Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-07-11
CHAPTER vl-continued.

Il was born here in Timanyoni, ana
you haven't been here three weeks;
do you think I'd be afraid to go any
where that you'll gO?"
"We'H see about that" he chuckled,
matching the laugh; and with that he
let the clutch take hold, sent the car
rolling gently up to the level of the
railroad embankment and across the
rails of the main track, and pulled 1t
around until it 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
so that the wheels on one side Rugged
the inside of one rail.
"What in the world are you trying
to do?" questioned the young woman
who had said she was not afraid.
wait" he tempOrized; Just wait
a minute and get ready to hang on
like grim death. We're going across
on that trestle."
He fully expected her to shrek and
grab 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
If you can" she remarked quite calmly.
Smith kept on backing until the car
had passed the switch from which the
spur branched off to cross TO the mate
rial yard on the opposite side of the
river. A skillful bit of juggling put
the roadster over on the ties of the
spur-track. Then he turned to his fell
low risk.
"Sit low and hang on with both
hands," he directed. Now" and he
opened the throttle.
The trestle was not much above two
hundred feet long, and, happily, the
cross-ties were closely spaced. Steered
to a hair, the big car went humping
across, and in his innermOst recesses
Smith was saying to his immediate
ancestor, the well-behaved bank clerk :
"YOu swab You never saw the day
when you could do a thing like this
you thought you had me tied
up In bunch of ribbon, didn't your
II Miss Baldwin were frightened,
she did not show 1t. Smith jerked the
roadster out of the ENHANCEMENT of
the railroad track and said: You may
sit up now and tell me which way to
go. l don't know anything about the
roads over here"
She pointed out the way across the
hills, and a fOur-mile dash followed,
Up hill and down the big roadster
raced, devouring the interspaces, and
at the topping of the last of the ridges,
IN small low-lying swale which was
well hidden from any point of view in
the vicinity CT the distant dam, they
came upon the interlOpers. There
were three men and two horses and a
covered wagon, as Martins telephone
message had catalogued them. The
horses were still in the traces, and just
beyond the wagon legal mining
claim had been marked out by freshly
driven stakes. At one end two of the
men were digging perfunctOrily, while
the third was lacking the legal notice
on a bit of board nailed to one of the
stakes.
Smith sent the gray car rocketing
down into the swale, brought it to a
stand with a thrust of the brakes, and
Jumped out. Once more the primitive
Stone Age man in him, which had slept
50 long and so quietly under the Law
renceville conventionalities, was joy
Ously pitching the barriers aside.
It's moving day for you fellows" he
announced cheerfully, picking the big
gest of the three as the proper sub
ject for the order giving. you're on
the Timanyoni Ditch company's land
and you know it. Pile into the wagon
and fade away!"
The big mans answer was a laugh
pointed. doubtless. by the fact that
the order giver was palpably unarmed
Smiths right arm shot out, and when
the blow landed there were only two
left 10 close in on him. In such sud
den hostilties the advantages are all
with the beginner. Having superior
reach and a good bit more skill than
either of the two tacklers, Smith held
his own until he could get in a few
more of the smashing right-handers
but in planting them he took punish
ment enough to make him Berserk-
mad and so practically invincble
There was fierce mingling Of arms
legs and bodies. sufficiently terrifying
one would suppose. TO young woman
sitting calmly in an automobile hun
dred yards away.
The struggle was short in just pro-
portion 10 its vigor, and AT the end OF
ii two Of the trespassers were knocked
out. and Smith was dragging the third
over 10 the wagon, into which he pres
entity heaved the man as if he had
been a sack Of meal. Miss Baldwin
sitting in the car. saw her ally dive
into the covered wagon and come out
with a pair OF rifles. Pausing only
long enough to smash the guns one
sFtar the other. over the wagon wheel