Show t III J Gods from the Machine BY FREDERICK WALWORTH d i w ct I 1 I t 1 Fell Down the Hill Hili Like a Runaway Ca Can h Snatch her open opan Jack Jade I Raid aa RS the car swung wung out on a straight stretch of at clean clear red gravel grayel road Behind us uslay usla uslay lay la a cool little lItt village set In maples before bero us lay the world and the th thereof th Not Nit in days das of or paladin dragon and fayre favre ladye did knights ride forth with less 1 88 objective or more definite object than we of ot the th lemon 20 horsepower touring car the Cough Drop AVo Wo o were lords of ot two weeks holiday tho the month was September th the Cough Drop was what Carpenter called a sweet little cruiser and who cared 11 whether nether busi bus business business i ines ness nes wont went w nt to the devil and back or not notA notA notA A hedge man high hl shut ut off of the tho immediate Im Immediate Immediate mediate view on the fight eight but half halt a amile amile 1 mile away rose a hill crowned with a aA ak A country house of or suggestive proportions proportions k fI I General Cartons Carrons said Car Carpenter Carpenter I penter Beastly old oid land and pirate Loves I wes horses Hates nates machines Had me fined for speeding only last week Going to get even een If tf it takes a hundred years The burr and an 1 hum of if the driving car drowned all other sounds the wind of the tha open road roared in our cars aIS awl and through the Interlacing of ot the hedge he r 1 seemed to glimpse gUmps tha coming of at an en another enother another other vehicle Ware carriage e I yelled in Car Carpenters penters ear but I t yelled d too Into h t A buggy driven at a R furious pace shot down a driveway through c r the hedge turned on two wheels Js and swung J J In In front of ot us ua Then Ihen wo came camB from behind mea lute a I devouring demon under tho the rear axle fixlE lifted that buggy like lIko a a pitching coal and turned It neatly over on top of ot the tho ho horse Shut oft off reversed and snarling in indignant in protest ile he Cough Drop d within her length Our for tor forward forward t ward deck de k BO so to speak was burled under tinder a n conglomeration of ot wheels vh els harness har harness ness and ami an l so forth whence Issued d shrieks in a 3 lofty treble and oaths in a handsome han bass basa I IMy My God grolni groan 1 Carpenter there ther theris la is n l a woman oman In it It and amI we leaped out The horse recovered his feet ant and amI passed away before us to the r D of ol rending wood Most of o othe lh the tho buggy went with him and a red rec gravel Kravel man sun stilt clinging to the reins Up fron fr T he the l and was wa drawn protesting aft r Carpenter regained r d his composure and anc began beran b n shouting order h Grab that top to ie Le to me mer r soI r s under here To we wo raised the wreck and an andred a ared red gravel lady lad came cume ft f rth on my side c i e She looked wildly around Wheres she cried ried Wh here re s he h Is I he lulled killed liada n I soothingly this thI la fa vory very unfortunate So far fa I got when the lady sat limply limp limply a ly down dawn on th the edge of ot the ditch at a though she were faint bint Carpenter r tor tort round to our aide sIde of the wreck wr 1 with contempt pt In his eye ee Pool Fool he growled and I felt he hi meant me and not the lady lad Well you try I said right gladly Hes all right said Carpenter He Ht has gone after ater th the horse Now dont don donto te to alarmed Oh Ph lh said the girl n deep Truly You deceive he me He Hi hurt He just jut went over the top of ot that bill hill doing the mile roUe In about carefully Noe No Xo Nohe t tl teen en w said Carpenter 1 he te e hurt The gl si arranged her hair hall produced a aa I handkerchief and began searching f for fm her h r features in the th dust and gravel As A Asi i emerged merged my original estimate was WIlS amply confirmed She surveyed the thew th w reck Hk with Ith a look took of ot anguish Oh how could you ou sro sho cried H When roe ire needed It eo BO badly Did you ou said Im Im aw sorry Accidents you U know rn sure lure lo to overtake U us UI now paid the girl She caught herself herBolt etam embar embarrassment embarrassment and blushed with fierce looking up tho the hill meanwhile apparently craving the support o of ot 4 j Edward EdwardI I mean she began beJan Exactly said Carpenter smiling like Wee a godfather Maybe ta be tho the Cough Drop will trill do as nl well Ill see how hoe ho smashed mashed up she sh is and he backed tho out nut from the wreck and retired be beneath beneath beneath tar car ar neath its belly bellr lying on his shoulder p blades in the road On the brow of ot the hill ahead appear appeared red gravel man sans fans horse sans sane f ed d the buggy hugn and I went to meet him and ap appease app appease pease p ase his righteous wrath He appeared appear appeared ed d young Is she sho hurt he snapped napped at me like a madman Not In the least IM t I replied Thank God cod he ho said fervently and an smiling a fatuous smile hastened to toward toward toward ward her What Shat is it I asked Carpenter Appendicitis A Top speed clutch busted busied said aid c Car Carpenter Cars CarIS Inelegantly and spat out a ae penter IS s p oil e mouthful of or train