Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1923-04-26
By
WilliamM
Edwin Balmer

"What do / care what happens I
me, If we catch them7" she cried
Harriet" he repeated her nam
again.
Phillip"
. She felt him shrink and change a
] she called the name. 1t had been clea
[ TO her, Of course, that, since she ha,
, known him. the name he had beer
! using was not his own. Often she hat
wondered what his name was: nov
she had to know. "What should l cal
your" she demanded of him.
MY name" he said, 'is Hugh"
Hugh !" she called 1t.
"Yes.r
Hugh" She waited for the rest
but he told NJ more. Hugh I" she
whispered to herself again his name
now. Hugh"
Her eyes. which had watched the
road for the guiding Of the car. had
followed his gesture from time to time
pointing out the tracks made by the
machine they were pursuing. These
tracks still ran on ahead; as she
gazed down the road, a red glow be-
yond the bare trees was lighting the
sky. A glance at Hugh told that he
also had seen II.
"A fire r. she referred to him.
Looks like it,
They said no more as they rushed
on but the red glow was spreading.
and yellow flames soon were In sight
shooting higher and higher; these
were cloaded of for an instant only
to appear fiarIng higher again, and
the breeze brought the smell of sea
soned wood burning.
TITS right across the roadi" Hugh
announced as they neared IL.
Its the bridge over the next ra-
vine" Harriet said. Her foot already
was bearing upon the brake, and the
power was shut off; the car coasted
on slowly. For both could see now
that the wooden span was blazing
from end TO end II was old wood,
swift TO burn and going like finder.
There was no possible chance for the
car to cross II. The girl brought the
machine to a stop fifty feet from the
edge Of the ravine; the fire was so
hot that the gasoline tank would not
be safe nearer. She gazed down at
the tire-marks on the road.
"They crossed with their machine"
she said to Hugh.
And fired the bridge behind. They
must have poured gasoline over II
and lighted IT at both ends"
She sat with one hand still strain ,
Ing at the driving wheel the Other
playing with the gear lever.
There's no other way across that
ravine, l suppose" Hugh questioned
her.
THE other roads back more than
a mile, and two miles about" She
threw In the reverse and started to
turn. Hugh shook bis head "That's
no use"
mo-" she agreed. and stopped the
car again. Hugh stepped down OF
the ground.
The double glare from the head.
lights of a motor shone through the
tree-trunks as the car topped and
came swiftly down a rise three guar.
tiers of a mile away and around the
last turn back on the road. another
pair OF binding lights followed. There
vas no doubt that this must be the
pursuit from Santoine's house Eaton
stood beside Harriet, who had stayed
In the drivlng-seat OF the car.
"Tm going just beside the soad
here" he said to her. quietly. "Im
armed, Of course. II those are your
people. you'd better &c back with
them. I'm sure they are but I'll walt
and see."
She caught his hand. mo; no r. she
cried. "You most get as far away
as you can before they Gomez I'm
going back to meet and hold them."
She threw the a into the reverse.
and TUNED IL and brought II
again onto the road. BE came beside
her again, putting out his hand she
seized II. Her hands for an instant
chung to II. his to hers.
you must to-qnlck r. she urged:
but how am / to know what becomes
Of you-where you aref Shall / hear
from you-shall I ever see your"
NV hSWS 0AA - &oSA AcNsh ne
said, until"
until whatS~
Until" And again that unknown
something which q thousand times
t seemed to her-had checked his
word and action towarf hsr made him
pause; but nothing could completely
par them ffom one another now. I'm
III they cntch and destroy me, orr
NTH l com to you as>~as you have
known me yet"
An instant moro she clgng to hinL
rhe double headlights Aared into Z
again upon the road. much
eares now and coming fast. She re- =
essed him; he plunged into the
,ushe~ beside the road. and de damn.
,are twigs dashed against one another q
Il his passage ; then she shot hsr car I
But she had made Only a Y
ew hundred yards when the fin of
two cars mex her. 1t turneu 10 b
is right to pass. abe turned the same