The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-11-02
CHAPTER Lxxxvr-uN1TED.

CHAPTER LXxEvr-UNITED.
Well. sents!' tho driver observed
shesrfuliy withdrawing head and
munion with the stubborn genius be-
meath tho hood, II reckon you-aIl mays
Wen make up yore minds to christen
this-hyeh salubrious spot Camp for
the Night. You wont be goin' no
this old wagon through them desert
sands back yondeh has just naturally
broke tho heart Of that engine!"
What. precisely. is the trouble?"
Alan Law inquired. rousing from
anxious preoccupation.
Plumb bust all to hell" the chauf-
four explained tersely.
Nothing could be fairer, more exact
and comprehensive than that" Tom
Barcus commented.
Law nodded head too weary to re-
spond to the others humor His wor-
ried eyes reviewed tho scene Of the
breakdown. A ring OF arid hills.
scanned with gigantic folds. all silver
and purple In tho moonlight, made 1t
a natural amphitheatre. on ahead tho
wason-trail snakcd through a Wilder
ness OF mesquite and chapparal: to the
rear 1t wound out of sight round tho
loot OF gigantic hill chill air
shiyered through the canyon-that till
Peerins over the eastern hills. q glib
bous moon OF sardonic cast grfnned on
the little group gathered round the
stalled automobile.
What's to be done? Mr.. Law
wondered aloud.
Take 1t calm" the afrable ohnu Ieur
advised. "Frettin' won't get you-all
nothin'. IL II was me. I'd call It
day, make fire. get them ouehions
out of the cyah. and get some rest.
You can't do nothin till I get back,
anyway. and that won't be much before
sunup."
Where arc you goingy Barcus de-
manded.
.walkin'. friend; Just walkin'-"
what for?"
ITO fetch help-leastways, onless
you've got some kick comm and 'ud
but where to? How fairs the near
est town?"
"If It's town yo're wantin. why.
Mosquitoes bout as nigh as any
somcthin' like twenty miles Off yondeh.
You take the up-trail. where It forks,
tother end OF this canyon. But me,
amt eaiculatin' to tramps far's that.
I'm amin to hoof it no more'n matter
OF nine miles along thls-hyeh wagon
trail, to Watson's ranch, tothcr side
these hills. l can get hosses there,
and buggy for the old gent, too
II he's In too much q hurry to sit In
the cyah while we tow II through with
mules"
He turned off and busted himself
with preparations against his Journey.
ITS simply things like this make me
believe this Isn't. after ALL nothing
more nor less than long drawn out
nightmare" Barcus observed pensiycly.
"How's that?" Law inquired in alb
straction.
Thanks for the feeder: 7 was hop
ing somebody would ask me to explain.
| What I'm driving at Is the fact
that one thing alone persuades me that
our headlong career bears any
specious verisimilitude to real life.
How so? Mr.. Barcus: what Is this one
thing alone? What but the philoso-
piers aphorism. Mr.. Law? Whaddya-
mean. philosophers Rphorism, Mr..
Barcus? Why, MT. Law, need one re-
mind you OF that corruscant, nay,
deathless truth: Life Is just one damn
| thing after another? -. For, IL there
be truth in that saying, then, my poor
friend. this indeed is Lifeg'
He checked with an aggrieved air par
donable III a public entertainer whose
most inSratiating efforts are interrupt
ed by the discovery that his audience
has stolen away on tip-toe. For Mr.
!. Law was no more attending: he had
turned away and was just then stand
ing by the running board OF tho motor
car and civilly explaining to Miss
Judith Urine the purpose Of the chauf-
feur's expedition.
Discovery OF this circumstance
worked n deep wrinkle between the
brows as we'll as into tho humor OF Mr..
Barcus.
Continued Tomorrow