ON THE ROAD
"Perhaps they have gone off into some ditch!"
"Maybe they bounced off a rock and hit a tree!"
"A fellow could easily break a wheel on this rough road!"
"Oh, I hope none of them have been hurt!"
Such were some of the remarks that came from those in the tonneau of the
touring-car, as Dave put on the power and started down the winding road
which led to the bottom of the long hill.
"Better keep her in low gear, Dave," said Dunston Porter, as the car
struck a rather steep incline. "The engine will help hold her back."
"I think I can hold her with the brakes, Uncle Dunston," answered the
youth, who had already thrown off the power. He had the foot-brake well
down, and now he threw in the emergency as well.
On and on slipped and slid the big touring-car, bumping over a road
which seemed to grow worse as they progressed. All of the lights were
on full, and they were needed, for the road turned and twisted in such a
fashion that but little could be seen ahead. In some places the highway
seemed extra narrow, this being caused by the heavy trees and bushes
lining both sides. At one point the water had caused quite a washout,
and into this and out again they bumped with such violence that all the
girls shrieked in alarm.
"Some bump that!" was Roger's grim comment.
"O dear, I thought sure I'd be jounced out!" cried Jessie. "Dave, can't
you go a little slower?"
"I'll try," returned the youth, and jammed down the foot-brake as hard
as he could. For an instant the touring-car came almost to a standstill,
but presently they slid onward again, coming a moment later to another
bend.
"Look out! Don't run into us!" It was a yell from in front, and now Dave
saw Luke Watson standing in the roadway, waving his handkerchief.
Down in the darkness beyond Dave made out the red, rear-light of the
Basswood automobile. As the second touring-car came on Luke leaped to
one side, but his warning had had its effect, and now Dave jammed on
both brakes with all the force at his command, at the same time swerving
slightly to the left. He just grazed a trunk strapped to the back of
the first machine, and then came to a halt on a water-break a short
distance beyond.
"Somebody get out and put a few stones under the wheels!" cried Dave,
who could not leave his seat because of one foot on the brake.
"All right, we'll fix it!" cried his uncle, and leaped out, followed
quickly by the boys in the tonneau of the car.
Loose stones were to be had in plenty, and soon the car wheels were well
blocked. Then Dave was able to join those on the ground.
"Shall we get out?" asked Laura, anxiously.
"Suit yourselves," returned Dunston Porter, who was already moving in
the direction of the other car.
The Wadsworth machine contained a hand flashlight, and getting
possession of this, Dave and his chums hurried toward the other
automobile. They had already seen at a glance that the Basswood
touring-car had swung around to the side of the road, and that one front
wheel was held fast between a large rock and a fair-sized tree.
Apparently the car was not hurt, and no one seemed to be injured.
"How did it happen, Ben?" sang out Dave, when he saw that the accident
was not a serious one.
"Funniest thing you ever heard of," returned his chum. "You couldn't
possibly guess it."
"Didn't you slip on the rocks?" queried Phil.
"It was a cow put us here," said Mr. Basswood, gravely. "Just a plain,
every day, red cow." And in spite of the accident his eyes had a twinkle
in them.
"A cow!" came from several of the others, in wonder.
"Yes, a cow!" answered Ben, and his tone showed his deep disgust. "I was
going down the hill just as nicely as you please when along came a cow.
A man was driving her, and when he saw us coming he did his best to get
the cow out of our way. But that mooly didn't budge from the middle of
the road, so I had to turn to one side--and this is the consequence."
"But I am so thankful that no one was hurt," broke in Mrs. Basswood.
"Think of what might have happened if the car had turned over!" and she
shuddered.
"But where is the cow?" questioned Roger.
"Oh, as soon as she had put us in this hole she turned tail and ran down
the hill as fast as she could, and the man went after her," explained
Mr. Basswood.
"I guess the man ran away because he was afraid we might hold him
responsible for damages," remarked Shadow. "Say! this puts me in mind
of a story," he added. "One time a cow got on the front piazza of a
house, and----"
"For gracious sake, Shadow! I guess you'd want to tell stories at a
funeral," burst out Ben. "Never mind your yarn now. Let us see if we can
get this machine out from between this rock and that tree."
"You didn't break the steering-gear, did you?" asked Dave, anxiously, as
he allowed the flashlight to play over and around the touring-car.
"I don't believe I hurt anything, Dave. But of course I can't be sure
until I try to run the car," answered Ben. "What's worrying me is: How
am I going to get out of this fix? I don't believe I can back out--in
fact it wouldn't be safe."
"Looks to me as if we'd have to chop the tree down to get out of here,"
commented Luke, who had come back from where he had signaled the other
car.
"I think I see a way of aiding you," said Dunston Porter, who was
examining the rock that held the wheel to the tree. "I think if we dig
under the edge of this rock, we can loosen it and roll it down the hill.
Then we'll be able to lift the front of the automobile around--that is
if we can keep the machine from sliding down on us."
