THE RACE
"Something gone wrong?" asked one of the men, pleasantly, while the
third member of the trio was getting out of the powerful car that had
pulled up back of Dick's.
"Yes, the motor stopped without any reason, as far as I can see," said
our hero. He gave a hasty glance at the men. As far as he could tell he
had never seen any of them before. A look at Mr. Cameron showed that he
was not perturbed at their arrival, for he was looking at some queer
rocks at the side of the roadway.
"Perhaps I can be of some service," said another of the trio. "I know
something of autos."
"We'll take a look," agreed Dick, as he opened the bonnet over the
motor. "It's the first time it's gone back on me since I had it, except
for a little brake trouble," he went on.
"It's a mighty fine car," said the stranger. "I don't know as I ever saw
one like it."
"She was built to order," said Dick, not caring to go into details. Yet
he had no intention of concealing anything, for he realized that their
enemies, if they desired to keep track of their progress, could do so
anyhow, since the car was not one to be easily forgotten.
While Dick and the man who had admitted that he was something of an auto
expert, were going over the motor, looking for the trouble, the other
two strangers had gone back to their car.
"Want any help?" asked Paul, as he and Innis strolled about.
"I guess not," said Dick. "Make yourselves comfortable. We'll start as
soon as we can."
Mr. Cameron was walking idly about, examining different geological
specimens. Then the two men who had gone back to their car discovered
that one of the tires had a puncture, and was down almost flat. They
called this information to the one who was with Dick, and the latter
answered:
"Better put in a new inner tube. We'll want to make time when we get
away from here."
"Don't let me keep you," said Dick, quickly. "I think I may be able to
locate the trouble myself."
"Well, I am in something of a hurry," the man admitted. "But, since my
own car needs attention I'll stay with you until they get the tire
fixed. Have you looked at the carbureter?"
"No, I was just going to."
Together they inspected that important part of an auto's mechanism.
They found it a little out of adjustment, and proceeded to remedy it.
"I imagine the trouble, as much as anything, is in the gasoline," said
the stranger. "It's an awful poor quality they supply nowadays. It'll
get so, after a while, that we'll have to use kerosene. In fact, I'm
thinking of getting a car that has a two-jet carbureter on it, to mingle
gasoline and kerosene. That's what we'll come to, after a while."
He and Dick talked interestedly of the mechanical side of autos, while
the carbureter was put in shape for a test. Meanwhile the two men were
working away at their tire. They seemed to be having trouble with it,
and Paul and Innis were just going to ask if they did not want some help
in return for the service their friend was rendering Dick, when Mr.
Cameron exclaimed:
"I'll lend 'em a hand. I want to learn how to change a tire. I may have
an auto of my own some day."
With the three of them at work, the tire was soon in shape and pumped
up. But Dick's car would not respond. The self-starter was tried again
and again, but, though the motor flywheel was turned over rapidly, the
cylinders would not take up their work.
"She doesn't seem to be getting a spark," said the man. "How is your
magneto?"
"It never has been out of order," said Dick. "Still, there is always a
first time."
"Let's have a look at that," the stranger suggested, and he and Dick
went around on the other side of the car where the electrical mechanism
was located under the bonnet.
As they reached it there came from the other car the staccato sound of
the exhaust. One of the men had started it going.
"Now don't let me keep you!" exclaimed Dick. "It's getting late, and we
can bunk here all night if we have to. You can't."
"No, that's where you have the advantage of us. But I'll just have a
look at your magneto, and then I'm afraid I'll have to be getting on.
I'll be with you in a minute!" he called to his two friends. "Are you
ready to start?"
"We will be in a minute," came back the answer. Mr. Cameron was standing
near the machine, while Paul and Innis had strolled over to a spring and
were drinking.
Suddenly, as Dick looked, he saw one of the men at the other auto make a
jump for Mr. Cameron. The latter leaped back, but not in time to avoid
being caught. The young millionaire had a glimpse of a white cloth being
pressed over his friend's face, and a moment later the two men had
lifted him into the tonneau. Then, while one held the struggling
engineer there, the other leaped to the steering wheel.
"Come on!" he cried, evidently to the man with Dick. "We're ready now!"
"Good!" and with that the third man raced from Dick's side and the next
instant was in the moving auto. A moment later it passed Dick's car with
a burst of speed, and went down the road in a cloud of dust, bearing off
Mr. Cameron.
For a moment Dick could not find his voice. Then as the significance of
what had occurred dawned on him he cried out:
"Paul--Innis! They've got Mr. Cameron! It was a trick! Those are some of
Uncle Ezra's agents! They're going to get Mr. Cameron out of the way and
spoil our case. Come on!"
The two cadets came running back, surprise showing on their faces.
"We've got to get him back!" cried Dick.
"But how can you, with our car stalled?" asked Paul.
The young millionaire made a gesture of despair. Then with a last hope
he sprang to the steering wheel and pressed the button of the
self-starter.
With a whizz and a roar the motor began running. By some trick Dick and
the man had remedied the trouble without knowing it. The _Last Word_
could proceed again.
"Good luck!" cried Innis.
"Come on!" yelled Dick. "We've got to chase them!"
The three made flying leaps for the car, and a moment later the strange
race was on. But the other auto was out of sight.