CHAPTER XIII
THE CHASE ON THE MOTOR-BIKE
The boys felt the importance of their commission as they rode away fromthe camp on the motorcycle. They had no difficulty picking up the trackof the autocar. It ran directly to the village and on through.
"Let's find out what the old car looks like," suggested Apple. "Maybe,too, they can tell us just how long ago it passed."
There was no difficulty in getting a description of the car--oneenthusiastic person even went so far as to detail all the variousarticles advertised by J. Jervice for sale.
"How many people were riding?" asked Apple.
"A little man at the steering wheel and a big fellow perched up next tohim."
"Didn't you see a boy on it?"
"No boy anywhere unless he was inside. Of course we couldn't tell aboutinside. It's jest like a wagon in a circus parade--nice paint on theoutside an' the inside left to yore 'magination."
"Two men on the wagon--one a big fellow!" exclaimed Apple, as they leftthe fount of information. "We'll have to be pretty careful what we do."
"Sure will," agreed Chick-chick. "They got over an hour's start, sowe'll have to go some--Hello, have they been stopping here?"
"Looks like it. There's marks that show a man got off the car."
"The big man," said Chick-chick. "Look where the tracks are headed,Apple. He's gone back to the village. Didn't get back on car at all.Good for us."
Chick-chick had correctly guessed. After J. Jervice and his car weresafely through the village the big man had alighted.
"I'm goin' back to lie aroun' an' meet the other fellows," he said toJervice. "You beat it along with your car. You can stop an' do a littletradin' when ye get to the next county. That'll prove you wasn'tanywheer around if anythink should happen to-night. But be sure you gitrid of the kid an' start back so's to git here by midnight."
Apple and Chick-chick took up the trail with renewed confidence now thatthey felt they had only Jervice to reckon with. They had seen him atthe scout camp last Sunday and had no great respect for his dimensionsor prowess.
It was late in the afternoon when first they saw the peddler's car inthe road ahead.
"Let's trail along kind o' slow and watch him awhile," suggested Apple."Maybe he'll be stopping somewhere."
As it happened this guess was well founded. Mr. J. Jervice had tworeasons for stopping. One was that he wanted himself to be seen a good,long distance away from the bank, so that he could prove that he was fardistant from that region if any robbery occurred. The other was anatural cupidity which sorely regretted the necessity of hurriedlypassing prosperous farm houses where perfectly good money was all readyto exchange for his wares.
A mile further on a splendid house came into view. Everything about itspelled prosperity--its barns, and silos and windmills and fences allshowed that the residents believed in having what they needed and hadmoney to spend on their needs. The bait was irresistible. Mr. Jervicestopped his car at the side of the road, clambered down from his seatand went to lift the bars from the rear door.
Two boys on a motorcycle ditched their wheel a hundred yards away andcrept cautiously up.
"He's going to the house to try to sell something," whispered Apple. "Wemust keep him from locking those back doors so we can look inside."
"We sure will," vowed Chick-chick.
Crouching in the bushes at the side of the road their pulses throbbed ingreat excitement as they observed that the peddler addressed some oneinside the car. His tone was low so they did not catch the words, butthey heard a mumble and saw his cruel laugh.
"We'll teach him to laugh," whispered Chick-chick.
"But supposing he shuts and locks that rear door before he goes up tothe house."
"That's up to us. We'll watch him. If he locks it we must catch him ashe goes through that orchard and get the key away."
They watched in great anxiety. Mr. Jervice closed the rear doors of hisvan and put the heavy bars in their slots, but, secure in the isolationof his surroundings, he did not apply the padlock. Wherein, Mr. Jervicecommitted a grievous error.
Scarcely was he concealed within the orchard than the two scouts rushedto the car, lifted the bar and swung back the door. There lay their newcomrade, helplessly trussed and gagged, faint and weary with the closeconfinement, almost ready to collapse.
"Water!" he gasped, as Apple took the gag from his mouth. "Get me adrink."
Apple was able to supply him from his canteen, and even as he held it tothe parched lips, Chick-chick was slashing the cords that had been drawnneedlessly tight.
"I think I can manage this little old machine, I can," announcedChick-chick. "Apple, you can run my bike. Go back and get it."
"Rub my wrists where the cords cut, while he's gone," Glen begged. "Thatfellow that tied me up--he's a thief, that's what he is. He pulled 'emtighter just to see me wince."
He was too cramped to stand on his feet so Chick-chick kneeled down athis side to rub some circulation into his wrists and ankles. Suddenly agreat noise of running was heard. Chick-chick looked out through thecrack of the door.
"It's the peddler," he declared. "He's running like a bull was chasinghim, he is. He's headed straight for the car."
