A SHOT IN THE DARK.
As Jerry spoke, the other boys looked and saw Noddy turn to stare at
them. The bully rose in his seat and shook his fist at the Motor Boys,
while the wind bore back some indistinguishable words he shouted.
"Let's take after him!" cried Ned.
"What would be the use?" asked Jerry. "We don't want trouble if we can
avoid it. The farther off those fellows are the better we'll be."
The boys explained to Nestor something about the character of Noddy,
Berry, and Pender, the miner listening, gravely.
"Well, on the whole," he remarked, "it's better to have an enemy in
front of you than at your back. I guess we can make out to beat 'em at
whatever game they play. But I'd like to catch the chap as took my gold."
Jerry started his machine up again, but made no effort to catch up with
Noddy, who was now far in advance. The Cresville auto bowled along, and
at noon a stop was made in a small village, where dinner was eaten.
They traveled along all the afternoon. Toward dusk they struck a lonely
stretch of country, and inquiry at a log cabin brought out that the
nearest town was ten miles ahead.
"We must push for it," said Nestor; "that is, if we intend to sleep in
beds to-night."
Ned was steering, the boys having agreed to take turn and turn about.
It became quite dark, and the auto was shooting along at reduced speed,
for, even with the gas and oil lamps, the road was dim.
Suddenly a shot rang out in the darkness. It was followed by a louder
report as one of the auto tires burst, punctured by a bullet. The car
careened to one side and bumped along on the flattened rubber.
"They're shooting at us!" cried Nestor. "Two can play at that game!"
He whipped out his revolver and fired three shots straight ahead, the
flashes cutting the darkness.
"They're behind, not ahead!" yelled Jerry, who was in the rear seat with
the miner. "It was one of the back tires that burst!"
Ned had shut off power and the auto came to a halt. The boys got out,
and Jerry took off one of the oil lamps to see what damage had been
done. A new inner tube would be needed, and it would be hard work
inserting it in the dark.
"That's some of Noddy's or Pender's work," observed Ned. "They must be
following us, and yet they started off ahead."
"There are so many roads around here that they could go off to one side,
wait, and then come up behind us," said Nestor. "But what's to be done?"
"We can't go ahead until we fix the tire," said Jerry.
"Don't try to do it in the dark," advised the miner. "Tell you what to
do. I'll camp here with the machine, for I'm used to sleeping outdoors
nights. It's only about two miles into town now, and you boys can walk
it. In the morning you can come back and fix things up."
"What will you do for supper?" asked Jerry.
"Don't you worry about that," replied the miner. "I've got a couple of
sandwiches in my pocket. I got 'em at the place we had dinner, 'cause
I always like to travel with a little grub about me. They'll do until
morning."
So it was arranged. The lights on the auto were put out and Nestor
curled up in the tonneau, with some lap-robes over him. The boys started
afoot for the town, promising to come back as soon as it was light
enough to see to put the new tube in the tire.
"I wonder what Noddy's game is?" asked Ned of his companions. "And how
did he and Pender come together?"
"There's no telling what those two may do," said Jerry. "I'm afraid
we're in for trouble."
They were to meet it sooner than they expected. About this time, a mile
from where the crippled auto was stalled, two figures were sneaking
along the road.
"Are you sure you hit the tire, Bill?" asked a voice, which, if the
Motor Boys had heard, they would have recognized at once as Noddy
Nixon's.
"Course I winged 'em," replied Bill Berry. "It was easy. All I had to do
was to jump out from behind the bushes where we were hid and pop at 'em.
I could hear the tire bust."
"I wonder if it made 'em lay up for repairs?"
"It sure did. I heard 'em shut off the power. Now we'll hustle back to
our car and continue the trip."
"I'll teach those Cresville cubs to come meddling after me," spoke
Noddy. "I'll follow 'em close and make all the trouble I can. As you
say, we may as well start off again. I hope Pender isn't tired waiting
alone for us in the car. How far ahead is it now?"
