Omaha daily bee., 1916-11-20
u.-THE MYSTERIOUS MOTOR
CAR

CAR.
The tide was coming in, and the
five-mile stretch Of beach was hard
and glistening. Christopher could
hardly have chosen better place for
a speed trial to test the success OF a
new invention, nor better time than
the earliest hint of dawn. There had
been storm yesterday and the green
rollers doomed upon the sand as they
curled over and flung their white
foam towards the wheels Of Scarlet
Runner; but with the birth OF day
the wind had died. The car purred
rhythmically. an Christopher
hummed happily as he drove.
He was excited. for an experiment
which had absorbed two weeks Of his
time and many coins Of his hard
earned money was proving a success
He had felt certain that not only need
he not fear police traps II he exceeded
the legal limit in driving land had
he not made the journey expressly to
exceed the legal limitP), but that
there would not be single soul to
see and report Scarlet Runners law
breaking feats. Yet here, at half past
4 In the morning, on this desolate
beach, he was on the point of coming
plump upon half dozen men, who
might almost have been waiting to
catch him.
For once his Imagination failed.
For a moment he saw nothing sug-
gestive In the grouping Of half doz-
en- eager men around some object,
half engulfed In water. which they
were striving to drag out. But, in
fact, Christopher had some excuse
for his temporary self absorption.
His latest client had finished we'd
ding trip en- automobile. whereupon
Race had returned to London and
been thrown into the society OF a fell
low enthusiast for motors-v-a young
engineer who had designed a new In
yention. 1t was very clever invention,
for at stroke II revolutionized all
existing systems Of transmission and
did away with gear boy pinions and
clutch. The engine worked a pump,
whose business was To compress oil
and force 1t under high pressure to
two turbines on the back axle. These
turbines turned the wheels. "and there
you are" as the inventor explained,
exulting over his model. The system
was capable Of infinite gradations Of
speed by guiding this stream Of oil
toward the center or toward the per-
iphery Of the turbines. Owing to the
benef.cient nature OF the transmitting
force the mechanism was smooth and
silent as the motor Of dream. and
a great proportion Of the engine
power was able to act directly on the
wheels.
Scarlet Runner, thus regenerated;
had come out Of London workshop
that she should be the first car In
England to inaugurate q new era In
automobilism. Such tests as could be
had been made In London streets and
had been triumphant. and now here
was Christopher with his scarlet dari-
ing, heart and engine both beating In
the hope of long. satisfactory trial.
with the sea and the rising sun as sole
witnesses.
Within thirty yards Of the group in
the water Race slackened speed and
would have turned, sacrificing the
last mile OF the five, had not one OF
the men seen him and begun to shout
and beckon. At the same moment
several others broke away from the
group to hurry across the sand toward
the approaching motor. and Christo-
pher saw. to his extreme surprise,
that the thing they had surrounded
was a half submerged automobile.
In q second all desire to depart was
burnt up by fire Of curiosity In
stead of retreating he drove nearer;
so near that. faint as was still the
light. he could see the make and color
Of the drowning car
Here was a mystery which made q
special appeal to the heart Of mo-
torist.
..Halloa! What's happened here7''
exclaimed Christopher to the man who
met Scarlet Runner. This looks a
queer business"
THAT It does. SIR" answered q
brown old fisherman. "And as Ia
what's happened we don't know nc
more than you. or the babe unborn
for the matter Of that But some.
things happened. and, as you say
something queer"
Perhaps the gentleman himself car
give us information" remarked q
young fellow; also fisherman.
I'VE have sent for the police from
Tilton-on Sea. sir" said the elder man
"My boy and were the first to catch
sight of this ere. and we got together
some mates to help drag her out Of
the water before the tide gets up
But she's stood where she is SO long
her wheels have sunk into the sand
and we can't move her"
I'm help with that work IL some
Of you will hitch rope around heI
front axle" Christopher volunteered
My car can tow her But here
comes a policeman now"
A blue clad man, hastily dressed Al
summons. was approaching. guided
by a boy. He stared gravely at the
automobile, murmured that 1t looked
like murder or suicide, and begar
scribbling notes In a book produced
from his pocket, while the derelic
was being rescued. young fisher,
man volunteered to get rope AROUND
the car, and soon succeeded, though
1t was a battle with the waves. The
rope was fixed to Scarlet Runner, tn,
fisherman hauled on 1t, and Race
driving his motor up the beach, tn,
drowned automobile crawled, drip
ing. out OF the sea-
Christopher made a careful exami
nation of the derelict and announced
with certainty that It was Hansard
Of date about years old, but elab
0rateiy altered and modernized II,
peered into the gear box. saw tina
the pinions were clean and new. ant
said that the motor had APPARENT!
not run many miles since being re
paired. Another point to which h,
drew attention Of the constable wa
that the number Of the motor hat
been carefully chiselled off. and tina
the number plate OF the car itsel
was ynfsaing This shnwad that ~
3 abandonment had been an act OF de
liberation. and the plate must hay,
been lately removed, as an automo
bile lacking such mark could hardl,
have passed through the streets o