Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1915-03-31
CHAPTER xLVIIi.
Full FIlaht.

"Oh. what can it mean?" Rose whis.
pered brokenly, clinging to her lovers
arm. Surely you don't think
Surely, it must be accidental
Surely 1t can't mean"
I'm afraid it does" Alan Law re-
sponded gyavely, cycling the front OF
the Mountain house. Our luck holds
consistently-that's all. 1t wouldn't
be US If we didn't pick out the one
place where Marrophat and Jimmy
chose to stop over night. Fortunate
ly, it's early; doubt they're up.
With half a show we ought TO be able
to 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 signif-
canoe to be attached to the card that
trembled in Roses hand.
"Sharp's the word!" he agreed
"And there's motor car over there.
in front of the blacksmith's. Prob
ably we can hire her"
"Trine's cart" Alan calculated
swinging round and recognizing the
automobile at a glance. 'Then he's
here. as Welt"
Looks like It." Barcus admitted
But so much the better Well just
naturally take the darn thing off his
hands. and I'll bet a dollar there isn't
another car within radius Of fifty
milesi Wen he well out Of these
giddy mountains long before he finds
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 poverty.stricl1en in re-
spect of motor cars. Mesquite itself
boasted two motorcycles whose own
ers were not Indifferent to chance
to sell them secondhand at a con
siderable advance on the retail list
price of the machines, when new.
And thus it was that, within ten
minutes from Roses discovery of that
chance-fung 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 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 emanating
from the bedchamber of Seneca
Urine, where the cripple lay posses.
sed by seven devils of tnsensate rage.
His screams brought attendance;
but It was matter Of many precious
minutes before his demands could ba
met ant 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 until be had spent at
least half the day overhauling the mo
tor and mending the mischief that
had developed in it.
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 to Mes.
quite-a two-seated. high-power
racing machine Of the latest and
speediest pattern, driven by two fire.
sponsible wayfarers who proved only
too susceptible to Marrophat's offer OF
double the cost Of the car-f. o. b.
Detroit-for its immediate surrender
The two piled out promptly enough:
Marrophat and Jimmy jumped in:
Urine from his bedroom window sped
them on their murderous mission with
a blast Of blasphemy which was des-
tined to keep his memory green in
Mesquite for many weary year
after he had been duly consigned to
his grave
Like some prudish jackrabbit, IN
speakably shocked by that envenomed
"a Iay5fo4fnv sha r.osn. - 80