Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1924-05-29
CHAPTER /
On ozark Road

The trolley station at Curwen Is
small, consisting only Of closed-in
shed with a single bench against it's
rear wall and a line Of gimcrack. Jig
saw scroll caves overha.-ging its open
front On a dark night II is almost
invisible and is practically nonexistent.
II was well after ten on an evening
In late October when a buggy, drawn
by hard-drlven horse and containing
a single occupant, approached the sta
fion. The man who was driving con-
tInually peered ahead. in the manner
of one trying to recognize some land
mark that may tell him where he Is.
When he saw the rectangular bulk OF
Curwen station against the sky line,
he leaned out, endeavoring to distln-
szuIsh the white letters that spelled the
name. Failing TO do this, he threw
back the lap robe and prepared to get
out and inspect them more closely.
Midway in the move, however. he
was stopped by the sudden siren shrek
of an automobile that was coming up
behind. He turned and looked through
the glass-paned peephole in the back
OF the buggy and saw two great acety-
iene lamps splitting space with terri
tying speed Instantly he shook his
reIns and tried TO draw out TO the
side OF the road He did not rcally
doubt that the Fastening chauffeur be-
hind would slow down In time to pre-
vent a crash. And yet that raucous
shrek had sounded very Imperative.
Again he urged his tired horse.
The car did not halt er-eyen
slacken speed. Too late he realized
that it would not or could not slacken.
But his nerve was good not TIL the
very last possible second did he aban-
don his seat and leap for safety. As
he did so. cry rang out, the auto
veered and plunged outward. away
from him. It's rear wheels. skldding,
struck his buggy and hurled II forward
against the horse. It's front wheels
climbed the ridge that bordered the
road and the whole great machine
dIved downward toward the river. with
roar Of throhbing engines. flying
pebbles and whirring wheels. stagger-
ing from his leap. he caught glimpse
OF dark form hurtling through the
moonshine to the earth. and ~ the
great automobile piunging into the
water.
As he stared. shaken by the sudden
ness Of It all. beam Of light switched
past him and he realized that the door
OF q house. till then unseen, had been
thrown open. letting out white glare.
and that a woman was calling to know
anyone was hurt
He laughed shortly. ANYBODY |
hurtY- he echoed. HE ought TO be, II
he isn't He ought TO be dead. Bring
a light. win your He plunged down
the bank toward the spot where he
had seen the dark form hurled from
fhe automobile. AS he went. his eyes
roved over the river, seeking the au
tomobfIe. but the placid surface OF the
stream was unbroken. as II the ma
chine had never plunged into II.
A moment later be reached the bot
tom OF the slope and bent over. the
body N q man. whose huddled ard
bent form bespoke serious injury II
not death. AS he stopped. however.
xroan told him that life was AT least
not extinct The next moment the
zlImmer o. yellow light that bad been
ucrenAing behInd him became stronger.
sa II the bearax had removed q hflels
terfng hmb1sfrom before II. ITS beams
Ell upon the wounded man, disclosing
i CHASTITY wound aes0mn the brow.
He looked %. The Tight came from
! lamp carried b. . girl. whose face
IHBw6d 1finAly In klAn Rloosn THE lamp
Itself. BE n0fieed. WAS trembling
lllghtlE. perhaps from the hasfe with
umfeA the eiSi haa brought "a mma p@F /