arose from N

seemed to have a "wheedling" way about him, both the others had confessed, when it came to patching up the peace with a mutinous motor. He seemed just naturally t

. Perhaps he might even have thought of leaving Nat, and taking only Toby with him; but after the other h

ractory motor, Elmer looking into t

?" asked Nat, who was hovering over the one w

tty, Lil Artha on our side, and from what we know about the Fairfiel

boys," remarked Elmer,

demande

, for a fact!" l

ushes along the side of the road. How d'ye know he's given

tion, with one of his feet on a chair, and

d Nat. "Whatever in the wide world d

n bit by a mad do

One man used to hunt 'em just for the skins and the rattlesnake oil he got. Some people say it's

just sprained his ankle, I reckon, and is getting it bound up. T

angerous of the bun

an get it fixed? Gee, I hope so, because

e three minutes more, and I'll have it i

behind Elmer's back he doubled up his fist, showed it to Toby and the two conspirators grinned and

t promise. By the time the three minutes were

t; give the engine

explosions started off with a rush such as Nat had

es to tinkering with things. I bet you the old hip

ging to climb on, went along the road furiously, tho

ed the latter, a

y machine was now behaving. "Why, she answers to the least touch, and is as spry as a yo

g up the pace; but it's only grit tha

s feet after him when first the three on motorcycles discovered him, no sooner did he know

ar he was from home. He gave a shout upon hearing that the long-legged Hickory Ridge scout

st the chance to get in another little dig; but Red put his hand

walk back home again, i

red him bending down at a running stream where he had evidently been slaking

und. That clear water looked mighty enticing; and, besides, here was the last fellow whom they mig

e looked as if he had dipped it partly in the creek, for the dust

on slaked t

ho had made a pretty good bid for the prize, considering that

nty-nine miles out

overhaul 'em, though I don't give up yet awhile. That's all, ain

, Matty; though it looks as if Lil Artha would have to carry the c

d the other, as he started to put on his shoes, making a wry f

ts Lil Artha had a lead of some three mi

t to know?" demanded Matty, whose sharp eyes had read something in their manner th

he detestable scheme engineered by some of the rougher element among the Fairfield boys, looking to rendering Lil Artha ineli

ignation wa

d, between his set teeth. "If I wasn't a scout

freshed ourselves, let's be moving. This is probably the last stop we'll make up to the time we

as to how things stood. The leader of the Beaver Patrol had made such a brave fight of it, in that

ed sighs of relief when this fact became evident; for they had been having so much trouble of

along, passing the fifth station, which was the same Rockledge from whe

Toby, who, as usual, was making the leader a pacer for his own pr

rtha might make eight miles, and th

nd say he's made six, wouldn't

at that. Look out for Felix about this time. He

ged a whole lot, which I don't t

d his name and time of arrival. But on second thought he decided that it did not matter much anyway; since

slowest in the bunch, George and Angus McDowd, need not be ashamed, after having tramped over twenty miles since sunrise, without a

e, they believed that they must hav

being his way of signaling to his comr

ght indicate that Lil Artha had fallen back to secon

ed; "because he lacks half a foot of bein

ng, Elmer!" declar

you'll find," th

l?" Toby persisted, just as though the

n we last heard he was half an hour to the good. Then

dusk now, Elmer!" sang

you keep your machine in good temper, Nat, and ev

the Fairfield walk

ness, and the regular music that his machine was giving forth seemed especially pleasing to Nat. Why, he was that delighted he could not be

swered in a friendly way, Felix was not supposed to know anything about the mean plan on foot to

ut all right, or would they discover that he showed signs of weakening wh