South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-04-24
CHATTER T.

SCrann Dl1nE little town OF dominion
he air was warm and lazy with the
friendiiness OF May.
A long. sleek. yellow racer came
20 a stop beside the gas tank and
vheezed into Silence. A young man
rose from his almost fat position IN
the low-slung drivers seat. stretched
himself and stared upward toward
the glazing white Of Mount Talu-
chen. the highest peak Of the CONT
mental backbone. frowning in the
coldness OF SHOWS that never depart
ed
Cas-"
yep" The young man stretched
again. Pill up the tank-and bet
or give me half a gallon OF oil"
Young he wac. almost boyish, yer
coUnterbalancing this was a serious
ness of expression that almost APP
pr0ache omberness. The eyes were
dark with something that approach
ed sorrow. the lips had a tightness
about them which gave evidence Of
the pressure Of suffering. all form
ing an expression which seemed 10
come upon him unaware. But in q
fash e was gone and boyish again,
ne had turned laughing, 20 survey
the gas tender.
Barry Houston. huh? Must be a
new make. T."
"Camouhage." laughed the young
man again. That's my name"
"On. is it," and the villager
chuckled with him. You've got tn
plate right where tn name o. a car
Isl plasteTed usually. and 10 plum
fooled me. Where you headed for?'
over Hazard.
"Ain't daft, are you %
L hope not It's May. isn't is?'
Look up there" The old man
pointed to the splotches Of white.
thousands Of feet above 1T may be
spring down here. boy. but it's Janu-
airy up there They's only been two
cars over Hazard since November
.and they come through last week
Both Of EN- was old stagers. Both
of 'em came through here lookin'
like icicles an swearing T. beat four
O. kind"
a thrill shot through Barry HOUs-
ton His lfe had been that of the
smooth spaces. OF the easy ascent of
well paved grades. Of streets and
comforts and Of Injuries The very
raggedness Of the thing before him
lured him and drew him on.
They've got me-" came quietly.
"Iu-Tm going TO make the tryl"
The gears meshed. A stream OF
smoke from the new oil spat out for
a second. Then. roaring and chort-
ling with the beginning Of battle,
the machine swept away toward the
slight turn that indicated the scrag
gly.end Of the little town Of Domin-
ion, and the beginning Of the first
grade.
4 six per cent grade II it's an
inchi" he murmured. And this is
only the beginning"
He settled more firmly in his seat
and gripped hard at the steering
wheer Gradually. the severity Or
the grade had increased to ten. to
twelve and in short pitches TO even
eighteen 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 10 cool before replenish-
ment came from the murky. dis
colored stream OF melted snow water.
Painting and lght-headed from the
altitude. Barry leaned against the
machine for a moment. something
touched his face and melted there
snow.
An hour-and three more after
that-a last final. Gathering journey.
and Barry leaped from the seat with
something akin 10 enthusiasm.
Through the swirling snow which
sfted past the glare OF his head
lights. ne could discern a sign which
told him he had reached the summit.
that ne now stood at the literal top
OF the world.
From now on ne could progress
with the knowledge that his englns
al least need labor no longer. But
the dangers, Barry knew that they
lad only begun. The descent would
De as steep as the climb he had just
made.
Again he started. the brake bands
sqUeaking and protesting. the ma
chine sloughing dangerously as now
and again its sheer weight forced
t forward at dangerous speeds.
lie grasped desperately for the
emergency brake. For i've minutes
there had come the strong odor OF
burning rubber: the foot-brake lin
inss were gone. everything depended
upon The emergency nowi And al
most with the first strain
Careening. the care seemed TO leap
beneath him. The brakes were gone.
the emergency had not even lasted
through the first hill. Barry Hous-
ton was now a prisoner of speed
orampcd I'm the seat or n runaway
car ciutching tight az the wheel
leaning. white. tense-faced out into
he snow. as he struggled 10 negO-
tate the turns 20 hold the great
piece of runaway machinery 10 the
road and check it's speed from time
90 time iu the snowbanks
One chance was left, and Barry
took it-the burning Of the gears
iu lieu OF a brake II the blurred
gears could only hold the car for a
mile or so more
But a sudden. swapping crackle
ended his hope The gears had
ueshed. and meshing had broken.
Again @ wild. careening thing. the
ear was speeding down the steepest
uf grades like "a human thing de-
termincd upon self-desrrIcuon.
a skidding curve then q straight-
away. while Barry clung 20 the wheel
with fingers that were white with
The tiEhtncss Of their grip. a Sec
ond turn. while O wheel hung over
The edge, a third and
The awful suspended agony OF
space. a cry. A crash and a dull
twisting moment Of deadened suffer-