CHAPTER XIX.
THEY FIND THE HOUSE BUT LOSE A CAP.
As soon as the farmer disappeared, the boys started off once more,taking the left-hand road. After riding five or six miles, theyentered a thick woods and about a half a mile farther on they came toa bridge, leading over a small, shallow stream. This bridge had beennewly repaired as they could see that the plank flooring had been butlittle used.
"By jimminy, but I believe we're getting warm now," cried Bob, as hestopped his wheel on the bridge. "See where the road leads downthrough the brook there?"
"Yes," replied Jack leaning over the rail. "They must have crossedthat way while the bridge was being fixed. But what of it?"
"Just this of it. I remember that just a few minutes after we turnedinto the main road that night, the machine suddenly stopped and thenturned down a very rough, steep place just like this, and after goinga few feet, came back into the road again, and I'll bet my cap thatthis is the place. Funny I didn't think of it before, for this bridgebrought it to my mind. They hadn't taken the blindfold off then, so,of course, I couldn't see anything, but, this is the place sure asguns, and that road can't be more than a mile off."
"Well, come on," urged Jack, impatiently, as he mounted his wheel,"we'll soon find it if you're right."
They rode on slowly, closely watching the right-hand side of the roadand had not gone quite a mile when Jack's keen eyes spied a slightbreak in the thick trees.
"Hurrah!" he called, "here's something that looks promising"; and thenas Bob came up, "there's your woods road and there's your gully."
"I believe you're right, now what had we better do?"
"How far do you think the house is from the road?"
"Not more than a third of a mile I should say. Now I don't think we'dbetter take the wheels in there, because the road is so rough that ifwe should have to make a quick getaway, we could go much fasterwithout them."
"Then let's hide them in the bushes and hoof it," proposed Jack.
"I kinder hate to leave them, but I guess it's the best way out. Comeon."
They led the motorcycles along the woods road for perhaps a dozenyards and then turned off into the thick wood to the left, and afterpushing along about two rods, Bob suddenly said:
"There's just the place, right by that birch tree. The bushes in frontthere are so thick that no one can see them."
Pushing on they carefully hid them there and then turned back to theroad.
"I don't think we'd better follow the road," advised Bob, "for wemight meet some one. Let's go parallel to it, but through the woods alittle to the left." This they did and had gone about a quarter of amile when Jack whispered:
"Say Bob, do you know we left the caps on the wheels?"
"Gracious, that's so; think we'd better go back and get them?"
"Oh, I guess they'll be all right; we must be most there now. Let'srisk it."
So they pushed on, and had gone but a little farther, when Bob,peering through the trees, saw an opening in the woods, and a momentlater a low two-story log house, standing on the farther edge, wasvisible. Jack was a few feet behind and, placing his finger on hislips, Bob motioned him to come on.
"That the place, sure as guns," he whispered, "Right out in fronthere is where I had that fight with Reed."
"Guess you're right, but I don't see any signs of life there, do you?"
"No, but we'll camp down here a while and watch."
Bob had hardly spoken, when they heard a low growl a little to theirleft.
"Goodness, there's a dog," whispered Jack, and the next moment a hugemastiff, similar to the one they had seen with the farmer, sprangtoward them.
"Quick, Bob, your pistol," gasped Jack.
The boys always carried water pistols, loaded with strong ammoniawater, when they went off on their motorcycles, and now they were tostand them in good stead. As Jack spoke, he jumped back, reaching forhis pistol, which he carried in his back pocket, but before he couldget it out the dog was upon him. Quickly thrusting forward his leftarm, the dog caught him by the elbow, but the stout canvas, of whichtheir jackets were made, prevented the sharp teeth from going through.By this time, Bob had his pistol out, and stepping forward, he shotthe contents fairly into the face of the enraged beast. He let go hishold and with a loud yelp of pain, sprang backward, and began wildlyclawing the dirt and leaves.
"Did he bite you, Jack?" asked Bob anxiously.
"Nope, nary a bite, you were too quick for him. But I think we'dbetter hike out of here. If there's anybody in that house, they musthave heard that howl, and will likely investigate."
"That's right, you know we promised mother not to run any risks; comeon."
Hastily they began to retrace their steps, but as there were no signsof pursuit, they soon slowed up a little.
"Don't believe there was a soul there," panted Jack, "but we found thehouse and that's one good job done anyhow, and I guess we'd better becontent with that for today, but I would have liked to take a peep inthat house."
By this time, they were in sight of the tree where they had left thewheels, but, when they hurried forward to drag them out, to theirgreat consternation, no wheels were there.
"Jerusalem!" gasped Bob, "they're gone!"
"Well, what do you know about that?" echoed Jack. "If this isn't apretty kettle of fish! Are you sure this was the place?"
"'Course it is. Here's the big birch tree and you can see where thebushes are trampled down. Oh, if we'd only taken those caps with us!But come on, we mustn't stand here doing nothing. We've got to getthose wheels back, and let's hurry out to the road and see if we cansee anything of them."