"We'll give him a surprise," said Glen. "Probably he's run on tosomebody who knows that he's a thief and they're after him. I'll justlie the way I was and you stand where the door will hide you."
Glen missed his guess in one important trifle. J. Jervice did not waitto be surprised. He was in such terror that he waited for nothing. Hethrew a pack in at the door, slammed it, dropped the bar in place withthe incredible swiftness of long practice and in less than a minute hadhis motor cranked and the car in motion.
Coming up on the motorcycle a minute later Apple saw the cardisappearing around a turn in the road, and wildly chasing it a puffing,panting old man, brandishing a heavy club.
The positions of the scouts were changed for the better, but they yetwere a long distance from freedom. Instead of Glen tied and gagged inthe car with Chick-chick and Apple following on the motorcycle, Applenow was following alone, while, imprisoned in the car, were both Glenand Chick-chick with the fortunate difference that the gag and bondswere removed.
"We're shut in," whispered Chick-chick. "Pretty mess I made of rescue, Idid."
"No mess at all," said Glen. "I'm free now and ready for anything, orshall be when I get some circulation in my feet and hands. Can't movetill then, anyway. What d'ye s'pose Apple's doing?"
"Following us along, Apple is, you bet. When he gets a chance he'll helpus out, he will. Say, what's loose board here?"
"I don't know," replied Glen. "It's got a ring in it like it might beintended to be lifted up."
"Bet I know," said Chick-chick. "I reckon the transmission case is justbelow here, an' this is fixed to lift out so you can see transmissionwithout crawling underneath."
"It wouldn't make a big enough hole to let us out, would it?" askedGlen.
"No, it wouldn't. But if I can get to that transmission I can stopcar--won't run little bit."
"Could you start it again?"
"Depend on what I did to gears."
"Let's try it."
The board came up easily. Four bolts held the lid of the transmissioncase but were readily removed with Chick-chick's pocket wrench.
"Now we'll pack in something soft. Clog up the gears without breaking'em."
"What good will that do--except make him mad."
"Help us out--it will. He isn't enough mechanic to find out why can'trun. Off he goes town after help. Leaves us here do as we please. Weknow where trouble is. Fix it. Off we go."
There was plenty of soft material to feed into the transmission case.The car pulled unsteadily and stopped. The boys cautiously replaced theboard in the floor and awaited developments. They could hear J. Jervicetinkering around, examining brakes and wheels and everything but thetransmission.
"Hey, you!" he called after a few minutes. "You inside there! D
'ye hearme?"
Then as it probably occurred to him that he could expect no greatvolubility from a gagged prisoner he continued:
"I've broke down an' I'm goin' to git help. When I bring a mechanic backdon't ye try makin' no racket or it'll be the worse for ye."
The first positive assurance that he had gone was when Apple came up onthe motorcycle, lifted the bar and opened the doors. It did not takethem long to scramble out.
The world looked very beautiful to the eyes of Glen Mason after hishours of real peril and imprisonment. It was fine to be able once moreto stretch out and shake loose every little muscle, to be able to drawin a long breath, just as deep as one wanted, free from the muffling ofa foul mouth gag. The world was a good old place in which to live andsurely Glen would henceforth try to live in it in an appreciable manner.
"Look here, fellows," said Chick-chick. "I know all about this oldwagon. I can make it go ramblin' right along; handle it so it'sperfectly tame an' gentle--take the bit nice an' stand 'thout hitchin'.What d 'ye say? Do we make the horsey go for Mr. Jervice?"
"You mean run away with it?" asked Apple. "That wouldn't be right, wouldit?"
"You don't know much 'bout this gang, Apple. Brick's been telling me.He's found out about 'em, Brick has. Regular band o' thieves, they are."
"Thieves!" exclaimed Apple. "No wonder they acted mean."
"No wonder. Wonder is they did no worse, it is. They think they're goingrob Buffalo Center bank to-night. We'll show 'em, we will."
"Would taking their car away stop them?"
"It would be apt to hinder," said Glen. "I think Jervice carries theirkit in his wagon and they depend on him to get their stuff hauledaway."
"Take away their little old wagon sure will bother 'em."
"What would you do with it?"
"Turn it round. Run back to Buffalo Center and give sheriff."
"All right," agreed Apple. "You'll have to get busy if you want to getit back before dark. I suppose I'll have to ride the motor-bike."
"Reckon you're elected, Apple. Brick can't ride it, an' I can't run more'n one at a time."
"Well, I'll not get far ahead of you. I'll keep you in sight, anyway."
The Boy Scout Treasure Hunters; Or, The Lost Treasure of Buffalo Hollow Page 13