The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-02-12
High Speed

SH'S ~hSeeps
Some where ahead, reasoned King,
there was an ambush In wciting,
and speed might be lost; theref =
Il must be made up here.
Don Alferde's timorous eyes
watched with Q ipell of consterna.
ton a. the spsedometer registered
ssventy-nve and continued its
climb. II stopped at eighty, how.
cred there. and vent on again.
The wind raced past their ears.
Made, curied up oeiow tho level
OF the cowl. was sheltered In part
from It's fierce challenge. Don Al
ferde tightened his grasp on the
door.
TOO much!" King shouted at
him, with a grim smile.
NO" The syllable was caught
up by the racing breeze and flung
savagely behind them, but King
heard.
Ahead. at the crest Of q long
hill, there doomed q narrow bridge.
Kings eyes. searching the distance.
deserted one or two figures there
on. A likely place for an ambush.
he decided, and eased up . tribe
In his. speed. He drew the Cover
nor's attention to the bridge.
isn't there q shallow ford about
two hundred yards upstream" he
shouted.
Don Alferde nodded. And that's
the ambush" he cried back.
"Will you take q chance on the
ford" King challenged.
The Csstilisn's lips were set in
q white, thin line, but he inclined
his head gamely. King turned to
the girl.
Get in back" he ordered. In.
side the tires"
She understood and complied
without q word. Three tires lay fat
on the long rear compartment, and
their steel rims made an excellent
bulwark. While the speedometer
fell back TO sixty. Made fought her
precarious way to their safety.
King produced an automatic
from somewhere about him. He
leaned over to Don Alferde.
There's a revolver In the door
pocket" he said.
The Governor-G Generate reached
for Il, spun its cylinder and turned
his attention to the road. The
bridge doomed ahead. Going on
from II al right angles was . dirt
path. that led to the ford.
Now they could make out the
little figures that swarmed about
on the bridge, some In Uniform and
others not, the occasional CLINT OF
a sunbeam on polished rife barrels
betraying their business there.
The Markley.Veers was tearing
ahead at sixty.ive when King
swung II, suddenly off the mac
adam. They had gone about two
hundred yards before shout from
the bridge head revealed that their
daring purpose had been inter
preted.
The car struck the waters Of the
ford al sixty, buried to the lower
part OF her headlight lamps, but
plunged ahead gamely. A shot tore
ahead OF them from the bridge.
King replied to It and drew forth
a tusillade that splattered all
about them.
Three uniformed figures were
running toward where the dirt
path on the farther side OF the
stream must effect It's junction
with the main highway. They
passed unframed through the hail
OF rifle fire and reached the far.
Their shore. going at fifty miles per
hour.
The Markley.Veers picked up
speed manfully on the incline, and
they darted for the road. Do. AL.
ferde leaned forward over the ccwl.
his pistol ready. Casting a glance
behind them. King saw the barri-
cade OF logs that had been erected
on this end of the bridge. a perfect
death-trap for all OF them had they
chosen to run the gauntlet there.
The first of the throo men ahead
stood at the crest of the rise that
took them to the main road. The
other two we're on either side of
the path. their rifles levelled.
King stepped hard on the accele.
rator and tor, ahead for the man
in front of him. The fellow lodged
in fright at the sudden access OF
speed; King swerved madly and
his left mud.guard finished the joh
Don Alferde's pistol barked
twice. He had accounted for an.
other. The rife of the third man
spoke, and the windshield was
shattered by a bullet. King tried
to sweep past him, but the fellow
jumped on the running board.
The fact that his assailant was