As they hurried along, Bob continued, "If King or Reed spotted us Iguess it's all up, but it may be that some country lout saw us leave'em there and has swiped 'em. If that's the case, we may get 'emback."
"We'll do our best anyhow," panted Jack, as they raced along.
They soon reached the main road, and quickly looked both ways, butnothing of the wheels was to be seen.
For a moment the two boys looked at each other in helpless despair,then Jack, casting his eyes on the ground, said:
"Here, quick, Bob, see here's their tracks."
Sure enough, in the dusty road the tracks of two wheels, leading inthe direction from which they had come, were plainly visible.
"See, here's our tracks on this side of the road and there's theothers," and a second later he added, "There's only one fellow; seewhere he walked between 'em."
"Right you are, Sherlock," shouted Bob, "come on now, on the run."
They set off at a rapid pace, their hopes away up. They ran nearly twomiles, both being in good training, before they saw any one, then asthey rounded a turn, they saw the object of their pursuit, walkingrapidly about two hundred yards ahead of them, between the two wheels.
"Come on now as fast as you can leg it," said Bob, "Let's get as nearhim as we can before he sees us."
They were within two hundred feet of the thief, when he turned and sawthem.
"Hey, you, drop those wheels!" shouted Jack.
The man hesitated a minute and then dropped the wheels on the roadand, springing to one side, started off across a field at the top ofhis speed. In another minute they had reached the wheels, and with acry of joy, Jack grabbed his up saying:
"Guess we're in luck again." But the next moment his spirits weredashed, when Bob suddenly cried:
"Look, Jack, he's taken one of my caps." Then, before Jack couldspeak, he said: "You look out for this wheel, I'm going after thatchap."
The man by this time was some distance away and running as fast as hecould go, but Bob remembered that a little farther along a roadbranched off to the left, and hoping to cut him off, he jumped onJack's wheel and fairly flew down the road in a cloud of dust. Comingto the branch road he turned and had ridden but a short distance whenhe saw the man climbing a fence, beside the road, just a little ahead.So quietly did the wheel run that Bob was nearly upon him before hewas aware
of his presence. He was a tall fellow, about twenty yearsold, dressed in overalls. Seeing that Bob was alone, he made nofurther attempt to escape, but stood in the middle of the roadpanting, as Bob came up.
Stopping the wheel and jumping off, he demanded:
"See here, what do you mean by taking our wheels?"
"Huh, don't yer wish yer knew? What yer going ter do about it anyhow?"he asked with a sneer.
"Well," replied Bob slowly, "you've taken a cap off one of themachines and if you give it to me at once, there'll be no trouble, butif you don't, why I'll just naturally have to take it away from you,sonny."
The tall youth laughed loudly, then stepping closer to Bob, shook hisfist in his face, saying:
"I'm not saying I got the cap, but, if you think I have, mebby you'dbetter pitch in right now 'fore you forgit it."
Bob knew that the country youth was much stronger than he, as he wasall of thirty pounds heavier, but he had taken several lessons inwrestling and boxing, and also was familiar with a number of the holdsof the Japanese which had been taught him by a Jap friend. Hetherefore felt confident of his ability to handle the country boy,unless he had a similar training, which he doubted.
"Won't give it to me then?" asked Bob.
"Give yer nothing," the farmer boy started to answer, but before hehad time to finish, Bob had made a rush and grabbed him round thewaist.
"Easy now or you'll be apt to get hurt," he said, as he clasped hisarms round Bob's shoulders.
This was exactly what Bob wanted, and giving a sudden twist to hisbody, he exerted all his strength, and threw the fellow fairly overhis head. He came down with a heavy thud and was probably moresurprised than he had ever been before in his life. He was not hurt,however, and quickly jumping to his feet, he made a wild rush for Bob,shouting:
"I'll fix you for that, you blamed dude."
He was more careful this time, however, and for two or three minutesthey sparred, neither being able to strike a decisive blow. Bob foundthat the fellow was by no means ignorant of the art of boxing, as hesoon got a blow on the nose, which made it bleed freely, but as one ofhis opponent's eyes were closed, he felt that he was at least holdinghis own.
"Blame yer, I'll get yer now," and the fellow aimed a powerful blow atBob's head. If he had landed, his words would undoubtedly have cometrue, but Bob jumped nimbly to one side, and the country boy nearlyfell forward from the impetus of his blow. Bob saw his chance, andquickly jumping forward, he grabbed him round the neck and, gettinghis knee in the small of his back, he pulled his head backward, atrick he had learned from the Jap.
"Gosh amighty, yer breaking my neck," gasped the fellow, nowabsolutely helpless, and the more he struggled, the more Bob's griphurt.
Bob knew that he had him at his mercy, and freeing one arm, while heheld him tightly with the other, he reached into the pocket of hisoveralls, and to his joy, pulled out the stolen cap. But his troubleswere not yet over, for just then he heard the sound of rapidlyapproaching steps, and turning, he saw the farmer, who had questionedthem that noon coming towards them on the run and only about onehundred feet away.