CHAPTER IX.
NEARING THE CRISIS.
A SUDDEN howl arose from Nat in the rear.
Both Elmer and Toby knew what it meant. The tricky wheel of Nat hadgiven signs of balking again, and they must make a stop in order to coaxit to be good. Elmer seemed to have a "wheedling" way about him, boththe others had confessed, when it came to patching up the peace with amutinous motor. He seemed just naturally to know how to go aboutsmoothing out difficulties in a way that told of his being a bornmechanic, although as yet he had found but few chances to show hisskill.
So Elmer, though not without considerable reluctance, threw up his handas a signal that he meant to stop. Perhaps he might even have thought ofleaving Nat, and taking only Toby with him; but after the other hadstuck it out so valiantly all this while, it hardly seemed fair toabandon him on such a slight pretext.
So they were soon busy over the refractory motor, Elmer looking into thetrouble with his customary skill.
"How many other fellows are there ahead of us?" asked Nat, who washovering over the one who worked, eager to lend a hand if called upon.
"Quite a bunch," replied Toby. "Let's see, there ought to be Red, Matty,Lil Artha on our side, and from what we know about the Fairfield crowdwe've still got to reckon with Henry Cobb and Felix Wagner."
"Just leave out Cobb, boys," remarked Elmer, as he worked rapidly.
"Why?" demanded Toby.
"Oh, he's all in, for a fact!" laughed the other.
"But say, we didn't pass Cobb; unless he was lying in the bushes alongthe side of the road. How d'ye know he's given up the fight, Elmer?"questioned Toby, bent on finding out.
"I saw him sitting in that number four station, with one of his feet ona chair, and being bound up," replied the scout leader.
"Shucks, you don't say so!" exclaimed Nat. "Whatever in the wide worlddo you think can have happened to him?"
"Perhaps he's been bit by a mad dog!" suggested Toby.
"Might a' been a rattlesnake; I've heard tell about lots of the crittersbeing found up this way. One man used to hunt 'em just for the skins andthe rattlesnake oil he got. Some people say it's mighty fine forrheumatism; and athletes use it a heap. Say, Elmer, what d'ye think?"Nat went on.
"Oh, nothing like all that stuff," chuckled the other. "Henry has justsprained his ankle, I reckon, and is getting it bound up. Thateliminates all the Fairfield contestants but one--Felix Wagner."
"And him the most dangerous of the bunch!" muttered Toby.
"How does it come on, Elmer; think you can get it fixed? Gee, I hope so,because I'd sure hate to drop out now!" said Nat.
"It's going to be all right; just give me three minutes more, and I'llhave it in shape for a long run," came the reply.
"Oh, that sounds good to me!" declared Nat; "because I do want to be inat the finish"; and secretly behind Elmer's back he doubled up his fist,showed it to Toby and the two conspirators grinned and nodded, as thoughthey had their minds fully made up as to what they meant to do if thechance opened.
Elmer knew what he was saying when he made that promise. By the time thethree minutes were up he handed the motorcycle over to its owner.
"There you are, Nat; give the engine a tryout," he said.
And as the other did so, with the result that the explosions started offwith a rush such as Nat had not been acquainted with of late, he gave ashout.
"Runs bully, Elmer, you're just a wiz, when it comes to tinkering withthings. I bet you the old hippo runs like a scared dog now. Here goes,fellows!"
He jumped for the saddle, almost missed it, and managing to climb on,went along the road furiously, though quickly slackening his speed asElmer called out.
"How is it?" asked the latter, as he overtook Nat.
"Just oh be joyful, that's what!" answered Nat, who seemed tickled atthe way his rackety machine was now behaving. "Why, she answers to theleast touch, and is as spry as a young colt. I'm almost afraid she'lltake a sudden notion to run away with me yet, Elmer."
"There's Red, boys! He's still hitting up the pace; but it's only gritthat carries him on now!" observed Elmer.
Red had always been known as the possessor of a stubborn will. Althoughhe was dragging his feet after him when first the three on motorcyclesdiscovered him, no sooner did he know of their coming than he braced upwonderfully and pretended to be as fresh as in the start.
Again were a few sentences exchanged as they drew past. But Red did notdeign to ask how far he was from home. He gave a shout upon hearing thatthe long-legged Hickory Ridge scout was said to be well in the lead; asthough his one thought was to have his troop win out.
"Ambulance be along later, Red!" shouted Nat, who could not resist thechance to get in another little dig; but Red put his hands up to hismouth to serve as a megaphone as he yelled after them:
"Not for me; I'm able to walk back home again, if I want to,understand!"
Now they kept a lookout for Matty, who could not be far beyond. Theydiscovered him bending down at a running stream where he had evidentlybeen slaking his thirst, and perhaps bathing his tired feet, for hisshoes were both off.
