CHAPTER XVI
AN UNWILLING PILOT
Frank Allen felt a sudden thrill shoot through his entire bodywhen the gruff command to change his course was growled into hisear.
He had not been at all inclined to look upon these two travelersin a favorable light; but this was the first intimation hereceived that they might be even worse than they appeared.
Of course he made no immediate reply. In fact, he was still dazedby this puzzling turn in the strange little adventure. He hadbelieved that in helping the luckless victims of the accident hewas furthering his own interests, in that he would reach home longbefore his chums. Now it began to look as though he had jumpedfrom the frying pan into the fire.
He tried to collect his thoughts and reason out the case. Whyshould these men so seriously object to returning to the town ofColumbia? Had they been guilty of doing something unlawful thatmade the place dangerous to them?
Once before Frank had become mixed up with a clique of men forwhom Chief of Police Hogg had warrants. He remembered thecircumstance clearly, and wondered whether history could be aboutto repeat itself again.
And then, why should the mention of Doctor Shadduck's name affectthem both in that strange fashion? Did they know the foremostphysician of Columbia, a man of considerable property interests,and said to be the wealthiest man in the county?
"The car!"
Frank came near exclaiming these words aloud, so abruptly did theyform in his mind! Now he remembered why the automobile had somehowseemed familiar to him, and why Bones had shown such interest init.
"Bones thought it was an exact duplicate of the new machine hisfather bought last week; but I believe it's the doctor's own car!These men have stolen it for some reason or other," Frank wasthinking, even while he stared ahead at the white road over whichthey were moving at a fair rate of speed.
His pulses throbbed with the excitement, even more than whenClifford threatened Columbia's ten-yard line with an irresistibleforward rush that morning. Hearing the men talking behind him hestrained his ears to try and catch a few words, in the hope thathe might discover what it all meant.
"It's all your fault, Bart," grumbled the injured fellow.
"I don't see how you make that out, Jim?" replied the other,gloomily.
"I wanted to turn and head for Fayette, but you said the otherroad was best," the heavier fellow went on.
"I think so yet, but who'd expect that we'd have such a wreck? Itell you, man, we're mighty lucky to come out of it as well as wedid," said the other.
"That's easy for you to say, but my arm feels tough. I reckonshe's broke sure enough. That means delay and trouble, just whenthings looked so bright. It's a shame, that's what. Sure we didn'tlose it in the accident, are you, Bart?"
The lighter man seemed to again feel down at his feet.
"I tell you it's there safe and sound. Given four hours, and we'llbe where they ain't going to find us. Keep up your nerve, Jim.Luck's still with us, I know," he went on.
"Is it? Well, I'm beginning to suspect there's been a turn in thetide. When the machine took the bit in her mouth and slammed us upagainst that tree, it looked to me like we had run into badweather. But we must be near that road, Bart!"
"Reckon it's just ahead now; I remember that big tree we passedcomin' out," replied the uninjured one of the precious pair.
"All right. Don't let the kid get past. Seems to me he's someslippery. I seen his face somewhere before," grunted the sufferer.
"Course you did. He was the feller that captained them boys thismorning in the game we watched while waitin' for our chance," saidthe other.
"He was, hey? Well, you want to keep your eye on that boy, then,mark me. They told me some high-colored yarns about him at theinn."
Frank was not in the least elated over hearing himself praised. Intruth, just then he was wrestling with the puzzling problempresented by his strange situation.
What "chance" did the man called Bart refer to? Who were thesemysterious men, and what did they have in the bottom of thetonneau that seemed so precious in the eyes of the fellow who wasbadly hurt? He could, for the time being, forget his severeinjuries to make inquiries concerning this package, hence it mustbe of considerable value.
Were they thieves? If this was indeed the new machine belonging toBones' father, it looked suspicious, to say the least.
What could he do? They wanted him to take them somewhere, and ina hurry, too; were they in full flight, desirous of getting to acertain place before the pursuit became too fierce?
If Frank shivered while considering these momentous things, itcould hardly be wondered at. The situation was one to giveconcern to the bravest man, and, after all, he was but a boy,though possessed of more than the average courage for one of hisyears.
"There's the road on the left, kid!" suddenly exclaimed Bart.
