AT CLOSE QUARTERS
"Say, you dun let my hosses alone!" cried the colored man, in fright.
"Don't you dare to drive away until you have answered our questions,"
returned Dick, firmly.
"I--I don't want to git in no trouble, boss--'deed I don't!" wailed the
driver of the farm wagon.
"Well, you answer our questions, and tell us the strict truth."
"I--I didn't do nuffin, give you-all my word I didn't!"
"But you saw the auto, with the men and the girls in it?" cried Dick,
sharply.
"Ye-as, sah, I--I did, sah," was the stammered-out reply.
"Where did you see them?"
"Down in Snagtown, sah."
"What were the folks in the auto doing?"
"Da was a-waitin' fo' one of de men to fix up de wheel. De rubber on de
wheel dun got busted."
"I see. And what were the men in the auto, and the girls, doing?" went
on Dick, quickly.
"Say, boss, I don't want no trouble, 'deed I don't! I didn't do nuffin!
I jess looked at' em, dat's all. An' dat one man he said he'd mak me
suffer if I opened my mouf 'bout wot I saw," explained the aged colored
man, in a trembling voice. "I'se an honest, hard-workin' man, I is! I
works fo' Massah Sheldon fo' sixteen years now, an' he'll dun tole
yo'-all I'se honest, an----"
"All right, I believe you are honest," answered Dick, in a kindlier
tone. "But those men are rascals, and we want to catch them. They
carried those two girls off against their will."
"Dat's wot I was suspicioned of, boss, fo' de young ladies was a-cryin'
hard an' wanted to git out, an' de men wouldn't let 'em. I wanted to do
sumfing fo' 'em, but the men tole me go mind my own business, or git my
haid busted, so I drove on."
"How many men were there?"
"Three men, 'sides de man wot was a-mendin' de busted wheel."
"The doctor and Crabtree and Sobber!" murmured Tom.
"Or Koswell and Larkspur," added Sam.
"How far away from here is that place?" went on Dick.
"About a mile an' a half, sah. But the road am putty stony an' rough,
sah."
"Can a fellow ride horseback on those horses?"
"Yo' might, sah, if yo' had a saddle. But da ain't no saddle. Is yo'-all
thinkin' of goin'----"
"We'll take those horses," cut in Dick, shortly. "Now, don't worry,
we'll pay you well for using them, and see that they come back safely.
We have got to save those two girls, and we'll put those men in prison
if we can."
The old colored man was so amazed that he was all but bewildered. He did
not want to let the horses go, but the boys gave him no choice in the
matter. They unharnessed the steeds, and took the blankets on the wagon
seat for saddles.
"Sam, I guess Tom and I had better go on ahead," said Dick. "You can
follow on foot, if you want to, and you can come, too, if you wish," he
added, to the colored man.
"Say, ain't you afraid ob gitting shot, or sumfing like dat?" asked the
driver of the wagon.
"Maybe we can do a little shooting ourselves," answered Dick, grimly.
"Is yo'-all armed?"
"We are."
"Den I'll follow on foot, wid dis young gen'men," said the colored man.
He was afraid that if he did not follow he would not get the team back.
Once on horseback, Dick and Tom did not linger. Along the rough, hill
road they sped, urging the bony steeds along as best they could.
Fortunately there were no side trails to bewilder them.
"I hope we get there in time," remarked Tom, as they proceeded.
"So do I," answered Dick. "If they had a blow-out it may take that
chauffeur quite some time to put on a new inner tube and a shoe."
"If he had only busted his engine!" murmured Tom.
The way now became so rough that they had all they could do to keep on
the horses, and they wondered at the men in the automobile traveling
such a road.
"I suppose they came because it's so lonely," said Dick. "They knew
they'd be sure to meet more or less carriages and wagons on the
turnpike, and if the girls screamed they might be rescued."
At last they topped a hill and could see, on the top of the next hill, a
deserted house, the first of the deserted village of Snagtown. This made
them renew their efforts, and soon they were struggling up the hill
towards the house.
"Hark!" burst out Tom, suddenly. "What's that?"
"An engine!" exclaimed his brother. "They must have started up their
auto!"
"If that's the case, the wheel must be mended!"
"Yes! Come on, there is no time to lose!"
Past the deserted house they rode, and then around a turn where were
located several other houses and barns. Then they came in sight of the
deserted mill, down in a hollow by a stream. Further still was a bridge
and not far from this structure stood a big, enclosed touring car
painted dark blue!
"There it is! There's the auto!" cried Dick.
"And they are starting up!" added his brother. "Hi! stop! Stop, you
rascals!" he yelled.
The horses clattered through the lonely street of the deserted village
and the noise they made and the shouting, made those in the automobile
look back.
"Two men on horseback!" cried one of the men.
"The Rover boys, Dick and Tom!" exclaimed another. "Hurry up!"
"It's old Crabtree!" cried Dick, as he saw the head of that individual
thrust out of the touring car. "And Tad Sobber!" he added, as a
second head appeared.
[Illustration: JUST AS THE MACHINE REACHED THE OTHER SIDE, THE BRIDGE
WENT DOWN WITH A CRASH.--_Page_ 228.]
"Stop! stop, you rascals!" continued Tom. "Don't you dare to go another
step!"
"Save us! Save us!" came in girlish voices from the interior of the
touring car. "Oh, Dick! Oh, Tom! Save us!"
"Hurry up--start her up!" screamed Tad Sobber frantically, to the
chauffeur. "Put on all power!"
The driver was already in his seat and the motor was humming loudly. He
threw in the low gear, and off the touring car started slowly. After it
clattered Dick and Tom, still a hundred feet in the rear.
"Let me get out!" screamed Dora. "Oh, let me get out!"
"Yes! Yes!" pleaded Nellie. "Please let us get out!"
"Stop your noise and sit still!" commanded Josiah Crabtree. And he and
Sobber and the third fellow forced the two girls back on the seat.
Dick and Tom urged the horses forward with all speed. But before they
could reach the touring car, the chauffeur threw in second speed and
then quickly changed to high, and away the automobile rattled, over the
rickety bridge. The structure had not been built for such a weight,
and, just as the machine reached the other side, the bridge went down
with a crash.
"Look out!" yelled Dick, and the warning came none too soon, for both he
and Tom were almost on the bridge. They turned their horses just in
time, came to a sudden halt in some bushes, and stared blankly at each
other.
"Gone!" cried Tom, hollowly. "Oh, what luck!"
"Quick, your pistol, Tom!" cried Dick, suddenly.
"But the girls----" began the other.
"Don't shoot at the car, shoot at the tires," explained Dick. And then
he whipped out his own weapon, got into range, and began to blaze away.
Each of the boys fired three shots. One hit the back lamp of the
automobile, smashing the red glass, and another hit the differential
case and glanced off. But the wheels remained untouched, and in a few
seconds the big touring car was out of sight around a bend. The lads
heard a scream from the two girls, and then all that reached their
strained ears was the sound of the motor, growing fainter and fainter,
until it died out altogether.
Dick and Tom felt sick at heart. They had been so near to rescuing the
girls, and now they seemed as far off as ever! Each heaved a deep sigh.
"I suppose we can't follow them, with the bridge down," said Tom.
"We might ford the stream," said Dick. "But what would be the use of
trying to follow on horseback? They know we are after them and they will
put on all the speed possible."
"Well, what's to do next, Dick?"
"I don't know."
"I'm not going to sit still and do nothing."
"Neither am I, Tom. But what to do next I really don't know."