The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1932-09-23

linen we are 01tcneQ-0ut OF the
fght%
mot by a id sight ~ was the
snappy denial. ''We are going to see
this thing through now If it takes all
summer! If we don't hear from the
lost car soon, we1l take train and
ride it until we reach some place
where can buy another"
''But see here, Wally-I can't let
you do anything like that! AS it
stands, I'm owing you the price Of a
car right now"
Nothing Of the sort You may be
calling this jaunt your funeral, but If
1t is, I'm driving the hearse and we
don't stop short Of the cemetery gate,
at least. Here comes boy. Maybe
he has turned the trick for u.s."
The boy came running up to the
porch, fairly bursting with his news.
"I've f-f-found your carl" he slut,
tered. "It's in a gully on our farm !!
C-constable telephoned, and dad said,
right away, at he thought he heard
somethin' go 'squoosh' in the night.
It's in deep place where it tumbled
off the road"
"Good boy" said Markham. "The
reward is yours. How far is it,"
ut amt far. Cine on and I'll show
YOU"
A short half mile from town, by the
side of little-used country road, they
found the blue roadster. They did not
go down into the gully into which 1t
had fallen. From where they stood
they could see that it was a wreck.
"A clean job" Markham grunted
morosely.
"What. do you Think Lands asked.
when they had walked full half mile
in silence.
Deliberate. of course. The tire
tracks. In the road showed plainly
enough that the car had been stopped.
backed and turned quarter way
around to head it for the ditch"
But who did it?"
"I'd be willing to pay another re-
ward to find that out. There's some
thing doing. either ahead Of us or be-
hind us; something we're not to be al
lowed to mess in. if a wrecked car
will stop us-which it won't"
Markham arranged to have the car
salvaged and held subject to his order,
and when the westbound train came
along they boarded it. Markham con-
suited time-card folder and passed
the towns ahead in review.
"Colby, at two-fifty this afternoon"
he said. tits junction point, and If we
can't find what we want, we can get
train from there to Denver. Colby's
our drop-off."
Accordingly they debarked at Colby,
where Markham found he was able to
replace the wrecked roadster with a
later model of the same make. Start
ing without loss of time, they reached
Limon, the point at which the two
main auto roads, coincident west Of
Colby, split-one leading southwest to
Colorado Springs, and the other north
west to Denver.
At the few stops they had made
west of Colby they got no news Of the
Fleetwing or Of Canby's car. But at
Limon the lost trail reappeared. The
Fleetwing had passed through some
six hours earlier on the way to Den
yer; and Canby's limousine had taken
the same route three or four hours
later.
Markham looked at his watch. Both
parties are probably stopping over
night in Denver. If we push along we
can be there by midnight. What do
you say?"
"I'm with you. I can spell you at
the wheel when you are tired"
It was well past midnight when the
lights of Denver came ID sight. Reach
ing the city, Markham turned in at the
first all-night garage he came to, and
they forthfared, stiff. tired and dusty,
to put up at the nearest hotel, and
turned in at once.
The attempt to trace three newcom-
ers-or at most skin city the size
Of Denver Is much like looking for q
needle in a haystack; and though they
1
went short on sleep and were up early
the next morning, eight o'clock found
them still driving from one hotel to
another, drawing blanks and losing
time.
There is simply no end to this,
Wally," Lands protested. I'VE might
keep on all day in city with as many
hotels as there are here. Our best
chance is the open road. We know
where Candy is headed for. If we
trail him, maybe we'll find the Fleet
wing in the same gallery"
"You didn't beat me to 1t by more
than half a minute" Markham re-
turned, spreading the well-used road
map on his knees. Here's the near
est cut to the Timanyoni." he pointed
out well get the grips and try our
luck in the open, as you say"
For a short run over the highway
the trail refused to reveal itself. But
later they. came to filling station
whose keeper told them he had helped
change an inner tube on a Fleetwing