Arizona republican., 1922-05-02
CHAPTER I

IT was early afternoon and down In
the hollow which shielded the scraln-
bling little town of Dominion the air
was warm and lazy with the friend
illness of May.
A long, sleek, yellow racer came to
a stou beside the gas tank ana
wheezed into silence. A young man
rose from his almost flat position IN
the Iow-Slung drivers seat, stretched
himself and stared upward toward
the glaring white OF Mount Talu-
chen, the highest peak OF the contl-
mental backbone. frowning In the
coldness of SHOWS that never de-
parted.
Cast
.Yenp The young man stretched
aeafn. TFilI up the tank-and bet
tev give nae half gallon OF OIL
Young he was, almost boyish; yet
caunterbaiancing this was q serious
ness of expression that almost ap-
nroaehed soTnberness. The eyes were
dark with something that approached
sorrow, the lips had q tightness about
them which gave evidence OF the
pressure of suffering, all forming an
exnression which seemed to come
unon him unaware. But in q flash
it was gone, and boyish again, ne
had turned, laughing. to survey the
gas tender.
Barry Houston. huh? Must be a
new make. r.
aSamouflage," laughed the you9g
man again. "That's my name.
aOh, it is? and the villager
checked with him. You've got IN
plate right where tn name OF a car
is plastered usually, and It plum
fooled me. Where you headed for!
over Hazard
Amt daft, are you"
Il hope not. It's May, isn't II!
Look up there" The old man
pointed to the spotches Of white,
thousands of feet above. IT may De
sr5rins down here, boy, but it's Janu-
arv up there. They-s only been two
cars over Hazard since November
and they come through last week.
Both Of 'em was old stagers. Both
Of 'em caRna through here lookin
like icieles an swearing beat four
o a kind"
A thrill shot through Barry Hous-
ton. His life had been that OF the
smooth spaces, of the easy ascent OF
we'll paved grades, OF streets and
comforts and Of luxuries. The very
raggedness of the thing before him
Iured him and drew him on.
They've forgot me-" came quietly
'Tm-Tm going TO make the try!"
The gears meshed. A stream oil
smoke from the new oil spat out fol
a second. Then, roaring and short
ling with the beginning of battle
the machine swept away toward the
slight turn that indicated the scrag-
gIy end of the little town of Domin-
ion, and the beginning of the firs'
grade.
"a six per cent grade II it's ar
inch!" he murmured- And this II
only the beginning"
He settled more firmly In his sea-
and eripped hard at the steering
wheel. Gradually. the severity of the
grade had increased to ten, to twelve
and in short pitches to even eighteer
and twenty per cent?
A stop. while the red, kissing water
splattered from the radiator cock
and the lifted hood gave the machine
a chance to cool before replenish'
meht came from the murky. discol-
ored stream Of melted snow water
Painting and light headed from th'
altitude. Barry leaned against thu
machine for q moment; something
touched his face and melted there
snow.
An hour and three more aftei
that-a last final, clattering journey
and Barry leaped from the seat Will
something elr'r TO enthusiasm.
Through the swirling snow which
sifted past the glare of his head
lights. he could discern sign whicl
told him he had reached the summit
that he now stood at the literal tol
Of the world.
From now on the could progress
with the knowledge that his engini
at least need labor no longer. Blu
thee dangers! Barry knew that the!
had only begun. The descent woult
be as steep as the climb he had jus
made.
Again he started, the brake band
speaking and protesting, the machin
sloughing dangerously as now ant
again its sheer weight forced it for
ward at dangerous speeds.
He grasped desperately for tn
emergency brake. For five minute
there had come the strong odor 0
burning rubber; the foot brake lin
ings were gone everything denendel
upon the emergency now! And al
most with the first strain
careening, the car seemed to lea
beneath him. The brakes We're gons
the emergency had not even Taste
through the first hill. Barry Hnus
ton was now a prisoner of speed
cranlped in the seat of a runawa
car clutchIng tight at the whee
leaning. white. tense faced out int
thes snow as he struggled to nego
tiate the turns, to hold the grea
pieae of runaway machinery to tn
ROAD and check its speed from tim
to Gme in the snowbanks.
One chance was left, and Barr
took 1.-THE "burrings OF the gear
in lieu OF a brake. II the burre
gears could only hold the car for
mile or so more