The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1938-01-21
CHAPTER VIII-Continued

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On the road, he saw them pass
over the crest of the hill, Inza still
clinging fast to the saddle and
Hodge urging his horse in the ef-
fort to overtake her.
Frank talked to his horse, en-
couraging him, and the creature
seemed to understand. 1t took the
hill grandly. It had stamina as
well as speed.
Coming over the crest, Merry
saw them again. Now Inza was
fighting her frightened horse and
Bart was gaining. Again Frank
urged his flying mount to fly still
faster. And the splendid creature
flew still faster.
Then, above the staccato drum
ming Of the animals feet on the
brown road, he heard another sound
that gave his nerves a nasty jerk.
It was the distant whistle OF loco
motive. The whistle of the Limited.
There were crossing gates, OF
course, but Inza's horse, now crazed
and blinded by terror, would crash
into them unless stopped or turned.
The picture of a frightful tragedy
impending brought Franks heart
into his mouth.
But Hodge was gaining fast now.
He was close. Urging his mount
with hand and voice, he was draw
ing alongside. He reached for the
bride of Inza's horse-and missed
it. The animal he bestrode had
swerved. Off he went to sprawl in
the dust of the road.
The Sabbath quiet of Fardale was
shattered by the mad Gathering of
horses feet on the towns main
street. Persons astir were electro
fed as they saw the runaway,
with Inza still frantically fighting to
check it, 60 tearing along that street
toward the railroad crossing. They
shouted or were dumb with the
shock as they saw the pursuing
boy, his face white and set, furi-
ously urging his straining horse to
greater efforts.
The Limited, making close to a
mile a minute, whistled for the
crossing.
The crossing man saw the rum
away coming, with the pale-faced
and almost exhausted girl fighting
with the last bit of her ebbing
strength to check the fear-rnad-
dened creature. He saw Frank Mer-
riwell coming also, driving his own
mount in a final squirt to reach 1nza
before her horse should crash into
the lowered gate bars.
And the flying Limited, roaring
through Fardale, would reach the
crossing split-second after the rum
away must hurtle head-on against
one of those bars.
Even if the bar withstood the
shock, nothing could keep the girl
from catapulting over the horses
head-over the bar and on to the
railroad track.
The gate tender gasped and
waved his red flag frantically. 1t
was a useless, ridiculous thing to
do. Like putting against hurri-
cane.
But the long run had told on In
za's horse a little. Her last des-
perate effort to check him had
slowed him up some. It was enough
to let Frank come alongside. He
cried:
Lean this way! Let go! Now!"
Until that moment she hadn't
known he was in pursuit, but some
thing-though she did not seem to
think at all-made her obey instant
ly.
He had come up on her right and
now he caught her out of the saddle
with his left arm. That arm held
her, dangling, tight against him as
he surged on the right rein of his
horse.
They just missed the rear of the
one motor car that had stopped
some distance back from the gate.
The Limited doomed over the
crossing as horse, rider and res
cued girl disappeared into mar
row alleyway between two small
wooden buildings.
People were coming, on foot and
in autos. breathless with excite
ment.
They found the boy and girl at
the end of the blind alley, which
was cut off by a shed. He was
standing on the ground, his arm
still round the girl, holding her up.
Near them stood the sweat-covered
horse, its sides heaving.
Frank was speaking to INA as
calmly as he could, which was not
very calmly; for now he was very
much shaken himself. He was tell
ing her she was all right, which
he realized was quite needless to
tell her. She was holding her shak-
ing hands over her eyes, but she
took them away and looked at him
without saying a word.
Nothing had ever happened in
Fardale to cause quite such sensa-
ton as Franks performance in
snatching Inza off runaway horse
just before the animal crashed into
the crossing gate and went down
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