f The red Ted gravel grael man m touched me n on the arm f P PIll fIll Ill have hae to ask you ou to give us a lift lilt to Castleton he lie said ald coolly This fault and its devilish Im Important Imy really 1 is you know knout y Yes I said sad I know really young and he blushed He H was through the t e gravel like a girl f through You see he said its all right Wo Yo are both of age aJ and theres thores really no objection They Th y think were too young oung to know our own minds The old a decent enough sort but set In his ways Ive no doubt hes after us now and amI Betty B lt Boll Bell has done dono to sulky I All right I assured him IThe The Cough Drop has done much better than that Im Im sure Bure Were Vore tinkering her up now The Tho top of ot tho the speed clutch is out of at whack or something But it will be beall beall beall all right rl ht The red gravel gran l man returned to his hia place by tho the girl and I 1 went over os ostensibly ostensibly ostensibly to encourage Carpenter Its a thoroughbred to beat I said Carpenter groaned Ten pers our limit now non he be said Then the sooner we up anchor and fan the breeze the better 1 I urged Its a good ten miles Any hills Ills he asked hauling on a anut anut anut nut with his foot braced on the rear axle and his head grinding in the gra Ira I vol vel Some I said but only one bad badone badone lone one May be a case of shove when we get to it he returned Anyhow shell run if It she wont break any an re records records records cords and he propelled himself back backward backward ward and emerged looking like a torpedo do boat stoker on a speed run Pile in he cried approaching tho the wayfarers in the ditch My Iy names Carpenter and this is my friend Heaton Hea Heaton Heaton ton The boys name was Bigelow and the girls name Miss Mies Daisy Dais Carton Carpenter Car Carpenter Carpenter penter beamed upon her with a look of ot righteous joy jo when the boy bo Intro Introduced Introduced Introduced j him I Awfully glad he said with the ring of ot sincerity know your our father lather I In a way wa They plied piled in on the rear seat ficat with their rescued suitcases the greasy greas stoker started starter the th sparker parker with a vic vicious vicIous ious lous yank climbed in and we were slowly off Slowly and with infinite labor the crippled Cough Drop grappled grap grappled grappled pled the ensuing kill hill and hauled herself her herself herself self Kedge hedge anchor work I ventured and i Carpenter nodded grimly Shell make It though Any signs of ot pater pator p ter t an ic s I glanced back bacle just in time timo to see a runabout switch into tho the main road and haul up before the wreck A portly gentleman with white mustache and Imperial held the reins and I marked him instantly for the enemy enem Give her everything youve got Jack I urged Tho old holding a postmortem on the buggy right rl t now open said Carpenter resignedly Cant do any nn better Miss aliss Carton observed ob cred my m Interested glance glance and looked back herself she gasped Theres dad daddy dadd daddy dy d Oh Edward Eduard Evidently Evi daddy recognized his re recreant recreant daughter dau it at the same instant for v with ith a hick flick of tie the whip across the flank of ot Batty Bell he left off lCt speculation lation on the wreck and applied him himself himsel himself self sel to the chase chasH with a 1 which boded ill m for tor Edward WI WIh h a IL vital sigh of relief reHe the Cough Drop clawed over the brow of or the tho hill hm hilland hilland and started down a 1 long easy ens descent which stretched away awa for a mile or more mora straight as aa though thou h laid with a rule nIle Hang on to your our hats v yelled Car Carpenter Carpenter Carpenter penter heres where we jolt the speed ordinance We e ducked decked over oer the edge of the hill frill hilland hilland and the Cough Drop gathered momen momentum momentum momentum tum I have forgotten the law la which governs in the field of mechanics but cur acceleration seemed to double about once every ever ten feet It became like dropping in a parachute that declines to open It became like falling down a coal mina min Going liko a wild unbroken ken asteroid we shot out on the level took a broad easy curve with a jar and a aide lide and began be n to forget the law of gravitation and come cone down to decency once more For some time we ran along slowly with nothing o 0 break the Monotony but the blissful inanities from the back backseat backseat backseat seat Cant you hit it UD up a bit again asked d the llo boy bay finally finall We Vc were tooling tv ling evenly along at sec second second second ond speed that bein the Couch Drops present maximum and amI aft art r the recent lawless violation It dj seem impossibly slow Sorry said Carpenter She cant do any more than this till been to the blacksmiths or hits another hill hili Have you a license nse I asked ask d License said a the boy bo Do we need ona ens Its Is all right I 1 said s lt the Bounty seat Here Hr comes cones daddy dadd said Miss Car Carton Carton Carton ton in a resigned tone For Gods sake hit it up urged the boy We Va must be pearly nearly there thre Before us UI the road read r ad took a sharp sharn turn to the loft and rose abruptly In a steep grade Bravely the Cough Drop but