Show u I 1 I Fiction Lost o S t and a n d F Found o u n d By Wayne Priscilla j CHAPTER 21 Doris saw George coming He had darted into the alley at the side of the depot Now he was coming as fast as he could run across the I vacant lot Patricks Patrick's quick growl warned Doris of trouble and quickly quick quick- ly she slid over to the drivers driver's seat and started the car For once Teck's old car started without an argument ment Seeing that she was ready to drive George leaped to the running board With presence of mind she had bad swung the door open for him and he sank into the seat and slammed the the door just as the car slid into motion Be quiet Patrick Patick Be quiet George shouted for the big dog had I seen the running men ready to cross the vacant lot toward their car Lie down you With a growl Patrick subsided In the back seat and hunching low under the wheel Doris sent Teck's car pounding out over the road George was occupied in catching his breath forcing Patrick to be quiet p and trying to watch the progress of ot othis his pu pursuers Pursuers Scatter f. f He noted through the sw swaying ying back window windo that they had given up the pursuit by foot once Doris got the old car into motion His three three or four now now had had scattered quickly probably to find cars of their own to give chase Ill Til take the car in a few mm- mm minutes min min- utes ules he shrieked to Doris over the roar of the wind that lapped in through the inadequate top of the theold theold theold old carIm carIm carIm car Im perfectly O. O K she told him We gained minutes on them by doing it this way What happened happened happened hap hap- Nothing except that I acted like a dunce I 1 stepped right into the arms of the sheriff of the county Oh my word Doris slowed just justa a little I I dont don't believe they're fol fol- fol- fol lowing I 1 dont don't see any sign George assured assured assured as as- her If Id I'd only had any presence of mind but I 3 I went to the depot to get train in in- formation The sheriff was putting up a poster only then I didn't know he was the sheriff After fter Them It startled me I thought it re referred referred referred re- re to you and I decided to get out and get back to the car just as fast as I 1 could When I 1 started out the Uie station master noticed I was a stranger and instead of stopping and acting casual I turned and ran Patrick growled deeply And with reason George could see now that the pursuers had not abandoned the chase An An automobile rounded a corner that they could still see several several several sev sev- eral miles back and it was easy for George to distinguish that the car was coming at a terrific pace Patrick stood now now in the back backseat backseat backseat seat deep seated growls fairly shaking him Doris leaned close to the wheel wheeland wheeland wheeland and the little car leaped ahead at a terrific pace pace George had his breath now v and was wishing desperately that he was piloting the car ar He could see that Doris was very nervous Great circles of fatigue were around her eyes and h hec r lips seemed fairly bloodless 5 j jI jP I 1 wonder if we can change quickly George suggested hope hope- lessly But Doris shook her head and brought the little car up to still greater speed overtake us of we dared stop she shouted gain miles on us while we slowed down enough to make the change Like Lile Excitement Youre right George told her reluctantly He had given up efforts to make male Patrick sit down The dog was was was' nervous and excited Perhaps he would be less so if they just let just let him alone Im all right Doris screamed over the rush of the breeze Im a I good driver and I 1 like excitement George noticed with relief that the color that seemed drained from her face a few minutes before before was re returning returning returning re- re turning now with the excitement The zest zest zest-of of the chase was giving her courage and strength Well make it he told her here I cant can't see very clearly now but it seems to me they're having havi g some trouble with their car They arent aren't coming as fast as they were Get out at of the road Doris screamed and for one terrifying Instant in instant instant in- in stant Georges George's heart fairly stood still They had rounded a little turn in the road and just before them came a wreck of a car as disreputable ble as the one th they y drove Almost a n. Crash One breathless instant and then George breathed again Doris had seen the car in time and acting with instant decision she had swerved and missed it Fortunately the soft shoulder of the road held up In their perilous passing There was one blinding instant when the car lurched fearfully and then by bya a righted itself They were past the car and again on their way but the pale faced driver of the theother theother theother other car stopped and sank back Inthe in inthe inthe the drivers driver's seat shaken shalen utterly by his narrow escape esca e. e II Something has h happened George told Doris Were climbing a pretty stiff grade I 1 can see a mile back maybe two miles There isn't a car in sight I 1 cant can't see yes see yes I Ican Ican Ican can yes I 1 can Its It's rounding the curve They've got it up to full speed again No they're in trouble again Slow down Doris They've stopped Let me take the wheel of the car Doris obeyed him instantly She would not have confessed it but she was trembling in ev every ry limb after the near accident George might praise her for her quick presence of mind nind and her instant judgment in deciding what to to- todo do but in her heart she knew t that t. t only luck had prevented prevented prevented pre pre- vented a headon collision I think were we're safe enough for forthe forthe the he time being George told herFor herFor herFor her For some reason or other they are having laving trouble with their car I cant can't be absolutely certain but I 1 think they they stopped In the meantime well we'll be pounding down the road Georges George's been fairly ac ac- ac- ac curate The sheriff the stationmaster stationmaster station- station m master ster and two villagers hastily sworn in as deputy sheriffs by the sheriff had attempted to use the sheriffs sheriff's car to follow the fugitives and for the millionth time in the thelast thelast thelast last few months the sheriff was being roundly condemned for trying to chase criminals with a car that thai couldn't chase anything If wed we'd only taken my car the stationmaster grumbled Mulled Muffed a n. Chance Well Wen we didn't worse luck Charlie Youve You've got a a new car But Bui Sheriff Hank Johnson was making up his mind that hed he'd sign an order for a new car within the next 24 hours What if fate had put the capture of a part of the infamous gang of outlaws Jn his hands and he had muffed it by driving this antediluvian wreck of a car His chance to make a name for himself to be mentioned probably on the front page of every newspaper newspaper newspaper news news- paper in the country just like the G men And he had muffed that thai chance Youve not only got an old wreck of a car the stationmaster railed but unless I miss my guess your yourd low on gas By Hank wailed walled Youre right I 1 was gonna fill up ui this morning Even now the car cai was backfiring that warning that tha tells tens all motorists that the last gas ga gasis is even then entering the Hank pulled the car to the side 01 of the road and brought it to a stop just as the cylinders fired fifed their last las shotWell shotWell shot Well wen were we're licked Charlie saidA saidA saidA said A hot sheriff you turned out to be Im not licked yet Hank shouted shout shout- ed and he ran into t the tle e road holdIng holdIng holding hold hold- ing up his hand to stop the progress of the oncoming car The driver still quivering from shock pondered what to do To stop the car or to go on He chose th the former course To be frightened to tc death by a mad woman rounding the curve at desperate speed in her hei rickety old car and now to be stopped by a mad madman madman-a an-a an a bandit likely Well Wen rather stop rather stop than b be shot at He brought the car to an ar emphatic stop Get Em Yet Get out Hank barked Tn Ini the sheriff of this county My cars car's broken down and its it's out of gas Theres There's desperate criminals ing Ill I'll take your car and h he hc leaped to the running board The owner of the car started t tc give up the wheel Go on you ou drive It Hank told him Pile in boys As the owner of the c car car- r turned carefully the deputy sheriffs packed into the carWell carWell carWell car Well catch em yet Hank declared de de- de- de dared You wait and see sec Continued Th Thursday Copyright 1936 for n The Telegram |