Several miles were covered in silence, and then they came to a signboard. It told that the main road was closed, and that they must take to a side road--a highway that was fairly good, but much more lonely.
"I suppose we"ll get back to the main road before a great while," said Cora.
"I hope so," returned Bess. "This looks dreadfully lonely, doesn"t it?"
"Don"t think about it," came from her sister.
On they went, the way becoming wilder each instant. Yet the road itself was fairly smooth, so that it was not necessary to slacken the speed of the cars.
"Something really smells hot," said Hazel. "Could anything ignite?"
"Not exactly," replied Cora, "but we don"t want to get too hot. It makes trouble."
She slackened just a bit to make sure that Hazel"s anxiety had no foundation in fact, for, indeed, the big machine was using its engine and gas to the utmost capacity.
Just ahead the glare of the _Comet_ could be seen as it plunged into a deep turn in a deeper lined wood. Jack, in his _Get-There_, was after the first, and then the girls had difficulty even in getting a responding sound from the toots and the blasts which all were continually sounding.
"They are away ahead," said Bess. "I thought they had seen enough of getting too far away from us. How do we know but that we might meet the gypsies on this lonely road?"
"I wonder if it is late or early for motorists?" asked Cora of Hazel.
"We haven"t met a single party."
"Just happened so, I suppose," said Hazel. "Surely people out here must enjoy this sort of weather."
"Listen!"
Cora gave three sharp blasts on her horn, but no answer came. "The boys are getting too far ahead.
"I will have to accelerate----," she called.
She pressed down the pedal and bent over the wheel as if urging the machine to its utmost. Then there was jolt--a roar! a bang! Cora jammed on brakes.
"A shoe is gone!" she cried. "Exploded!"
Without the slightest warning a big tire overheated, had ripped clear off the front wheel, the inner tube exploded, and the car had almost gone into a ditch when Cora stopped it.
Bess had seen the trouble, and was able to halt her car far enough away to avoid a collision.
"Isn"t that dreadful!" cried Cora, her face as white as the tie at her throat. "It ripped off just from speed!"
"Can"t it be fixed?" asked Hazel, who now was out beside Cora.
"Oh, of course! but how and when? I have another shoe, but to get it on, and the boys, as usual, out of sight!"
She had pulled off her gloves and was looking at the split tire. It was marvelous that it should have come off so clean--simply peeled.
"And it"s five o"clock," said Belle, with her usual unfortunate way of saying something to make things worse.
"But it isn"t midnight," almost snapped Cora.
"Let"s try to call the boys," suggested Belle. "Aren"t they dreadful to get so far away?"
"Very rude," and Cora showed some sarcasm. "But the thing to do right now is not to wait for anybody, but to get to work. Bess, can you help me slip in a tube and put on a shoe?"
"I never have, but, of course, I"ll try," and she, too, pulled off her gloves.
Cora quickly opened up the tool box, got out the jack, and then she unbuckled the shoe that was fast at the side of the _Whirlwind_.
"I always thought folks carried them to ornament the cars," said Hazel, with an attempt at good nature, "but it seems that a cobbler is the thing we ought to carry for an ornament. We really don"t need him, but we do need new shoes."
"How long will it take?" asked Belle.
"There"s no telling," replied Cora. "It isn"t exactly like putting a belt on a sewing machine."
She handled the inner tube freely enough, and soon had it in the big rubber shoe, partly inflated.
"Easy as putting tape in a jelly bag," remarked Hazel.
"But we must get it on now and blow it up," said Cora. "Bess, get the pump."
The pump was gotten, after which, with much exertion, the shoe was on the rim, and then the blowing began. This was not so easily accomplished as had been the other parts of the mechanical operation.
First Bess pumped, then Belle tried it. Hazel was sure she could do it, for she often blew up Paul"s bicycle, but this tire would not blow full.
The girls were rapidly losing their complexions. Such strenuous efforts!
"Oh, that"s hard enough," declared Bess, trying to push her pretty fingers into the rubber.
"Yes," answered Cora, pressing on the tire, which sank with the pressure, "it"s about as hard as rice pudding!"
"How many pounds?" insisted Bess.
Cora looked at the gauge. "Sixty. I have got to have a full ninety for this car."
"Then I don"t see how we are going to get it!"
Cora did not heed the discouragement. She was pumping now, and the shoe was becoming rigid. "If I get it a little harder I"ll call it done!" she panted, "though we may ditch the car next time."
CHAPTER XIII
A DELAY AND A SCARE
It was an hour later when the boys came back. They had discovered the loss of the girls when they had gone so far ahead that it took some time to return. The race was too much for them. They were obliged to admit that, in its interest, they had forgotten the girls.
"If Miss Robbins had been along, I fancy Walter would not have become so engrossed in the race," said Belle maliciously.
"Well, Miss Robbins was not along," replied Walter, with equal meaning.