Mexico Missouri message., 1917-07-26
CHAPTER VI-continued.

WHAT lEn Nl-SOnNi0ICus
Fl was born here in TimanyOni, and
you haven't been here three weeks:
do you think I'd be afraid to go any
where that you'll go?"
@'WeIl see about that" he chuckled
matching the laugh; and with that he
let the clutch take hold, sent the car
s-Neiling gently up to the level of the
railroad embankment and across the
-niis Of the main track, and pulled 1t
Iar0und until 1t was headed fairly for
the upper switch. Then he put the
motor in the reverse and began to
back the car on the siding, steering
80 that the wheels on one side Rugged
the inside of one rail.
~What IN the world are you trying
to DOR questioned the young woman
eWho had said she was not afraid.
~Wait," he temporized; "just wait
N minute and get ready to hang on
AIke grim death. We're going across
on that trestle."
He fully expected her to shrek and
grub for the steering wheel. That, he
told himself, was what the normal
young woman would do. But Miss Co
roma disappointed him.
you'll put US both into the river,
and smash Colonel-daddy's car, but l
guess the Baldwin family can stand it
df you can" she remarked quite calmly.
Smith kept on backing until the car
Aad passed the switch from which the
'spur branched off to cross to the mate
sStaa yard on the opposite side of the
river. A skillful bit of juggling put
Tthe roadster over on the ties of the
Sopurtrack. Then he turned to his fell
low risk.
'"Slt low and hang on with both
hmds," he directed. snow" and he
opened the throttle.
The trestle was not much above two
hundred feet long, and, happily, the
crOss-ties were closely spaced. Steered
ITO q hair, the big car went humping
racrOss, and in his innermost recesses
Smith was saying to his immediate
ancestor, the well-behaved bank clerk:
you swabl You never saw the day
when You could do q thing like this
- you thought you had me tied
mp In bunch of ribbon, didn't your"
II Miss Baldwin were frightened,
aShe did not show 1t. Smith jerked the
Eroadster out Of the ENHANCEMENT of
Vehe railroad track and said: "You may
4sit up now and tell me which way to
pgo. don't know anything about the
roads over here"
She pointed out the way across the
ahills, and a four-mile dash followed.
up hill and down the big roadster
raced, devOuring the interspaces, and
1at the topping of the last of the ridges,
FAn small, low-lying swale which was
well hidden from any point of view in
the vicinity of the distant dam, they
came upon the interlopers. There
were three men and two horses and q
covered wagon, as Martins telephone
message had catalogued them. The
m0rses were still In the traces, and Just
beyond the wagon a legal mining
claim had been marked out by freshly
fdrtven stakes. At one end two of the
rmen were digging perfunctorily, while
rfhe third was tacking the legal notice
on a bit OF board nailed to one of the
Gstakea. y
Smith sent the gray car rocketIng
S3own into the swale, brought 1t to a
stand with q thrust Of the brakes and
Jumped out. Once more the primitive
SstOne Age man In him. which had slept
80 long and so quietly under the Law
Irenceville conventionalities, was joy
'ousIy pitching the barriers aside.
tits moving day for you fellows" he
saziHOunced cheerfully, picking the big
dgeEt Of the three as the proper sub
-iect for the order giving. you're on
vino TimanyOni Ditch company's land,
aanA gOu know IL. Pile into the wagon
and Tade awayT
The big mans answer was laugh,
EDointed, doubtless, by the fact that
'ahe oeder giyer was palpably plarmed.
: aSmIth's digit arm shot out, and when
Vtlle blow landed there were only two
Heftfto close tn on him. In such sud
den hostihties the advantages are all
with the beginner, Having superior
.Esach and q good bit more skill than
teEther OF the two tacklers, Smith held
IlaEssoSgn RntiI he c~uld get in few
Enore a. the smashing right-handers.
oct tn planting them he took punish
meEt enough to make hiE BeFserk.
xlaad aud so practically invlncible.
where was q Geree uaingunK OF arms,