"Half a mile, I guess."
As the Motor Boys knew, Noddy had made for New York after running away
from home with Bill Berry. He wrote to the boys and to Pender from
there, and later Pender joined the rascally pair.
Noddy was preparing for a trip with his companions, and was just about
to start when Jerry spied him from the hotel window. He escaped through
the tenement house and at once got ready to leave New York in a hurry.
It was by the merest chance that he passed the Cresville auto on leaving
Chicago, and at once had formed the plan of annoying the three chums.
As Nestor had said, Noddy and his companions had taken a side road,
allowed the Cresville auto to get ahead and then, at Berry's suggestion,
had ambushed themselves to try and do some damage as the Motor Boys
passed. The chief conspirators were now on their way to where they had
left their auto.
They reached it, found Pender half asleep, curled up on a seat, and
started slowly off in the darkness.
By keeping to the diverging road they were on, they passed around the
disabled machine, and came out into the main highway again, ahead of the
three boys who were tramping toward the town.
Noddy was steering, and with a reckless disregard of the dangers of
the road was going very fast. Suddenly there was a crash and the auto
stopped.
"You've gone an' done it now!" exclaimed Bill.
"What if I have?" snapped Noddy. "It's my machine, ain't it?"
"An' it's my neck you're tryin' to break," replied Bill. "What's the
trouble, anyhow?"
Noddy got out to look. Something had gone wrong with the sliding gear
and he had to crawl under the machine to fix it, while Pender held a
light. Bill obstinately refused to lend a hand, as he said it was all
Noddy's fault.
"I'm goin' to walk on to the next town," declared Berry. "You can stop
an' pick me up on your way through. I'll be at the hotel."
He went off in the darkness, while Noddy and Jack continued to work at
the auto. It took more than half an hour to fix the break, but at last
the machine was ready to start. Noddy was about to crank it up when he
heard the sound of some persons coming along the road, voices mingling
with the footsteps.
He looked up, and was much surprised to see, in the glare of the lamps,
Jerry, Bob and Ned.
"Oh!" said Noddy, faintly, for he did not know what else to say.
On their part the Motor Boys were as much startled as was Noddy at the
unexpected meeting.
"So you're here, are you?" asked Jerry.
"Can't you see without having to be told?" inquired Noddy, with a surly
growl. "Now you've seen us, you'd better go on and mind your own
business."
"I guess this is a free country, and we have as much right on this road
as you have," spoke Ned.
"You haven't any right to follow me all the while!" burst out the former
bully of Cresville.
"We wouldn't be following you if you hadn't fired at us and punctured
the tire!" cried Bob.
"Who says I fired a shot?" demanded Noddy.
"I do!" exclaimed Ned.
"You don't know what you're talking about!" exclaimed the bully. "If you
say another word I'll lick you!"
He was mad clear through, and made a rush at Ned. Jerry sprang forward
and met Noddy with a blow straight from the shoulder. The bully went
down. He got up quickly, and the two boys went at each other, "hammer
and tongs." Jerry kept his head and landed twice, heavily, on Noddy. The
latter gave Jerry a bad blow on the right eye, but the latter retaliated
by making Noddy's nose bleed.
As Noddy felt the warm blood trickling down his face he became
frightened.
"Help! help!" he cried. "Why don't you help me, Jack?"
Pender had discreetly remained in the car. At this he jumped out. Ned
was ready, however, and stepped in front of him. Jack aimed a blow at
Ned. The latter dodged it and sent a straight left for Pender's head.
It caught him on the jaw and he went down heavily.
By this time Noddy had broken away from Jerry and ran toward the auto.
Jerry was satisfied with the punishment he had inflicted and did not
follow. Noddy quickly cranked up his machine and leaped to the steering
seat.
"Come on, Jack!" he cried.
Pender wiggled from the grip in which Ned held him, jumped into the car
beside the bully and the next instant the two enemies of the Motor Boys
were chugging off down the road.