butted butted butted into tl the rise steeper and steeper ted grew the grade grode slowly and mare rore nu re slowly round the tho wheels s went Case Cne c shove growled Carpenter Lively Lieb now nov You stay In hi Miss Car Carton Carton Carton ton Well make ma c it I r think BigeloW and J I I obediently applied our shoulders to the he and our toes to the gravel avel Oh shove you u admonished d Carpenter Carpenter unkindly l from rom his plate place at atthe atthe atthe wheel Put some som push In it t tSo the shoved and sweated and the tho th So we w e Cough Drop and threatened to drop and nod the hill was Interminable and directly Miss Carton leaning over ver behind squealed deliriously within an aninch anInch inch of my ear eari i I 1 dared not pause in my grievous la laI I II labor I bor long enough nou h to look behind lest and annihilate backward backard 1 the car n roll M me but I 1 know what It meant Be tn een the snorts of ot the machine I could hear the of the on Ot th the gravel Evidently daddy dad daddy dadd dy d had rounded the turn and with the prey in sight was bent on ou closing elo ing tho the gap th there re sh ulel Carpenter r cheerfully Shove Sho her hr over now Bigelow was wag shoving like a madman I was waR almost all In my m wind being af affected affected That last ten yards left my m knees stiff for tor a week but suddenly she went more easily and then shot ahead of or her own power All Al right shouted Carpenter Pile in now non Hey you Ou young Qung fools came camo from behind as Bigelow and I fell into the tho car Daddy Dadd was in no genial mood I 1 dropped back limp and exhausted on the loather leather Beneath us lay Castleton at the foot of ot another long hill Here goes for the finish cried Car Carpenter Carpen Carpenter penter pen tel and we slid sUd over the brow and gathered way wa as we wc struck the grade Half dazed I listened to Bigelow playing play playIng playIng Ing the undaunted lover loyer on the back backseat backseat seat sea t Cant make It in time can we I asked of oC Carpenter but his answer was drowned in the sudden rush rurh of or air as the Cough lugh Drop fell down the hill hm like a runaway freight car The road toad reeled In beneath boncath us the nearer landscape was a greenish blur the background the outer rim of or a swirling vortex Ahead the road forked the right branch bronch running into the town the left away we e knew Imen not whither a tongue of or wands dividing them Carpenter gave the wheel a n twitch and we shot to the left len struck the level leel and began to slow down Wrong rong road I shouted in his bis oar ear ar arGot Got to make time to get Set the license Sorry but got to do It he be yelled back He clamped en on the brake and we all pitched forward as the car jerked downto down downto to a full stop Carpenter backed hacked her into the ditch and turned her round the matter asked Bigelow poking his head forward between us Pile out you ou two ordered Carpen Carpenter C I Itel ter tel and cut across through here her to I Ithe the other road Well en pick you up be beyond beyond I yond the fork Leave your our things Quick now They disappeared in the woods the thebo boy bo choosing the T way ay holding aside the branches and stamping down the briars while the girl followed him blindly Plucky little girl that said aid Carpen Carpenter ter as we started back up the road hats the plan plait of campaign I asked Dunno Dunn 0 my son said he lie There he comes Lord hos rippin lIe He drove the car car straight down the middle of the road Toad and we brought up face to face tace with the raging parent He lie was a handsome old tyrant trant and ina In Ina Ina a most mOtt beastly humor How do you ou do general said Car Carpenter pent penter r politely I Nice day clap Wheres my m daughter roared the theold theold theold old gentleman You young scoundrel So its you OU with your our dd d d car Might a guessed ues ed it Want ant you ou to know my m friend Hea Heaton Heaton Heaton ton general said Carpenter May have heard of him General Carton Heaton D n it sir roared the general emral What hat do I core care for your our friends What have hae you done one with my daugh daughter ter Where ue ire re the young fools tools Your Tour daughter said Carpenter blankly Dont think Ive Ie met ct her have hae J 1 Not lost I hope sir Dont Doat attempt your our pleasantries with me you OU young cub stormed the general gen general general eral shaking his whip at us that on the back of ot your our Infernal ma machino machine chino chine i We looked coked l behind b hind The girl in her haste had left her cape in full tull view ever the back of ot the tho Why Wh those tho le people haw have forgotten something Sid Ski said aid Carpenter my m daughters wrap cried General Carton Where here is she Dont attempt to lie sir We Wo picked up a couple a ways back sir said Carpenter suavely and gave them a lift JIlt They The left us only onh a short time Umu ago The machines smashed up you ou see aee and were going In to Castleton for repairs I Let L mf ml by b sir roared he the old gen gentleman gentleman gentleman turning the mare into the ditch Gad sir 1311 arc you ou deaf deat Let me by b Carpenter politely swung the Cough Drop to the right and the general in instantly instantly pulled up again Whose grips |