"Oh, we must stop!" screamed Dora, a moment later. "Look ahead!"
d.i.c.k did so, and his heart gave a leap of fear. Below them the stony road was narrow, and on one side was a rocky gully and on the other some thick bushes. In the roadway was a farmer with a large farm wagon filled with lime. Should they hit the turnout below somebody would surely be hurt and perhaps killed.
CHAPTER XIV
WHAT A ROMAN CANDLE DID
It was a time for quick action, and it was a lucky thing that d.i.c.k Rover had been in perilous positions before and knew enough not to lose his presence of mind. As the others in the automobile arose to leap out he called to them:
"Sit down! Don"t jump! I"ll look out for things!"
Then, even as he spoke, d.i.c.k turned the steering wheel and sent the big machine crashing into the bushes to one side of the roadway. He chose a spot that was comparatively level, and in five seconds they came to a halt just in front of half a dozen trees.
"We must take care of Tom"s machine!" cried Sam, and leaped over the back of the automobile. The machine had cut down the bushes, so the path was clear and he ran with might and main to the roadway. At the top of the hill was the second car, coming along at a good speed.
"Stop! stop!" he yelled, frantically, and waved his arms in the air.
Tom saw the movement and knew at once something was wrong. He threw off the power and applied the emergency brake and the automobile just pa.s.sed Sam and no more.
"What"s the matter?" came from everyone in the second car.
"That"s what"s the matter," answered Sam, pointing to the foot of the rocky hill. "That wagon--Well, I declare!"
The youngest Rover stared and well he might, for the farmer"s turnout with the load of lime had disappeared from view. The farmer had turned into a field at the bottom of the hill just as d.i.c.k turned his car into the bushes.
"I don"t see anything," said Nellie. And then Sam had to explain and point out the situation of the first car.
"I guess I can get down the hill well enough," said Tom. "But this appears to be a poor road. We ought to try to find something better."
All those in the second car got out and walked to that which was stalled in the bushes. They found d.i.c.k and Fred walking around the machine trying to learn if any damage had been done.
"We might have kept right on," said Sam, and explained why.
"Well, we are here, and now comes the problem of getting back on the road," said the eldest Rover. "I don"t think I can back very well in here."
"Better make a turn on the down grade," suggested Sam. "We can cut down some of the big bushes that are in the way, and fill up some of the holes with stones."
It was decided to do this, and all of the boys took off their coats and went to work. Soon they had a fairly clear path, and after backing away a few feet from the trees, d.i.c.k turned downward in a semi-circle, and got out once more on the road. This time he was mindful to use the brake with care, and consequently he gained the bottom of the stony hill without further mishap, and the second machine came after him.
"There is that farmer," said Songbird. "Why not ask him about the roads?"
"I will," said d.i.c.k, and stalked into the field.
"This ain"t no good road to Philadelphia," said the farmer, when questioned. "Better go back up the hill and take the road on the right."
"We can"t get back very well."
"Then you had better go along this road an" take the first turn to the left and after that the next turn to the right. You"ll have about three miles o" poor roads, but then you"ll be all right, but the distance to the city is six miles longer."
There was no help for it and they went on, over dirt roads which were anything but good. They had to go slowly, and Tom kept the second car far to the rear, to escape the thick dust sent up by the leading machine.
"This isn"t so fine," declared d.i.c.k, with a grimace at Dora. "I am sorry we took that false turn at the top of the hill."
"Oh, we"ll have to take the bitter with the sweet," answered the girl, lightly.
"I shan"t mind it if you don"t, Dora."
"Don"t worry, d.i.c.k, I am not minding it a bit. I am only glad we got rid of that intoxicated chauffeur. He might have gotten us into far more trouble than this."
Inside of an hour they found themselves on a good stone road and reached a signboard put up by the automobile a.s.sociation, telling the exact distance to Philadelphia. This set them at ease mentally, and they started off at a speed of twenty miles an hour. Tom wanted to "let her out," as he put it, but Nellie demurred and so he kept to the rear as before.
"But some day I am going to have a machine of my own," said he, "and it is going to do some speeding, I can tell you that."
"Yah, and der first dings you know, Dom, you vos ub a dree odder you sphlit a rock insides owid," warned Hans. "Ven I ride so fast like dot I valk, I pet you!"
It was dark long before the city was reached and they had to stop to light the lamps, and they also had to fix the batteries of the second car. Fred, who was getting hungry, suggested they stop somewhere for something to eat, but the girls demurred.
"Wait until the ride is ended," said Dora; "Then we can take our time over supper."
As night came on they saw fireworks displayed here and there and enjoyed the sights greatly.
"I"ve got some fireworks on the yacht," said Tom. "I reckon I"ll be rather late setting them off."
While they were yet three miles from the river they stopped at a drug store and there d.i.c.k telephoned to the owner of the machines, explaining matters, and asking the man to send down to the dock for the cars.
"He"s pretty angry," said d.i.c.k, as he leaped into the automobile again.
"He says we had no right to run off with the cars."
"Well, he had no right to send us off with those awful chauffeurs,"
answered Dora.
"Oh, I"m not afraid of anything he"ll do," answered d.i.c.k.
Nevertheless, he was a bit anxious as he reached the dock, and he lost no time in sending the girls to the yacht with Songbird, and he asked his chum to send Mr. Rover ash.o.r.e.
A minute later a light runabout spun up and a tall, thin man, with a sour face, leaped out and strode up to the two machines.
"Who hired these machines, I want to know?" he demanded.
"I did," answered d.i.c.k boldly. "Are you the manager of the garage?"
"I am, and I want to know by what right you"ve been running the cars without the regular drivers?"
"We wanted to get back to the city and the chauffeurs were in no condition to bring us back," put in Tom.