The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-11-07

nTllln HuN Nv
frenzlcs, bat he will shove out clutch
md brake feet In an emergency, and
hold them out.
So Il happened. The mans hands
loft the wheel, hut he stopped his car
Not foo soon. Not before II had struck
tho cliff. and then taken n slckcnlng
curve out toward the edge Of the
prccipice. But stop 1t did, on the very
edge Of eternity, and the chauffeur
held 1t there.
"Set the hand hrakev" Milky said.
The lamps wcrn near enough the edge
to make him dizEy.
The chauffeur ceased struggling, and
set the hand brake. His head was stIr
covered. But having done TINT, he
commenced a struggle more furious
,hnn forcoful. for both OF them were
handicapped.
And now Milky was forced 10 an
unsoldiprlike thing that he afterward
tried 10 forget. For the driver de-
yclopcd unexpected strength. refused
10 submit, got the tunic oil his head.
and, seeing himself attacked by one
man only, took courage and fell ia.
lie picked up n wrench from the seat
beside him, and made n furious pass
nj Nikky'S head. Milky ducked and.
nf'rr a struggle secured the weapon.
All this in the car, over the seat back.
II was then that Milky raised the
wrench and stunned his man with IL
II was hateful. The very dun thud
~ It was sicEcning. And there was d
bad minute or two when he thought
he had killed his opponent. The man
had sunk down In his seat, n sodden
lump OF lnanimate human flesh. And
Milky, whose business, In q way. war
killing. was Mortified.
The chauffeur Weakened, ten minutes
later, to find himself securely tied with
his own towing rope, and lying exc
trcmely close TO the edge OF death.
Beside him on the ground sat n steady
eyed young man with a cut lip. The
young man had lighted a cigarette, and
was placing II carefully In the unin-
jured side OF his mouth.
"JuSt ms soon as you are up TO it,
said Milky, I'VE shall have a little
talk
The chauffeur muttered something ir
the peasant patols Of Karnla.
Come. comer' Milky observed.
speak up. No hiding behind strange
tongues. But first, | have the letter.
That saves yOur worrying about IL.
You can clear your mind for action
Suddenly Milky dropped his knocking
tone. He was in earnest, grim and
deadly earnest.
~ have n fancy, my friend" he said.
"to take that letter OF yours on to its
destination. But what that destination
IL, you are to tell me-"
The man on the ground srinned
~sardonically. you know better than
TO ask that" he said. ~ will never
tell You"
Milky had thought things out fairly
well, for him, in that ten minutes. In
n businesslike fashion he turned the
PROSTATE prisoner on his side. so that
he faced toward the chasm. A late
moon showed Its depth. and the valley
In which the air flowed swiftly. And
having thus faced him toward the next
world, Milky, throwing away his
cigarette because II hurt his lip. put n
stone or two from the roadway behind
his prisoner, and anchored him there
Then he sat down and waited.
"Any newsf" he asked, at the enc
OF ten minutes unbroken silence.
His prisoner said nothing. He wal
thinking, doubtless. Weighing things
too-p"rhaps life against betrayal, o
family against separation.
Milky examined the letter again. II
~nS addressed 10 a border town in
LiSonIa. But the Town lay far behind
them. Tn" address, then, was a false
one. He wh.stled softly.
Half an hour.
Come, come" said Milky fercely.
w" are losing time" He looked
h'rc" too. His swollen lip did that
ana b" was nervous. II occurred 10
nm that his prisoner, in desperation,
might roll over the edge himself, which
would be most uncomfortable.
But the precipicc, and Nikky's fierce
up and other things, had got In their
WORK. Tn" man on the ground stopped
nuttering In his patois, and turned op
Milky eyes full Of hate.
Il will tell you" he said. "And you
VIII free the. And after that"
Certainly" Milky replied equally.
You will follow me to the ends Of
me earth--although that will not Be
necessary because | don't intend to 20
there-and finish me on" Then, stern
": Now, where does the letter goi
! hive a fancy for delivering II my.
self"
III ] tell you, what thenr
This: II you tell me properly, and
all goes well, ] will return and release
you II do not return. naturally You
VIII not he released. And. for fear
you mediate a treachery, I shall gag
you ana leave you, not here, but back
a snort distance, In the wood we Just
passed And, because you are a brave
man and this thing may be LEES seri-
GUS thhn ] think II Is. ! give you my
1 FIE -