held the car between the frantic horse and the edge of the

embankment. His left hand, outstretched, was almost at the girl's

waist. The turn was just before them.

"Jump!" cried Barney.

The girl fell backward from her mount, turning to grasp Custer's arm

as it closed about her. At the same instant Barney closed the

throttle, and threw all the weight of his body upon the foot brake.

The gray roadster swerved toward the embankment as the hind wheels

skidded on the loose surface gravel. They were at the turn. The

horse was just abreast the bumper. There was one chance in a

thousand of making the turn were the running beast out of the way.

There was still a chance if he turned ahead of them. If he did not

turn--Barney hated to think of what must follow.

But it was all over in a second. The horse bolted straight ahead.

Barney swerved the roadster to the turn. It caught the animal full

in the side. There was a sickening lurch as the hind wheels slid

over the embankment, and then the man shoved the girl from the

running board to the road, and horse, man and roadster went over

into the ravine.

A moment before a tall young man with a reddish-brown beard had

stood at the turn of the road listening intently to the sound of the

hurrying hoof beats and the purring of the racing motor car

approaching from the distance. In his eyes lurked the look of the

hunted. For a moment he stood in evident indecision, but just before

the runaway horse and the pursuing machine came into view he slipped

over the edge of the road to slink into the underbrush far down

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