"We can easily fix that part of it," answered Dave. "All we've got to
do is to take that towing-rope we brought along and fasten it to a tree
and the back axle of the car."
"That's the talk, Dave!" cried his uncle. "Get the rope and make it fast
at once."
While our hero and several of the other boys were adjusting the
towing-line which had been brought along for emergencies, Dunston Porter
and Mr. Basswood set to work to loosen the rock which held the wheel.
This was no easy task, but finally, with the aid of a hammer and a small
crowbar, it was accomplished, and the rock slid down the roadway. Then
the automobile began to start forward.
"Look out there!" cried one of the boys. "This line may not hold!"
"That will hold two cars like that," answered Dave. The rope strained
and creaked, but did not break, and soon those in front of the car had
the machine jacked around once more in a straight position, headed down
the road.
"Now Ben, I guess you're all right again," said Dave.
"Provided I don't meet that cow again," was the retort. "How about that
rope?"
"I'll unfasten it for you just as soon as you are ready to start."
"I think I'd rather walk to the foot of the hill," remarked Mrs.
Basswood, timorously.
"Let us all walk down. I'll be glad of the exercise," cried Belle, who
was tired of being cramped up in the tonneau of the automobile.
"Oh, but maybe that cow will get after us," exclaimed Jessie.
"Pooh! who's afraid of a cow!" cried the western girl, who had been
brought up to face hundreds of animals on her father's ranch.
"Well, I think we had better let the automobiles go first, anyway,"
suggested Laura. "We don't want them to come along and run over us," she
added, playfully.
Soon Ben and his chums were in the first of the touring-cars. Dave
released the rope, and the automobile resumed the descent of the hill.
Then the towing-line was wound up and thrown into the tonneau of the
second car, and that also resumed its journey.
Down at the foot of the long hill they met the cow and her owner, a
tall, cadaverous-looking individual, who eyed our friends frowningly.
"I see you got your cow all right enough," remarked Ben.
"So I did, but I'd a mighty long run to stop her," growled the man.
"You put us in quite a hole; do you know that?" went on Ben.
"'Tain't none of my fault," replied the owner of the cow, quickly. "I
have as much right on this road with my cow as you have with that there
autymobile."
"Just the same, you had no right to let your cow keep to the middle of
the road," cried Ben. "If we had had a worse accident we might have held
you responsible."
"Huh! Hold me responsible, eh? Well ye wouldn't have got a cent out of
me," said the owner of the cow, and then he passed on up the hill once
more, driving the animal before him. The cow was contentedly chewing her
cud, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened to disturb her.
A quarter of a mile further on our friends came to a small stream
spanned by rather a shaky-looking bridge, over which each machine was
run with great care. On the other side of the stream they came to
another fork of the road.
"Here's a signboard anyway!" cried Dave, whose car was now in advance.
"_'Rayville Four Miles._' We'll be there soon if this road holds out."
"I think you'll find the roads around Rayville all right," called Mr.
Basswood to him. "My friend told me that they were in good condition,
especially those on the other side of the town."
A quarter of an hour later found the two touring-cars in the village
where Mr. Basswood's friend resided. Here, as the gentleman had said,
was located a fairly good hotel, where accommodations for the night
could be had.
"Now, I'm going to go around and see my friends," said Mr. Basswood.
"Ben, you and your chums can stay here at the hotel. We'll be back
before it's time to retire," and then he set off in the touring-car,
taking his wife with him.
As the hotel at Rayville made a specialty of catering to automobile
parties, our friends found the accommodations there both ample and
satisfactory. After the hard run of the day, the girls and the boys were
glad to rest awhile. Then they fixed up for dinner, which was served to
them in a private dining-room, apart from the other patrons of the
house. As might be expected, they had a good deal of fun, and Shadow was
allowed to tell several of his stories, much to his own satisfaction if
not to that of his listeners.
"By this time to-morrow night we ought to be at Bear Camp," said Dave,
after they had finished dinner and gone out on the hotel veranda to
watch what little was going on in the town.
"I guess it will be a good deal more lonely than it is here, Dave,"
observed Jessie.
"There will be too many of us to be lonely," he answered. "I'm looking
forward to some splendid times."
"Oh, so am I, Dave, and I am sure the others hope to have good times,
too."
It was about ten o'clock when Mr. and Mrs. Basswood came back to the
hotel, having spent a very pleasant evening with their friends, who had
wanted them to remain over night.
"I've got some news that I want to telegraph to Crumville," announced
Ben's father, as he came in. "News that may interest Mr. Poole."
"What is that, Dad?" questioned his son, curiously.
"Why, Mr. Dobson spoke about a strange sort of man who called on him
yesterday. He thought the man was out of his mind. He said the fellow
asked for work first, but then said he didn't care whether he got a job
or not, because he had to take the night express for Sumatra."
"A strange man who wanted to take the night express for Sumatra!"
exclaimed Dave. "It must have been 'The King of Sumatra'--Wilbur Poole!"
"Just exactly what I think, Dave," answered Mr. Basswood.