Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1917-04-06

ledge, gripped AZ Davy as a drowning
mar clutches a floating bit Of wreck.
age.
The i%nterlocked antagonists hurtled
~headlong down the shaft into the
fireplace Of the gunroom. Il was due
to the fact that Legar's picked assas-
sin had landed underneath, and brok.
en- the force OF Davy's fall, that the
badly shaken secretary owed his life.
At that instant a volley OF staccato
reports, like those Of a gatling gun
going into action smote their ears.
They've stolen the Mercury" cried
the frantic millionaire, and II they've
stopped to put the Arrow out Of COM
mission they can show a clean pair OF
heels to anything on the lake"
To Enoch Golden's intense relief, the
machinery Of the high-powered Ar.
row had not been tempered with and
soon the chase was on.
The delicate mechanism OF the Mer
curry revolted at the unskilled ham
ding Of her clumsy-hngered engineer.
She began to miss badly, while her
speed perceptibly diminished. Legar
caught up his glasses and for a mo-
ment intently studied the on-cominR
Arrow, which was evidently gaining.
Then, with a quick twist Of the
steering wheel, he sent the racing
power boat heading directly for the
nearest shore. Even as her sharp
prov grated over the shelving beach
Legar and his villainous crew swarmed
over the side, carrying the fettered
girl and the burlap sack with them.
They scrambled hastily up the en-
bankment OF the railroad track skirt
ing the lake, Just as the enraged
father Of the abducted girl beached
the p~ulsating Arrow and sprang has.
tily ashore.
Hampered by his captive and the
heavy sack OF loot, the master schem-
er realized he could not hope to out
strip his opponents by ordinary meth
DDS of flight. But the evil genius
Of the man vas equal to the occasion.
At a little distance down the track a
dozen Italian laborers were busy re-
pairing the roadbed, under the super.
vision Of a burly Irish foreman. The
handcar on which these men went to
and from their work had been set of
to one side Of the track near where
Legar was standing.
Get that handcar back on the rails
and be quick about It," came his sharp
command to the men. With his bur
den he leaped aboard and was laugh.
ing at his pursuers as he raced away,
Just then an automobile of ancient
vintage, driven by a stupid rustic,
came wheeling up the highway, which
paralleled the railroad.
I'VE want to catch a handcar that
just went up the track" shouted Col.
den. 81 will pay you 500 to help u.s."
Legar had congratulated himself
too soon on the ease Of his escape.
AS the handcar started toiling up a
long, gradual grade, he looked back
and saw the automobile loaded with
armed men in hot pursuit. But he
checked his muttered oath as the
sputtering car struck the hill, slowed
down and finally came to a dead stop.
The heavy load had proved too much
for the time-worn engine. Legar
could see his opponents getting out
of the balky automobile, which, re-
lieved Of its burden, started crawl.
ing up the hill, with its passengers
hurrying behind it.
Then the handcar reached the crest
Of the rise and went rapidly coasting
down the incline on the other side.
But Legar knew that eventually he
must be overtaken. Human sinews
could not prevail against the power
driven vehicles of his enemies.
At that moment there beat in upo1
his ears the long-drawn screech Of a
locomotive whistling for a crossing.
With a look of fiendish hate, Legar
stopped and lifted Margery Golden
from the rough flooring of the jolting
handcar and dropped her between the
glistening rails.
In a breathing space his victim
would be ground to death beneath the
ponderous driving wheels of the en-
CINE rushing down upon her. But in
that breathing space an incomprehen
sible thing took place.
At some distance beyond the foot OF
the incline the rails, sweeping in q
wide curve, around a bend in the road,
were lost to sight. Il so happened
that Just around this bend the switch.
ing apparatus used to throw freight
trains on to a siding was undergone
certain repairs at the hands Of a blue
leaned track walker. This man, ali
unconscious of threatening tragedy.
had finished his labors and was wip
ing his grimy hands on a piece OF
cotton waste. Suddenly he became
conscious OF a m~otionless figure stand
ing beside him.
AS he glanced up he saw the stran.
gers. face was covered by a mask,
slit by a grotesquely laughing mouth.
Without a word this strange figure
La.A - - 49, "