THE CHASE.
Ned reached the machine, cranked it up, and a few minutes later steered
it close to where Bob and Jerry stood.
"The auto can do what we can't," he said.
"What do you mean?" came from Jerry.
"I mean it can pull the men up over the cliff!"
"Hurrah! So it can!" exclaimed Jerry. "I see your plan."
The car was turned around so the rear of it was close to the edge of the
precipice. Then the rope was fastened to the axle.
"Get ready, down below!" called Jerry.
"We're ready!" came back the answer.
Jerry and Bob stretched out on the ground, each one holding an end of
the improvised roller. Ned started the auto slowly. The rope strained
and tightened. Then, as the car gathered speed, the cable was pulled
up, and Professor Snodgrass, tied to the other end, was hauled from his
perilous position.
As his head came into view over the edge of the precipice, Jerry
shouted to Ned to stop the car. The next instant the naturalist was
helped to solid ground by the two boys. The plan had worked.
In quick succession Nestor and the hunter were pulled up in the same
fashion.
"Well, I must say you boys are smart chaps," spoke the miner.
"Automobiles are useful critters in more ways than to ride in."
"How did you ever get down there?" asked Jerry.
"It was all my fault," said Professor Snodgrass. "We were walking along,
and I saw a particularly rare specimen of a little garter-snake. It was
moving through the grass and I raced after it. It went over the edge of
the cliff, and I reached down and tried to get it. It was so far over
that I had to lie down flat on my face and stretch my arms. Then----"
"Yes, an' when he found he couldn't reach the critter even then,"
interrupted Broswick, "he asked Nestor an' me to hold his heels while he
stretched down. Blamed if I ever do such a thing ag'in."
"Why not?" asked Bob.
"'Cause jest as soon as me an' Nestor got hold of his heels an' was
easin' him over the cliff, I'll be jiggered if the whole top didn't give
way an' there we was, slidin' down the mountain at about forty miles a
minute. I thought we was gone coons sure, but we struck on the ledge
an' that saved us."
"We'd been there yet if you boys hadn't come along," said Nestor. "But
say, I'm mighty hungry."
"There isn't much to eat," spoke Jerry.
"Yes, there is," came from the hunter. "I shot some partridge jest afore
we had that bloomin' old snake hunt."
He walked over to where he had left his game and came back with a double
brace of fine birds. It was not long before the partridges were roasting
over a fire and every one with a good appetite prepared to eat.
"Where's my specimen box?" suddenly exclaimed the professor, after an
inspection of the auto. "It's gone!"
"No; I just laid it to one side when I wanted to use the machine to haul
you up with," explained Ned. "It is safe. But what do you want of it
now?"
"To put my snake in, of course," and the scientist showed a tiny serpent
grasped in his hand.
"So you got it after all, eh?" asked Broswick. "I thought you missed
it when them rocks an' dirt slid an' let us all down kersmash over the
cliff."
"I wouldn't have lost that snake for ten thousand dollars," said the
professor, as he put it safely away with his other curiosities.
After dinner the journey toward the lost gold mine was again taken up.
In a short time the auto and its occupants, as well as Broswick on his
horse, were making good speed. Presently it was noticed that the road
was sloping downward. Jerry remarked on the fact.
"We've crossed the divide," announced Nestor. "From now on, until we
get to the mine, we'll be going downhill. There's another rise of the
mountains after we pass the mine, though."
It was now about five o'clock, and as the adventurers had eaten dinner
rather late they decided not to stop for supper, but to keep on until it
was time to camp for the night and have another meal then.
When it got too dark to go any further on the road, even though the gas
and oil lamps gave a glaring light, a halt was made. Supper was eaten
and soon all but Broswick, who mounted first guard, was slumbering.
Next morning the travelers came to a long, level stretch, on top of a
vast plateau, and here good speed could be made. Jerry was steering
the car, his turn having come around, and Broswick's horse was keeping
up well, for the boys would not leave the hunter behind, and regulated
their pace to that of his steed.
As they went around a curve and came to a straight stretch, Jerry cried
out and pointed ahead. They all looked, to behold another automobile
speeding away from them.
"That's Noddy's car, I'm sure of it!" Jerry shouted. "I'd know it
anywhere by this time."
"I'd like to catch those rascals!" exclaimed Nestor. "They've made
trouble enough for us, an' they'll make more if they can. Besides, I
have my score to settle with that chap Pender. I'd have overlooked it if
they'd let us alone, but now I want to git even!"
"There's no reason why you shouldn't," said Broswick. "Your machine is
as good as theirs. Give 'em a chase. If you catch 'em, put their auto
out of business until you have enough of a start to get to the mine
first. Besides, we could have the law on 'em for stealin' this machine."
"But what about leaving you behind?" questioned Jerry, to whom the
thought of a chase after his old enemies was not unwelcome.
"Leave me behind; I'll catch up to you later," spoke the hunter.
Jerry looked at Nestor. The miner nodded his head in approval. The next
instant the auto fairly sprang forward, as Jerry threw on the high-speed
gear and opened wide the flow of gasolene.
The chase was on. Jerry sent out a challenging "honk" on the horn, and
it was answered by the auto ahead. That machine, too, as soon as the
occupants became aware of the pursuit, went forward at top speed.
Fortunately for all, the road was much better than the average. It was
wide and level, and as soon as the machines had warmed up they fairly
flew along.
"Aren't--we go-going a--a--trifle fast?" asked Professor Snodgrass, in a
frightened tone, as he held fast to the car-side to avoid being bounced
out.
"That's the intention," said Nestor. "The other fellows are doin' it an'
we have to do likewise. Hold tight!"
As he spoke, the auto went over a rock and every one was tossed from his
seat, to fall back with a jarring bump.
The pace was now very fast. With straining eyes Jerry watched his rivals
in front. Slowly but surely he could see that the distance between them
was lessening. Once or twice some one in the forward car looked back to
note the progress of the chase.
"We'll catch them!" yelled Ned.
Faster and faster went the auto. The trees and rocks seemed to shoot
past. The distance between the two machines was constantly lessening
until now it was but a quarter of a mile.
"They may use guns," ventured Bob.
"I reckon they will, son," replied Nestor, "but if they try that game
they'll find we can shoot a bit ourselves."
He got out his brace of revolvers and saw to it that they were loaded.
"Not that I'm anxious to hurt any one," the miner went on, "but we must
protect our lives and our machine."
Soon but an eighth of a mile separated the pursued and pursuing forces.
The occupants of the other car could be plainly seen, and Ned, who was
riding beside Jerry, noticed Jack Pender stand up in the rear seat and
shake his fist.
"He wouldn't do that if we were a little closer," observed Ned.
Jerry now saw victory before him. He prepared to run to one side ahead
of Noddy's machine and so block its further progress.
He was about to press the accelerating lever to give his car a momentary
burst of speed when there suddenly sounded a great roaring. It seemed
to come from the side of a small mountain along the base of which the
plateau road now ran.
Then the air seemed to fill with dust. The very earth trembled and all
at once a section of the mountain slipped down right on top of the
pursuing auto, fairly overwhelming it.
It was a big landslide, and it had come just in time to catch Jerry and
his friends and let the other machine escape, for the auto Noddy and
his gang were in got out of the way of the rush of rocks and earth.
There was a resounding crash. Then all seemed to become black to Jerry.