CHAPTER XI
THOSE DREADFUL BOYS
"No BOYS, eh?" shouted Ed from his "perch" in the hay.
"Aren't they dreadful?" exclaimed Daisy with doubtful sincerity.
"Hope mother doesn't hear of it," replied Maud. "She would be sure toworry."
Cora laughed, and Bess fairly panted. Belle tossed something into thehay wagon as it passed--it made a practice of passing each machine inturn, and then doing it all over again.
Every one in Chelton and the near-by places rushed out as theprocession went along. It was like a circus--many folks really didbelieve that a "railroad show" had come to town unannounced.
The girls had planned to have dinner at a pretty little tea-house onthe outskirts of Hollyville. But the boys had no intention of turningback, it seemed, and imagine those boys in the tea-house, kept by acouple of enterprising college girls!
"Hey there!" called Jack. "When do we eat? There's the noon whistles."
"Yon don't eat," replied Cora.
"Don't, eh? Well, look out for your commissary department," answeredJack. "We came prepared to fight."
"Oh," sighed Daisy, "do you suppose they will spoil all our boxes?"
"I'm sure I don't know," replied the noncommital Maud.
But Hazel said: "What do you suppose they are up to?"
"Trust them for fun," answered Cora. "I will simply trounce Jack if heattempts to overhaul our stores."
Hazel laughed merrily. "If only Paul were along," she ventured. "And,Cora, do you know that mailbag business is not by any means settled?"she asked.
"I know that, girlie," said Cora with polite seriousness, "but alltroubles are tabooed on this ride, you know. Gertrude," to the girlwho had been looking and listening, "I appoint you monitor of this car.The first girl to bring in troubles is to be fined."
"Very well," replied Gertrude, "I shall be glad to have something todo. I feel like a stranger with those boys."
"That's because you do not know them," ventured Ray. "They areperfectly splendid boys."
"Make a note of that," called Cora. "Gertrude, that is one mark infavor of Ray."
The procession was winding along a pretty country road. Trees closedin from side to side, and deep gutters outlined the driveway from thefootpath.
The boys had actually ceased their antics for the time, and it occurredto more than one girl that this respite might have been moreadvantageous if it had been put into operation in the city streets--thedecorum was wasted in the woods. But boys have a queer reasoningcode--where girls are concerned.
"Don't you suppose they will turn back before we reach the Glen?"called Bess to Cora. Their machines were running quite close together.
"If they don't leave us we will drive past the teahouse, and come backlater," said Cora.
"But what will the college girls think? They will be sure to have anice lunch ready."
"When Tillie sees Ed Foster she will cease to think. She knows Ed,"and Cora laughed significantly.
"Oh, look!" shouted Hazel. "A flock of sheep. And directly in thetrack. The boys--"
At that moment every one saw the sheep. The hay wagon made a spurt anddashed straight through the frightened herd, scattering them right andleft, like feathers blown by the wind.
Daisy and Maud came next. They had time to jam down the brakes, but itwould have been wiser to have dashed through the flock without loss oftime, for an angry ram turned as the car slacked speed, and when Daisyand Maud saw him jump toward them, they also jumped out into thegutter, deserting their car.
A big, woolly ram leaped up from the midst of the flock, and actuallylanded in the runaway automobile. The improvised hay wagon was quicklysteered to one side, just as Daisy's car, with the horned beast at thewheel, plunged past.
The machine, in charge of the queer mechanician, plunged straightahead, and after a moment's hesitation on the part of their drivers,the other cars were quickly sent after it.
The boys shouted lustily. As if the frightened and angry ram cared forthe harmony of a college quartet. Wasn't it ridiculous to see the rampositively driving the car?
By some strange instinct the animal had raised its fore legs to the rimof the steering wheel, standing upright on his hind ones, which werejamming the brake and clutch pedals.
"Oh!" screamed the girls in a chorus. "There comes a runabout! He'llcollide with it!"
A runabout, coming in the opposite direction, and headed straight forthe ram, could be seen down the road. The driver was a girl, that wasevident, but she was so muffled in hood, veil and cloak that herfeatures were not discernible.
"Stop it!" screamed Gertrude. "She'll be killed."
The ram evidently saw the other car coming, and tried to leap out, butits fore feet had gone through the spaces between the spokes of thesteering wheel. The girl in the runabout was sending her car from sideto side, in a frantic endeavor to avoid a collision. It seemed to be achoice with her, whether she should smash into the ram's car, or tiltinto the roadside ditch.
Suddenly the girl stood up. The eyes of the motor girls and their boycompanions were on her. She gave a scream, and then--somethinghappened. From the rear cars came a scream. Then--the Breeze wasstopped--the ram was gone, and the runabout was ditched.
Where and who was the unfortunate driver?