The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-05

climbed the hummock. 1t turned again
at the top and stood poised for q mo-
ment on the skyline, its sharp prov
pointing at the spot where the road en-
tered the swamp. The chauffeur stead
led himself. He gripped the wheel in his
crooked fingers, there was q click of re-
leased brakes and the machine began to
move. by the great horn spoon" muir
mered Harry, suddenly understanding:
shooting the chutes!"
But II was better than anything he
had ever seen at Barnum's. Slowly at
first the machine rolled with a sort of
careless, staggering motion. Then 1t
seemed to stlffen. The grade caught 1t.
Silently. like a shadow, 1t swooped half
way down. Its flaps opened like wings.
1t began to buzz. The sound, starting
in low hum, rose till the machine was
n roar like a bombshell. In a rasping
crescendo 1t jumped to buzzsaw
| screech-and the machine struck the
level like a maniac meteor from the
| skies.
A cry left Harry's gaping mouth; rum
ming gingerly upon the crystalline sur
face it made for the end Of the swamp.
1t took the first hundred feet of marsh
at one jump. 1t lit a-perch one of the
| transversal humps. its wheels caught
the hard surface, sprang it across the
| next and 1t went from top to top in
little hops like broken winged bird,
| the driver rising and falling on his seat
| as II upon a dromedary.
But 1t was losing speed. 1t fell into
| one Of the soft places between the hard
| crests, then In another one. The driv-
In uyha In ba
muck. 1t waved from side to side.
1t surmounted one more ridge as with
a tremendous effort, then settled in the
next hole, a few yards from the hard
road. The drivers whirled: a spatter
OF chocolate liquid sprayed toward the
| sky. 1t vibrated up and down without
/ advancing.
But Harry came running, his big
| overjacket in his hand. STOPPING, he
whisked it beneath the near driver. Inn
mediately 1t vanished into the ooze: but
the wheel stopped, shock went through
the machine-and with "a single spring
it made the hard road, where it stood
STILL a soft bubbling Of heated water
coming from the coolers. "Hooray!"
shouted Harry enthusiastically slapping
the chauffeur ON the back.
And suddenly he was sober with the
realization of II golden chance lost The
yelled lady was coming across the glis-
tening alkali-escorted by the little
valley" He was helping her by the
simple eXpedient of placing beneath her
feet his long overcoat, across which she
trod daintily. Damn" said Harry.
wishing his solicitude had not gone so
exclusively to the machine.
They started again. They went up n
dry wash between the steep walls the
days heat lay stagnant, enveloping
them with a fragrant oppression. After
a while the air cooled. They rolled out
upon a plateau. Near by, to the right,
a little tent shone. opalescent with the
light within. But from among the
rocks at the other end OF the plateau
an automobile burst out toward them.
And then for the first time the woman
spoke to Harry.
60 to that tent" she said, pointing.
Buy the Green Monster. Pay fifty
thousand. Sign a check.
| Selling the checkbook handed him
Harry sprang out. He had a glimpse
of the other machine laundering toward
the tent and threw himself through the
flaps.
At the end Of the tent man was
standing-a big powerful man with a
black beard that spread over the tri-
angle OF bronzed flesh left bare by the
open woollen shirt. Before him was "A
long board set upon two upright bar
rels. He stood behind this as behind
IA counter.
His little eyes were red with sleep
and Harry had the impression that this
man had been standing there behind