionless at the side of the twisting
road
Curled worm-like in the drivers
seat, with his chin on his knees, John
Valiant sat with his eyes upon the
distance. For an hour he had whirred
through that wondrous simmer OF
color with a fiippant lettering breeze
In his face, sweet from the crimson
clover that poured and rioted over the
roadside; past nests of meditatiye
farm-buildngs. fields of baby-green
corn occasional ramshackle dirt
daubed cabins with doorways hung
with yellow honeysuckle and fragrant
trumpet-vines, and here and there a
quiet old church. Gothic and ivied and
gray, whose loaded windows watched
oenignantly over myrtled graveyards.
a great soothing suspiration OF peace
seemed to swell from il all to lap the
traveller like the moist balminess OF a
semi-troDical sea
"Chum, old man. said Valiant. with
his arm about the bulldogs neck. ''if
those acknowledgements chaps had
shown us this, We simply wouldn't
have believed 1t, would We? Such
scenery beats the roads we're used to.
what? If it were all like this--but, of
course, it isn't Well get to our own
hailiwick presently, and wake up. New
-er mind; we're country gentlemen.
Chummy, en- route to our estate! No
silly shuttle. now! Out with it, That's
right, AS a sharp bark rewarded him
that's the proper enthusiasm" He
wound his strong fingers in chOk'
ing grip in the scruff OF the white
neck. as a chipmunk chartered by on
the low stone wall. mo, you don't.
you cannibal. He's jolly little beg
gar. and he doesn't deserve being eat
en-"
He filed his brier-wood pipe and
drew in great breaths of the fragrant
incense. What a pity you don't
smoke. Chum; you miss such lot, |
saw poodle once in a circus that did.
Eut he'd been to college Think how
you could think IL you only smoked
We may have to do a lot Of thinking,
where we're bound TO. Wonder what
Well find? Oh, that's right. leave 1t
all to me, of course, and wash your
paws OF the whole blooming bust
ness!"
After a time he shook himself and
knocked the red core from the pipe
bowl against his boot-heel Il hate to
start" he confessed, half to the dog
and half to himself. ITO leave any
thing so sheerly beautiful as this,
However, on with the dance. BY the
road map the village can't be far now.
So long, Mr.. Built"
He clutched the self-starter. But
there was only protestant wheeze;
the car declined to bulge. Climbing
down. he cranked vigorously. The
motor turned over with a surly grunt
OF remonstrance and after a tentative
throb.throb. coughed and stopped
dead. Something was wrong. With
sigh he flung or his tweed jacket,
donned a smudgy Jumper opened
his tool-box. and. with glance at his
wrist-watch which told him IL was
three o'clock, threw up the monsters
hood and went bitterly to work.
AT half past three the investigation
had got as far as the lubricator. At
O'Clock the bulldog had given il up
and gone nosing afield. At half past
four John Valiant lay fat on his back
like some disreputable stevadore. al
ternately tinkering with refractory
valves and cursing the obdurate mech
anism. Over his right eye an ooze Of
orange-colored oil gowed and glisten-
ed and indefatigably drip-drlpped into
his shrinking collar A sharp stone
gnawed frenziedly into the small of
his back and just as he made a final
vicious lunge, something gave way
and prickling red-hot stab of pain
shot zigzagging from his smitten
efazy-beHe through every tortured
crevice of his impatient frame. Like
steel from flint 1t struck out a crisp
oath that brought an answering bovine
snort from the fence-corner.
Worming like lizard to freedom.
his eyes puckered shut with the
wretched pang, John Valiant sat up