JACK PENDER’S TRICK.
It was on Saturday, when they had once more gone to the track for
practice, that the boys had another encounter with Noddy Nixon and Jack
Pender. The three chums had been making several rounds, and, as it was
rather warm, had left the oval and gone to lie down in the shade of some
trees. Their machines they had left in the rear of the club house, not
far away.
“Do you know what I think we ought to do?” asked Bob as he reclined at
length in the grass, chewing a straw.
“What new plan have you on foot now, Chunky? A scheme to get some one to
race for you, or an arrangement to get out of training?” asked Jerry.
“Neither one,” was the reply, “but I think we ought to begin to think of
what we will do with our touring automobile.”
“Wait until one of us wins it,” advised Ned. “We don’t stand any better
chance than a dozen others.”
From off in the distance there sounded the loud explosions of an
approaching motor cycle.
“That’s Noddy’s machine,” said Jerry. “I hope he doesn’t come around
here bothering us.”
The noise sounded nearer and, in a few minutes Noddy rode up on his
cycle. He got off, ran his machine close to where the three chums had
stored theirs, and then came to where Bob, Ned and Jerry were taking
their ease.
“You fellows going in the race?” asked Noddy, in rather more friendly
tones than he was in the habit of using to those he did not care for.
“We expect to,” answered Jerry.
“And you think you’ll all win, I s’pose?” went on the bully, in a
sneering tone.
“One of us hopes to take a prize,” said Jerry, preserving a calm voice.
“You haven’t any of you one chance in a hundred,” said Noddy decidedly.
“Some of the best motor cyclists in the country are going in the race.”
“I guess we stand as good a chance as any one,” put in Ned. “This isn’t
like bicycle riding. A great deal depends on the machine, and we have
good ones.”
“I tell you none of you can win.”
“You wait and see,” advised Jerry.
“Do you want to back your opinion with any money?” asked Noddy. “If you
do, say the word and I’ll bet you any amount.” He pulled out quite a
roll of bills.
“We don’t bet,” returned Jerry quietly.
“Oh! I suppose you’re afraid you’ll lose,” came with a sneer.
“No, it isn’t that,” went on Jerry, looking the bully square in the eye.
“We don’t bet on principle, but we do think we’ll win, and, if we did
bet it would not be with you, Noddy Nixon.”
“Do you mean to say I’m not good enough to bet with?” demanded Noddy,
advancing toward Jerry.
“I didn’t say that, but you can take my remark any way you choose,”
replied Jerry.
“And I’ll take it that you want to insult me!” exclaimed the bully.
“Very well.”
“And I allow no one to insult me without paying for it,” proceeded
Noddy, in a blustering tone. “You’ll have to fight me.”
“Look here!” exclaimed Jerry. “You seem to want to pick a quarrel, Noddy
Nixon. Let me tell you I’m not afraid of you. I don’t want to fight,
but, if I have to you’ll be the first to cry ‘quits.’ I’m not anxious
to fight, but I’m not going to run away.”
“Nor I!” cried Ned and Bob.
“You can fight us all, one after the other,” suggested Ned.
“You mind your own business; I wasn’t talking to you,” called Noddy, now
thoroughly angry.
“The business of one of us is the business of all of us,” replied Jerry
with a laugh. “Better be careful Noddy.”
The bully growled out something in reply, and cast a glance over his
shoulder. He gave a start as he did so, and then, turning quickly made
off on his machine. Jerry looked in the direction Noddy had peered.
“We’d better be getting over to our machines,” said Jerry suddenly. “I
thought I saw some one moving about near them.”
“Only boys watching to see how they work,” said Bob, who felt too
comfortable to move.
“I’m going over to see who they are, though. Looks like a pretty big
boy, and I don’t want my machine put out of gear when the race is only
four days off.”
“That’s so, those youngsters might get something out of kilter,” agreed
Ned, springing up.
He and Jerry went over to where the motors had been left. The cycles
were surrounded by a crowd of small boys, but, as Jerry had remarked,
one of the lads seemed to be well grown. Suddenly the group of
youngsters parted and a tall youth came from their midst. He glanced in
the direction of Jerry and Ned, and then, with a quick motion, broke
into a run. He hurried around the corner of the club house and, the next
instant there came the sound of a motor cycle in motion. A second later
a red machine was observed moving off in the distance.
“That was Jack Pender!” cried Jerry.
“That’s who it was!” agreed Ned. “And he was up to some trick, I’ll bet.”
“If he’s damaged my machine he’ll pay for it,” vowed Jerry.
The two boys, who were joined by Bob in a little while, reached their
machines. The crowd of small lads who had not gone watched the three
chums as they made a careful examination of their wheels.
“That fellow said he was fixing them,” volunteered a little boy in short
trousers.
“What fellow?” asked Ned.
“The one that just went away from here. He had a wrench and screw driver
and he was doing something to the engine.”
“Who was he?” asked Jerry, wanting to make sure.
“I know! It was Jack Pender!” exclaimed another of the small boys.
Jerry was the first to finish the examination of his motor.
“Well, he’s fixed mine all right!” he exclaimed, straightening up. “He’s
taken off part of the carburetor and the motor is no good until I get a
new one.”
“He’s done the same thing to mine!” cried Ned, just discovering the
damage which had been done.
“And to mine,” added Bob.
“Boys, this is very serious,” said Jerry when he had drawn his two chums
out of hearing of the group of small boys. “The machines can’t run
without those parts.”
“But can’t we easily get them?” asked Bob.
“We could in New York, or Boston or some large city,” said Jerry. “But
have we time to send? To-day is Saturday, the race takes place Thursday.
We can’t get word to any supply store until Monday morning, and it’s a
question whether we would receive the parts in time.”
“We can telegraph,” said Bob.
“Even that takes time. Jack Pender laid his plans well for this trick.
He means to keep us out of the race!” Jerry said.
“Can’t we get the parts in Cresville?” asked Bob.
“Not a store keeps them that I know of,” replied Jerry. “I’m afraid
we’re done for. Most likely Pender broke the parts and threw them away.”
“No, we’re not done for!” exclaimed Ned.
“Why not?”
“Because I’ll ride into Boston to-night and get the new parts!”
“But none of our machines can be run,” objected Bob.
“I’ll borrow Mr. Wakefield’s,” said Ned. “He’ll lend it to me when I
tell him how the case stands!”
“Hurrah!” exclaimed Bob. “You’re the stuff Ned!”
“I doubt if you can do it,” objected Jerry. “There is no moon to-night,
and the roads are hard to find.”
“I’m going to try,” insisted Ned. “Jack Pender shall not keep us out of
the race if I can prevent it!”
“Well, hurry and find Mr. Wakefield,” urged Jerry. “There’s no time to
lose. Bob and I will see to your machine and you can start at once.”