CHAPTER XVIII
MATCHING WITS
"After him, Bart! We mustn't let him get away!" exclaimed thestout man, as he hurriedly climbed out of the tonneau of theautomobile.
"Not me! I ain't hankering after a cold bath just now," answeredhis companion, who had jumped out on the other side, and wasrunning around.
"Run down to the bank and get hold of him, if you can!" continuedJim, harshly.
This seemed at least reasonable, and Bart had no objections totrying to do something along such lines.
"Don't see anything of him here!" he announced a minute later, ashe appeared below, and ran along the bank of the stream.
The moon had gone behind a cloud, as though wishing to favor theescape of the unwilling chauffeur.
"Hang the luck! Well, come up here then, and we'll put off. P'rapsI might manage with my other arm. We can't hang around here, withtime flying. The town's close by. Hurry up, Bart!"
But when Bart reached his side, he found the other breathing outthreatenings in a fashion that denoted a new difficulty.
"What's wrong now?" asked the slim man, who was panting from hisexertions.
"That clever little scamp has dished us, that's what; carried awaythe spark plugs of the machine with him, and without them we mightas well try to move this bridge. I was a fool to trust him onesecond. We've just got to find him, Bart, that's all there is toit! Either that, or walk into Fayette, and perhaps lose thattrain. Come on back again. You take one side, and I'll look overthe other. He's there, sure, unless he got drowned, and that Idon't imagine is the case."
Bart was fully awake to the great necessity of finding the boy,after hearing what Frank had done as he jumped from the car. Eachof them hurried around the approach of the bridge, and slippeddown the bank.
"Any sign of him over there, Jim," called Bart, as he pushed hisway into the bushes and reeds that bordered the creek.
"Don't see none yet, but keep on further down. Like as not as hejust drifted with the current a bit, and then crawled out. Gethim, if you find his tracks, I feel like I could do something tohim for playin' this trick on us. Hello!"
"What's doing, boss?" called the other.
"Here's where he crawled out, all right," replied Jim, excitedly.
"How d'ye know it is?" demanded the other, across the water of thecreek.
"It's all wet. I'll follow it up, and nab him in a dozen winks. Hecan't have got far away, I reckon."
"What d'ye want me to do, Jim?" called his companion, after await.
"Go back to the bridge, and cross over here."
"All right. Keep right after him. The moon's going to come outagain right soon. If you see him, give him a shot to make himstop!" and shouting in this vein, Bart turned to retrace his stepsback to the bridge.
He was somewhat out of wind by the time he had half mounted theabrupt bank that served as the base for one end of the bridge. Allat once he heard a sound that electrified him. It was the crankingof the car!
"Hi, Jim! here he is! Come back! He's going to leave us in ahole! Head him off up the road there! Hurry, Jim, hurry!"
The climbing man could hardly finish shouting, so short was he ofbreath; but perhaps it may have been the absolute necessity forprompt action that forced him to continue the balance of the sheerascent.
The answering cries of his companion welled up from somewhere downalong the side of the stream, and the crash of his plungingfootsteps could be heard as an evidence that he understood thedanger menacing them.
As Bart pulled himself up alongside the approach to the bridge hesaw a boyish figure spring into the fore part of the damaged car.Then came a series of quick pulsations that announced the fact ofthe machine working, as if nothing had ever been the matter.
"He's going off with it, Jim! Stop him! He's carrying our stuffwith him! Head him off! Puncture a tire for him! Give him a shot,Jim!" howled to the thoroughly demoralized Bart, starting tostagger after the retreating automobile himself, with his handsextended, as though he would fain seize hold upon it.
"Good-bye, fellows; your cake is dough!" shouted the one whosprawled in the front seat of the car and guided its destinies.
Frank had purposely thrown on considerable power in making hisstart, for he knew what if ever there was need of haste it wasright then and there. Jim was running ahead there, with theintention of cutting him off, and little though he had seen ofthe gentleman, he felt that he had no desire to prolong theacquaintance further.
Now the friendly moon could no longer hold back behind thatfloating black cloud, and with her first appearance Frank turnedan anxious face toward the spot where a violent agitation in thebrush announced the presence of the running Jim.
