The evening world., 1916-09-09
CHAPTER Xxx,
tbniinued

i THIS time rfnitn could near
the sputtcring roar OF the
following car only too
plainly.
It's n big one" he Conn
msntod. you can't outrun II, Billy;
an. bsades. there Is nowhere to run
to IN this direction"
Again 6tsrbuck's reply translated
itself into action. With a skilful touch
Of the controls he sent the car ahead
at top speed. and for a matter OF ten
miles or moro held a diminishing lead
Ia the rae through sheer good driving
and an accurate knowledge OF the
smith knew little Of the westward half
Of the park which they were approach
ing, and the little was not encouraging.
Beyond LATHE Butte and the old Wire
silver Mine the road they were trav-
ertng would become q cart track In
the mountains, and there was no outlet
10 the north save by lei Of the
railroad bridge at Little Butte Station.
Throughout the race the pursuers
had been gradually gaining. n by
the time the forestcd bulk OF Little
Butte WIS outlining Itself against the
tlouded sky on the left, the headlights
Of tho oncoming police car were in
plain view to the rear. Worse still,
there were three grade crossings OF
The railroad track Just ahead in the
stretch Of road which rounded the toe
ot the mountain. and from somewhere
ZIP the valley and beyond the railroad
bridge CAME TIE llstance-softened
whistle OF q train.
~Starbucl; set Il high mark for him
self as a courageous driver OF
tnotor-cars when he came TO tao
last OF the three road crossings.
Jerking the car around sharply at
me instant Of track~-crossing, he
headed straight out Owe tho ties FOR
The railroad bridge. IL was a court
ing OF death. To drive the bridge at
racing speed vas hazardous enough,
but to drive 1t thus In the face OF
a downcoming train seemed nothing
less than madness.
Il was after the car had shot into
the first Of the three bridge spans
that the pursuers pulled up and
opened fire. Starbuck bent lower
over his wheel and Smith clutched
for handholds. Far UP the track on
the north side OF tho river a head
''0oS soOhVu hu thc WI hicoSp anu
the hoarse blast OF a locomotive,
whistling for tho bridge. echoed and
re-echo>d among the hills.
6tArbuck. tortured because ne could
not remember what sort of an approach
The railway track made to the bridge
on the farther side, drove for his life.
With the bridge fairly crossed he
found himself on a high embankment.
ana the oncoming train was o less
than half a mile away. To turn out
on the embankment was 10 hurl tho
q to certain destruction. To hold
on was to take q hazardous chance OF
coliiding with the train. Somewhere
beyond the bridge approach there was
a road. sc much Starbuck could re-
call. II they could reach its crossing
before the collision should come
They did reach II, by what seemed
to Smith 4 margin Of no more than
the length OF the heavy freight train
which went iangling past them a
scant second or so after the car had
bean wrenched aside into the obscure
mesa road. They had gone a milo or
nore on the reverse leg OF the long
doWn-rtver detour before S~tarbuck
cut the speed and turned the wheel
over to his scat -mate.
Take her "a minute while | get the
makihgs." he said. dry-llpped. feeling
in his pockets for tobacco and the
rics-pApsr. Then he added: "HoIy
Solomon! nevcr wanted a smoke SO
bad In all my ife!"