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Show .Pilot Harry Ward, in Charge of Munsey Tour, Is an Unconscious Un-conscious Prisoner. RESERVE CAR KEEPS JUST BEHIND LEADER Contest Develops Into an Exciting Excit-ing Race Between Two Official Offi-cial Automobiles. Although ho was boyond doubt unaware, un-aware, Pilot Harry Ward, tho official in charRo of tho Munsey tour, which closed recently, had been through all tho 1550 miles of tho tour virtually a prisoner on the B. M. l' "30" pilot car assigned to his use. Without knowing it, his every movement was watched, and, had ho mado any attempt at-tempt without reasonable excuse to cover a foot of tho journey in any oth-or oth-or car he would havo had tho fact brought to his attention in a most surprising sur-prising way by Driver Leo W. Oldfield of Detroit. Tho condition brings to light ope of tho peculiar customs which nre boing developed by tho American tyvo of enduranco run. Before he left tho E. M". "P. company's com-pany's factory in Detroit. Oldfield was instructed, that his main duly consisted in rotaining possession of tho person of tho pilot. Tho example of tho E. M. P. '30" Glidrlon tour pilot car of 1909, which hold big Dal Lewis' right down to the final day of tho tour, and tho instances 6f other successful pilot' cars in tho history of tho firm's competitive com-petitive enterprises wcro recited for Oldfield s benefit. "I'll kocp tho man Wurd in my car if I havo to sandbag him,' remarked the driver, and 6et his jaw in determined style. Pilot Car Certain. Bo it known that, the pilot car of an autoinobilo tour is a vehielo in which mechanical difficulty or dclav from oth er causo simply must not occur. This car has been always tho pathfinder of the tour and in the (our proper carries car-ries the pilot who laid out tho route of tho original trip. It precedes the caravan by a small margin of time out of the day's starting point and lays the paper confetti which guides tho contesting con-testing cars that follow. It must koop far enough ahead to enablo the pilot to change tho route on short notice in case road conditions make tho original selection se-lection impracticable. In case tho pilot car moots with accident acci-dent or other trouble tho pilot must shift to anothor car, with his confetti. Tho first contesting or official car that happens along is always impressed into service without hesitation, for the tour must proccod without delay. In the Munsey tour tho management, mindful of past experiences, added a reserve re-serve pilot car a high-powered vehicle with a driver who had been, no doubt, instructed to secure tho person of Pilot ward if he could. Reserve Car Fast, Tho challenge was tacitly tendered aud accepted. For all the 1550-odd miles of tho tour the road-loconiotivo thundered in tho dust of tho E. M. F. On the second day out the affair developed devel-oped into n rncc. tho reserve car being driven :n tho obvious attempt to, push the. E. M. F. to a spood where, W case tho least weakness should develop, a catastrophe would bo suro to follow. Through tho placid meadows of New Jersey, along the highlands of the Hud-son Hud-son the two cars fought it out at express ex-press train speed. Through tho grounds llf thn Wfcl- Pni'nf 'Mlin...... .1 tho raco of one day tore at sixty mile an hour, to the night's stop. The cn-dets cn-dets turned out tho guard, telephoned up tho road and declared martial law but tho E. M. F. led bv a gpod half-mile half-mile to the hotel whefo thy minions of the law mado tho "pinch." Through Connecticut, iihodo Island and Massachusetts into Maine and all the way along tho dovious return trip, clear to Washington, tho battle continued contin-ued with similar result. Ever thy E. M. F. held the lead and tho pilot but -seldom wna the margin so great that a glance over tho road to tho rear did not disclose the grim, implacable pursuer. In vam did Oldfield endeavor to steal a march on his rival bv an early start. When tho darkness of the small hours of tho morning found the other vehicle ready to fellow, tho charge was openly made that its crow had slept -m-tlijnjyMu, rjjr L entered the location of tho night con trol early in the afternoon, only to exchange ex-change defiance nnd snatch hurried rest. 'We'll get you yet," proclaimed tho driver of tho reserve car, two days from the finish. From there on ho drove squarely in tho dust of tho E. M. F. every foot of tho way whore his ear's speed and climbing ability pcrmittod. But his prediction failed of fulfillment. When Mr. Ward desconded from his scat at the finish in front of tho United States capitol, and remarked that he had had a pleasant ride, ho missed tho envious, -cs, actually malignant gaze of the driver of tho vehicle in tho immediate imme-diate rear. |