The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-06-26
Continued From Page 81

ING now above tho exhaust Of the
powerful engine. ~But ~ shore can
take delight IN doin' that s.
longr'
so long, The gears meshed. A
stream Of smoke from the rev oil
spat out for second. rhon rearing
and chortiing with the beginning OF
battle. the machine swept away 60.
ward the slight turn that indicated
tho scraggly end OF tho little town
Of Dominion. and the beginning Of
the first grade.
The exhilaration stlil was upon
Barry Houston. He whistied and
sang. turning now and then 20 view
the bright grcenness OF the newly.
leafed aspens. 60 watch the circling
ssllies OF the jsybirds. or 60 stare
ahead to where tho blues and greens
and puppies OF the foliage and rocks
mcrsed tn the distance. The grade
was yet easy and there was no evi.
dence OF strain upon the engine; the
tiny rivulcts which ran along the
slight ruts at each side OF the road
betokened nothing TO him save the
slight possibility OF chains. should n
muddy stretch OF straightaway road
appear later on. But as yet, that
had not occurred. and Barry was
living for the moment.
The road began to twist slightly
with short raises and shorter level
stretches winding among the aspcns
and spruccs. with sudden. Jagged
turns about heavy. frowning boulders
whose iutting noses seemed 10 scrape
the tenders of the car. only 10 miss
them BY the barcst part OF an inch.
suddenly Barry found himself bend.
Ing forward. eyes stiil on the road
In spite Of his half.turned head. ears
straining 60 catch the slightest var.
iaslon Of the motor. II seemed TO be
straining yet the long. suddenly
straight stretch OF road ahead Of him
seemed perfectly level; downhiii n
anything. More and more nbored
became the engine. Barry stopped.
and lifting the hood. examined the
carbureter. with the motor idling.
II seemed perfect. Once moro he
started. only TO stop again and anx-
iously survey the ignition. test tho
spark plugs and again inquire into
the activities OF the carburetor. AZ
last. reassured. he walked to tho
front 81 the machine. and with the
kcrewdriver prief the name plate
from It's place on the radiator and
tossed IL into the turnbling. yellow
stream beside tho road. Then he
turned back TO the machine. only 70
stop suddenly and blink with sur
prise. The read was not level The
Illusion which comes to ono at the
FIRST effort to conquer a mountain
grade had faded now. A few feet
away was a deserted cabin. built up-
on a level plot OF round and giving
70 Barry chance for comparison.
and he could see that his motor had
not been at fault Now the road. 10
his suddenly comprehending eyes.
rose before him IN . long. steady
sweep OF difficult grades. upward. |
steadily upward. with never a vary |
ing downfall. with never n rest for |
the motor which nnust climb H. And |
this was Just the bcgfnningl For |
Barry could see beyond.
Far in the distance he could make |
n out. twisting. turning. almost |
writing thing. cutting into the side
Of the mountain. a jagged scar. scar. |
ing its way up the range In flights
that seemed at times 70 run almost I
and which faded. only |
20 reappear again. like the trail OF /
some gigantic cut-worrn. mark above
mark. AZ IL cirrisd the smaller hills.
cut into the higher ones. was lost |
AZ the edge Of some great betting |
rock. only 10 reappesr once more. /
hundreds % feet overhead. The eyes I
u Barry Houston grew suddenly ser
Ious He reached into the tooibox.
and bringing forth the Jack. affixed I
the chains. forgetting his usually
CHEEKY whistle. forgetting even TO
take notice when an invertigative jay /
ksrambief out upon dead aspen
branch and chartered at him. The
true meaning OF the villagers words
had come nj last. The mountains were
now. instead OF beckening.
glowerinz instead OF promising.
instead of turing. One
by one he locked the chains into place.
and tossing the jack once more into
the tooibox. resumed his place at the
wheel
"A six per cent. grade II It's an
inchyf he murmured And this ls