The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1915-01-07

FhN
''0h. what can Il meant" Rose whis-
pered brokenly, clinging to her lovers
arm. Surely you don't think g.
Surely. II must be accidental q.
Surely Il can't mean"
I'm afraid II does" Alan Law re-
sponded gravely. cycling the front OF
the Mountain house Our luck holds
consistently-thats all II wouldn't
be us II we didat pick out the one
place where Marrophat and Jimmy
chose to stop over night Fortunate
iy. It's early; doubt they're up.
With half a show We ought To be able
20 find some way OF putting a good
distance between us and this town
before they waken Toni"
But Mr.. Barcus was already at his
elbow. in thorough sympathy with
Alan's Interpretation OF the signifi'
canoe TO be attached to the card that
trembled in Roses hand
''sharp's the Yord!" he agreed.
and there's a motor car over there.
in front OF the blaoksmith's Prob
ably We can hire her"
'Trine's car" Alan calculated.
swinging round and recognizing the
automobile at a glance. Then he's
here, as Well"
Looks like H." Barcus admitted.
But so much the better Wen just
naturally take the darn thing on his
hands. and III bet a dollar there isn't
another car within a radius Of nifty
miles Wen be wen out OF these
giddy mountains long before he iinds
anything TO chase US with"
But his confidence was demon
strated to be premature by the dis
covery. which rewarded the first cur
sorry examination. that the car was
very thoroughly out OF commission.
Two minutes later. however. their
earnest inquiries ELECTED the fact
that, although Barcus was justified in
his surmise that the neighboring
country was poyertystrieken In re
spect Of motor cars. Mesquite Itself
boosted two motorcycles whose own
ers we're not Indifferent to a chance
TO sell them secondhand at con
siderable advance on the retail list
price Of the machines. when new.
And thus II was that within ten
minutes from Roses discovery OF that
chancenung warning In the dust. the
party was again In rapid motion.
His beauty sleep disturbed by the
departure OF the machine bearing
Barcus and Judith. Seneca Urine
reused on an elbow and looked out OF
the window Just in time TO see the
second motorcycle gathering momen.
tum. Alan steering. Rose In the seat
behind.
Sixty seconds later a Haunting ban.
ner OF dust was all that remained TO
remind Mesquite that romance had
passed that way-that. and a series
OF passionate screams emAnatihg
from the bedehamber of Seneca
Urine, where the cripple lay posses
sed by seven devils of tnsensate rage
His screams brought attendance.
but II was a matter OF many precious
minutes before his demands could be-
met and Marrophat and Jimmy reused
from their crapulous slumbers in ad.
joining chambers; and half an hour
elapsed before the chauffeur. reused
from his own well-earned rest. sue
ceeded in convincing the pair that
pursuit with the motor car was out
OF the question
But the devil takes care Of his own:
within another half hour what seemed
TO be sheer bull.headed. dumb luck
brought a casual automobile 10 Mes
quite-a two-seated. high.power
racing machine OF the latest and
speediest pattern. driven by two IRE
sponsible wayfarers who proved only
too susceptible to Marrophat's offer OF
double the cost Of the car--f o. b.
Detroit-for It's immediate surrender
The two piled out promptly enough;
MaTophat and Jimmy jumped In:
Urine from his bedroom window sped
them on their murderous mission with
a blast Of blasphemy
II must have been an hour later
when Alan. checking his motorcycle
as II surmounted the summit OF a
long upgrade. looked back and dis
covered. several miles distant on the
fArfung winnings Of the mountain
road. a small crimson shape that ran
like a mad thing tireiessiy pursued
by a cloud OF tawny dust like a gold
en- ghost.
A motor car. beyond all question.
and one Of uncommon roaddevouring
quality; II might or might not con.
tain Marrophat and Jimmy. once more
In pursuit. Whether or not. bitter