"Hold up there, boy! Put on the brake, or I'll----" but the restwas unheard, for Frank had dropped as low as he could in the frontof the car, though still keeping his hands on that guiding wheel.
He heard the sharp discharge of a weapon, thrice repeated. Hisheart seemed to come up almost in his throat, for this thing ofbeing under fire was a new experience for the young athlete.Perhaps the man had tried to simply puncture the tire, althoughthis would in the end delay their departure. Frank never knew thetruth in connection with the firing.
Then, in another second or two, he realized that he had passedbeyond the zone of danger, with a clear road ahead of him!
"Hurrah!"
He could not help giving vent to his delight in this one shout.Just half a mile further on another road branched off from the onehe was flying over. He remembered that by a circuitous way itwould eventually take him to Columbia, passing through first thevillage of Stagers, and then a larger place known as Plattville.
His pulses were bounding with triumph as he let the car out notchby notch. Why, after all, the smash could have done no seriousdamage to the machine. What was fifteen miles when in such asplendid traveler as this new auto of the good doctor's?
He made the turn, and presently dashed into the first village.Here he stopped at a tavern long enough to make an examination, toascertain whether his supply of gasoline might be sufficient tocarry him home. He also wished to impress the fact of his havingbeen there upon the hotel keeper. In case anyone tried to cast anydoubts upon his story, it might be well to have evidence that hehad visited Stagers that night.
And during his brief stop Frank took occasion to look at theobject lying in the bottom of the tonneau, and which had seemed tobe especially valuable in the eyes of the two unprincipled men.
It was a common variety of grip, made of some good leather. He didnot bother opening the same, thinking that possibly DoctorShadduck might be better qualified than himself for that task, buthe placed it at his feet in front.
Once again Frank was on the move. He really hoped that nothingwould interfere with his reaching Columbia safely, now thatfortune had been so kind.
The road was not the best possible for a machine, and often he hadto slow up rather than take unnecessary chances for an accident.
Whenever he thought of the pair of rascals left behind, helaughed. He felt that he could afford to loosen up a little aftersuch a strenuous time. But in his wet condition he found rapidtraveling rather unpleasant. True, he had borrowed a heavy coatfrom the hotel man, to whom he had explained the case in a fewsentences; but in spite of this protection, he soon began toshiver.
This compelled him to reduce speed still more. When he reachedPlattville the road would be better, and besides, he might find achance to get a drink of warm coffee or tea, if the eating-housewere open at such an hour.
Cheered by this thought, he set his teeth together, resolved tostick it out to the end. But Frank was not apt to forget that ridein a hurry.
It was now a quarter to ten. He found this out by striking a matchand looking at his watch, the moon having retired once more behindthe clouds. But Frank was under the impression that he must beclose to the town now.
"I believe I remember that windmill on the left, and the big watertank on the hill. Yes, Plattville must l
ie down there in thevalley. Now to slip along the down grade. Just seven miles fromhome; but I wish I was there now," he was saying, as he passedover the crest of the elevation.
Yes, there were many lights in sight, and how they cheered him,after his lonely ride along the wretched road from Stagers. Hefelt like shouting again, so buoyant had his feelings become. Whatwould Bones say when he learned the truth; and doubtless DoctorShadduck would be pleased at getting his new car back, damaged asit was.
So Frank, running downhill, crossed a bridge, and came into thetown of Plattville. On ordinary nights, doubtless, the place wouldbe quiet enough at this hour; but Saturday was different. Quite anumber of persons were on the main street, and cast curiousglances at the lone traveler who had entered the town.
Straight to the leading hotel Frank went. He had been here before,and even taken a dinner once upon a time, when his club came overto play the Plattville boys.
A small-sized crowd stood around the door of the bar room. Frankcould see that there seemed to be some signs of excitement, thoughhe did not suspect that it could have anything to do with him.
Hardly had he brought the car to a stop when some of the mencrowded around, and one of them shouted out:
"Hi! sheriff, here's the identical car you was readin' to us aboutin that ere dispatch from Columbia. And here's one of the thievescome right in to give hisself up! Surround the machine, boys;don't let the feller escape; and look out, for they do say he's adesprit case! come out here, Sheriff Tucker!"
Boys of Columbia High on the Gridiron : or, the Struggle for the Silver Cup Page 18