The Monticellonian., 1917-02-08


 was racing round the course
 toward the grand stand, on tht last lap. hotly followed by Morton 1T the Carrier. The immense concourSt went wild with enthusiasm. They stood up and waved hats and hand kerchiefs and yelled as Harris slowly drew away from his pursuer. He had crept up from ninth to first, and now shot like a projectile along the track the wheels, of course, invisible, the long, dark body of the car conveying the sense of q continuoussstreak. The two figures in the Kuppeln looked like tiny automatons perched inside the body of the monster.
 You haven't anything like this in Greece!" I yelled exultantly to Dr Phileas Immanuel who, at my side was watching the race with restrained but obvious interest.
 Not yet" he answered. But why should we? After all, Greece invented this and practiced it so long that our people have grown weary of it. When they are ready, they will revive the sport once more
 Greece invented automobile rae ing?" I exclaimed. The little doctors rash statement almost withdrew my attention from the speeding cars.
 "ByZantium," he corrected. Of course, we modern Greeks were not there then, though you probably were and many in this concourse, and cer- taiIAy Messrs. Harris and Morton.
 Automobile racing." l exclaimed looking at Doctor Immanuel to discov' CT whether the excitement had tenn porarily unhinged his brain.
 Chariot racing, my dear fellow" he answered. Tn the sixth century of the Christian era"
 "Ah-h-h-h-h!" groaned the crowd.
 Harris had diverged from the course, and his automobile crashing into the fence. passed through in a cloud of splinters, tottered upon the edge of an embankment, leaped it. hung for an instant upon the outer edge, righted itself, and eareered mad. ly across a strip of marshy ground, un. til an immense boulder tumbled it on it's side, where it lay like some un. earthed paleolithic monster Harris shot from the car and landed upon his shoulder dozen paces away. A mo. ment later Morton passed the grand stand and, having won the race. began to slow down.
 For a moment the vast assemblage remained motienless; the next instant it was dissolved in a stream of shout ing, hurrying units, pouring toward the scene of the accident, By chance Immanuel and I were among those nearest, and minute after Harris had fallen the doctor was at his side, while volunteers kept back the curious multitude.
 Now. my good fellow. give me a pocket knife" said the doctor to a bystander, and presently he had cut the bloody shirt from the shoulder of the unconscious man. His delft fingers went searching in the bruised flesh.
 "A dislocated humerus, fractured clavicle. two ribs smashed" he said. Its lucky he landed like that Now somebody telephone for an ambulance, please. Keep back, gentlemen. No, madam, this shirt must not be cut up for souvenirs. If you will give him air he will recover consciousness shortly"
 Harris was already manifesting signs of returning consciousness He stretched his limbs and his eyelids quivered. Then he began muttering. could not catch what he said
 The doctor seemed to hear, though for he listened with the utmost atten- tion; and when Harris had ceased speaking and lay still again he jotted book he always carried. The timely arrival of the ambulance and the ap- plication of restoratives aroused the injured man once more. This time he seemed fully conscious of his sur roundings.
 Will be able to drive at Savannah next month";" he asked
 Not unless your bones have glue in them" answered the doctor
 But I've got to drive!" cried liar ris, hysterically. Here I've thrown away the Nestlewood cup, and who's it gone to? Morton, in that rotten old Carrier, that couldn't catch snail on a five per cent. grade. tell you"
 He stopped short, overcome with weakness, and glared at the doctor as though he had suffered mortal injury at his hands. But he surrendered him. self to the ministrations of the ambu- lance men, and then, somehow, by dint of hard pushing and lodging of newspaper men who wanted to cross question us, we found ourselves on the road that led to the station.
 We had an engagement to dine with Paul Tarrant, the millionaire. at his city home. that night. Later, when Mrs. Tarrant had gone to bed, we sat smoking our hosts i'm ported perfectos in front of his li- brary fire.
 Did you see what the evening pa pers said about Harris interest in the race?" asked Tarrant, as we reviewed the circumstances of the accident
 Several thousand dollars. wasn't it?" I answered.
 No, moro than that" said our host. Tt geems that there is an intense ri- valry between himself and Morton over a girl-some worthless womaD, It's in the American People I guess it's case of profes- sional rivalry which can drive his car harder and faster, and the man who