Mexico Missouri message., 1917-09-27

not stop to analyze Smith left his seat
behind the wheel and walked over to
the edge of the embankment where
Jibbey had descended. With the glare
of the rOadsters acetylenes turned the
other way, Smith could see Jibbey at
the foot of the slope lowering himself
face downward on his propped arms to
reach the water. Then, in that instant,
Jibbey, careless in his thirst, lost his
balance and went hcadlong into the
torrent.
A battling con had passed before
Smith, battered, beaten and half
strangled, succeeded in landing the I'M
conscious thirst-quencher on a shelly
ing bank three hundred yards below
the stopped automobile. After that
there was another con in which he
completely forgot his own bruisings
while he worked desperately over the
drowned man, raising and lowering the
| limp arms while he strove to recall
more of the resuscitatlve directions
given in the Lawrenceville Athletic
clubs first-aid drills.
In good time, after an interval so
long that 1t seemed endless to the de-
spairing first-aider, the breath came
back into the reluctant lungs. Jibbey
coughed, choked, gasped and sat up.
His teeth were chattering, and he was
chilled to the bone by the sudden
plunge into the cold snow-water, but
he was Enthusiastically alive.
"What-what happened to me, Mon
tyr" he shuddered. did tumble in?"
"You did, for fact"
"And you went in after mel"
"Of course"
"No, by gadI It wasn't of course
not by a long shot! All you had to
do was to let me go, and the score
your score-would have been wiped
out for good and all. Why didn't you
do it?"
Because promised somebody that
I would bring you back to Brewster
tonight, alive and well, and able to
send a telegram"
Jibbey tried to get upon his feet,
couldn't quite compass 1t, and sat
down again.
II don't believe word Of It," ne
mumbled, loose-lipped. "You did 1t
because you're not so DANCED tough
and hard-hearted as you thought you
were." And then: "Give me lift,
Monty, and get me into the auto. ]
guess-rm about-all In"
Smith half led, half carried his
charge up to the road. A final heave
lifted him into his place, and it is safe
to say that Colonel Dexter Baldwin's
roadster never made better time than
it did on the race which finally brought
the glow of the Brewster town lights
reddening against the eastern sky.
At the hotel Smith helped his drip.
ping passenger out Of the car, made o
quick rush with him to an elevator
and SO up to his own rooms on the
fourth floor.
"Stripv" he commanded; "get out OF
those wet rags and tumble into the
bath. Make 1t as hot as you can stand
1t. I'll go down and register you and
have your trunk sent up from the sta
ton. You have trunk, haven't your
Jibbey fshed q soaked card baggage
check out of his pocket and passed
1t over.
| "You're as bad of as / am, Monty
he protested. "Wait and get some DRY
things on before you CO."
'T1l be up again before you're ou
of the tub. suppose you'd like to pu
yourself outside Of a big drink O
whisky, just about now, but that
ohA thing I won't buy for you. How
would pot of hot coffee from thu
cafe strike your"
'You could make it baby food ant
I'd drink it If you said So" chattere'
1.-THE drowned one from the LcHide o
the wet undershirt he was trying Il
! pull on over his head.
n CTo Be coNTINUEnt