"I see it, sir," replied the young pilot of the damaged car,trying to keep his voice as steady as possible, in the hope thatthe two men might not suspect that he had guessed their secret.
"Be sure and turn in; and be careful not to upset us," continuedthe other.
"Yes," said the wounded fellow, quickly, "one accident is more'nenough for me, to-night. Hey, that's a good sweep around,youngster; I see as you know your business all right. Now, are weheadin' straight for Fayette?"
"Yes, sir," replied Frank, readily.
"How far is that away from Columbia?"
"Twelve miles, about, sir, as the road goes," answered the newchauffeur.
"We strike the railroad at Fayette, don't we?" continued Bart,eagerly.
"There is one there, but not the same that comes to Columbia," andwhen he said that Frank was certain that one of the men chuckled;it must have been Bart, for the wounded fellow was in no mood formerriment, what with his groans and grunts that signified pain.
"That's right. And we're glad to hear it. Wouldn't give a cent fora chance to ride back to your slow old town. New York's goodenough for us, hey, Jim."
"It sure is, if I ever live to get there. Wish there happened tobe a doctor on this here road somewhere," said the secondtraveler.
"What for?" asked his comrade, quickly. "I'd get him to take alook at this arm, that's what."
"Huh! dangerous business, Jim. Don't you think of it 'less it'sjust positively necessary. Delays might cost us dear. There'sgoing to be a big hello when our old friend gets out of thatsleep."
Frank realized that the men were apparently getting to that pointwhere they cared little how much he knew. They evidently meant tomake such use of him as seemed necessary. Once he thought that itmight be a good thing if he pretended to lose control of the car,just as Jim had evidently done. Then he changed his mind, and fortwo very good reasons.
In the first place, there was always the risk of being hurthimself in the consequent collision with a tree. Frank could notforget that his duty was to keep himself in good condition, solong as his school looked to him to lead his team to victory inthe triangular series of football contests. Then, again, heseemed to feel that it would be cowardly to desert the post intowhich a strange accident had thrust him.
Better stick it out until something cropped up whereby he couldmake at least a try to defeat the purposes of these two rogues. Hehad heard enough to want to know more. Probably they would notseek to injure him so long as he made no positive move towardinterfering with their game, whatever that might be.
They were talking again. Once more he strained for hearing in thehope of picking up further clues that would enlighten him withregard to their aims.
"It's the safest way, Bart. If they can't get word to Fayettetill mornin', we can give 'em the laugh. You've just _got_to do it," said the wounded man, with a degree of force thatmarked him as the head of the expedition.
"All right, if you say so, Jim. I'd a done it up the other road,if you hadn't banged us into that tree. Say when," replied theother, who was moving about as though doing something.
Frank managed to take a swift look over his sh
oulder. It onlypuzzled him the more, for Jim seemed to be fastening somethingabout the lower part of his legs. What could he want leggings for?And what could it be that Jim insisted he should do?
"I know of a doctor about two miles further on here," Frank said,thinking that it might delay matters some if they concluded tostop over; at least give him a chance to either escape, or renderthe machine useless for further flight.
"You do, eh? Well, tell us when we get there, and p'raps I mightmake up my mind to hold over a bit. Are you ready, Bart?" said theheavier man.
"Yes. As well here as anywhere," came the reply.
"Bring her to a stop, kid; here, alongside this telegraph pole.That's good. Now, Bart, do it!"
Frank felt more than curious to know what the men had in mind. Assoon as the car came to a stand the lighter man, who had not beenhurt in the accident, jumped rather clumsily from the tonneau.Frank noticed this with surprise, for up to now he had looked uponthe other as rather agile. Could he have been injured after all,and was just beginning to feel the effect of his headlong plungeinto the bushes?
Judge of his utter amazement when he saw Bart at once seize holdof the nearby telegraph pole and begin to climb up with a seriesof sturdy kicks that apparently glued each foot in succession tothe pole. Frank no longer wondered, for he knew that the man hadbeen strapping a pair of lineman's climbing spurs to his legs whenbending down in the tonneau of the stolen car!
Boys of Columbia High on the Gridiron : or, the Struggle for the Silver Cup Page 16