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the curtain on that side, leaned out into the rain and inspected the

road behind him, shifted into reverse, and backed to the botto?" Foster leaned forward to ask senselessly

"When I hit level ground, I' the road and steering with one hand "Does the old girl ever

cut up with you on hills?"

"Why--no She never has," Foster answered dubiously

"Reason I asked, she didn't just choke down from the pull She went and

died on me"

"That's funny," Foster observed weakly

On the level Bud went into neutral and pressed the self-starter with

a pessis and a backfire into the

carburetor, and after that silence He tried it again, coaxing her with

the spark and throttle The engine gave a snort, hesitated and then,

quite suddenly, began to throb with docile regularity that see up"

Bud fed her the gas and took a run at the hill She went up like a

thoroughbred and died at the top, just when the road had dipped into the

descent Bud sent her down hill on compression, but at the bottoain when he turned on the switch and pressed

the accelerator She simply rolled down to the first incline and stopped

there like a balky mule