Evening star., 1925-10-25
Bring Back His Home

Bob made a grimace. why lift my
hood?"
III show you. And don't you reach
for your gun, If you do I'll settle you,
stranger. l give you my word.'
Back toward the coupe the puzzled
fellow moved, and the girl followed af-
ter-pulling the horse.
Now up with that hood, or I'll drill
you
MYTH an uneasy laugh the Yer
w monter unclasped the spring
hooks and raised the great tin cover.
Now you stand back. Get away 1G
or II feet. | could shoot these things
out. but I'm takin' no chances on
emptyin my guns And springing
toward the car, keeping him covered
with one revolver, she struck savagely
at his spark plugs with the barrel of
the other.
One, two, three, four, five, six blows
she dealt beneath that hood. The en-
gine went dead with an expiring back
fire and the spark plug wires swung
loosely. AS quickly she sprang away
or perhaps the horse pulled her.
We'll" pronounced Bob, CLASSY
eyed, you sure have raised hob with
my bus. How far do you think l
can go without spark -plugs?"
GO? You're sticllin' right whar
you are,"
"I'll say am. Now what's it all
about?"
You start turnin' out what you
got in your car. | want GrigS' $
money!
whats put it into your head I've
got Grigg'S money-whoeVer he may
be-"
Reckon the make o. your car is
enough for me-
Aren't you mistaking me for some
one else, and haven't YOU overlooked
my Vermont license plates?"
I'm not amin to palaver much
longer with you, stranger. You never
was courtin' calamity closer than you
happen to be right this minute"
Il can't make head or tail Of what
it, all about, but you're going to owe
me a whale of an apology in about
five minutes" And the nettled, eX-
hausted fellow turned toward his care
fully packed machine. The vehement
Amazon pulled the plunging pinto
closer. Up toward the running board
Bob lifted one foot. Suddenly he
stumbled lost his balance, lurched IN
ward against the wheel. Down on the
horn-knoo came his heavy forearm.
Gr-r-r-r, The horn screeched Shrilly,
loudly, defiantly. 1t was powerful,
blood-curdling siren.
On steely hind legs the pinto reared
in panic, then wheeled and staggered,
whooting wildly in terror. The bride
broke. Leaping clear of the ground,
the horse went one way; its rider an
other. = x
1pt -li, JCl,o ort hn1l
both guns and the girl a broken
bride. The bronc was racing down
that river bed, head and tail lifted,
stirrups Slashing against thorn-brush
and greaSewood. In tWelve-foot jumps
it vanished in the far-away pear.
Bob Strengthened. grinning. We'll,
turn about's fair play" he bantered.
You put my bus on the blink. Now
I've shooed off yours. Don't you think
it's time to talk this little mess over?''
"G-g-ive me my g-g-guns:'
Let's see you get them"
The girl glanced down at her empty
holsters.
WAL, I reckon you've trumped my
ace, stranger. That loco bronc has
plumb busted everything"
Bob broke" the weapons, shaking
out the cartridges and thrusting them
in his trousers pocket. Producing his
keys, he unlocked the lid of his run
ning-board tool-boX. In it he dropped
both guns and snapped the lid back.
You really might hurt somebody
with these, Miss Whatever-Your-
Name -Is-?'
My names Wright" she an
nounced, a bit defiantly.
It's WHAT"
Wright. Mary Wright, if it does
anv good m lSnnIV -
"Huh?"
whats the matter with you? Can't
you hear?"
Bob's Jaw had dropped open. His
eyes were wide. He pulled the rakish
handkerchief from his forehead with
out taking his eyes from her face.
"Heavens!' he gasped weakly.
What ails you? What of it,
I'm bound for Pasadena-right
now-to ask girl named Mary
Wright To-
oval, what's so strange about that ?
Reckon thar's more'n one Mary
Wright in this country. l got mail
for another when / went one time to
st. Louis, but, look here. stranger,
what you amin to do with me?"
I'm not aiming to do anything
with you-that | know of, yet"
Il don't quite get your game,
like a gentleman"
why on earth shouldn't II"
But how could a man who talks
and acts like a gentleman do such a