Again did Elmer give the "high sign," and the others took heed. Thethree riders jumped to the ground. That clear water looked mightyenticing; and, besides, here was the last fellow whom they might expectto overtake, save Felix and Lil Artha; and a wide gap was believed toexist between them.
"Come on in, fellows, the water's fine," laughed Matty, whose facelooked as if he had dipped it partly in the creek, for the dust waswashed in streaks; but his smile was just as genial as ever.
The trio soon slaked their thirst.
"Where are we at?" demanded the leader of the Beaver Patrol, who hadmade a pretty good bid for the prize, considering that he was not giftedwith such long legs as the two fellows ahead.
"I think about twenty-nine miles out," Elmer returned.
"And with just two fellows ahead; but I've got a poor chance to overhaul'em, though I don't give up yet awhile. That's all, ain't it, Elmer,Lil Artha and that muscular Dutchman, Felix Wagner?"
"That's all," nodded Elmer. "Glad to find you so filled with pluck,Matty; though it looks as if Lil Artha would have to carry the colors ofHickory Ridge troop to the scout master of Little Falls."
"How does the game stand; is Felix overhauling our chum?" asked theother, as he started to put on his shoes, making a wry face while doingso, as if his feet might be more or less sore.
"Not that we know of; for at last accounts Lil Artha had a lead of somethree miles, and was going strong," Elmer replied.
"Then what in the mischief do you fellows look so serious about, that'swhat I want to know?" demanded Matty, whose sharp eyes had readsomething in their manner that told him everything was not as serene asoutward conditions would seem to imply.
"Listen, then, and I'll try to tell you as quickly as I can." And sayingthis, Elmer started to relate how word had come of the detestable schemeengineered by some of the rougher element among the Fairfield boys,looking to rendering Lil Artha ineligible as a contestant, by eithercoaxing him to ride in their auto, or if he persistently declined,forcing him into doing so.
Matty's indignation was immediate.
"What a lot of scoundrels they are!" he declared, between his set teeth."If I wasn't a scout right now, d'ye know what I'd say they deserved?"
"Well, never mind," laughed Elmer; "don't commit yourself, Matty. Andnow, boys, since we've refreshed ourselves, let's be moving. This isprobably the last stop we'll make up to the time we overhaul our chumwho is so gallantly carrying our colors to victory. Come along, both ofyou."
Elmer had thought they could spare the few minutes needed to get adrink, and give Matty some hints as to how things stood. The leader ofthe Beaver Patrol had made such a brave fight of it, in that he hadcovered nearly thirty miles of territory since morning, that really hedeserved to be told.
Fortunately both of the older machines started in decent order.Doubtless Toby and Nat breathed sighs of r
elief when this fact becameevident; for they had been having so much trouble of late that theydistrusted the working capacity of the worn-out motors to rise to anoccasion.
But everything seemed going along smoothly, and once more the three spedalong, passing the fifth station, which was the same Rockledge fromwhence the news had come concerning Lil Artha some two hours and morebefore.
"How far d'ye think he could have gone in two hours, Elmer?" asked Toby,who, as usual, was making the leader a pacer for his own progress, as hehung dangerously close at the rear of Elmer's machine.
"Well, if he was fairly fresh Lil Artha might make eight miles, andthink little of it," replied the other.
"But he must be tired by now, and say he's made six, wouldn't that aboutfill the bill, Elmer?"
"We'll call it six, just for fun, and let it go at that. Look out forFelix about this time. He ought to still be half an hour behind theleader."
"Unless the conditions have changed a whole lot, which I don't think hashappened," Toby called.
Elmer had even considered dropping off while passing through Rockledge,just to find out when Felix entered his name and time of arrival. But onsecond thought he decided that it did not matter much anyway; since itwas not the persistent work of Felix that bothered them half so much aswhat the plotters meant to do.
Thirty-two miles' walk was something worth while for boys who had nevermade any pretense of being skilled pedestrians; and even the slowest inthe bunch, George and Angus McDowd, need not be ashamed, after havingtramped over twenty miles since sunrise, without any previous experienceand no preparation, such as old walkers of the Weston and O'Leary typepractice before starting on a long hike.
A short time after leaving Rockledge, they believed that they must havereached the thirty-five-mile stage.
Elmer gave his horn a little toot, that being his way of signaling tohis comrades that he had sighted something ahead.
"Is it Felix?" asked Toby, fearful lest the reply might indicate thatLil Artha had fallen back to second in the race, and the sturdy Dutchmanbeat him out.
"It isn't our chum, anyhow," Elmer answered; "because he lacks half afoot of being as tall. Yes, it must be Felix Wagner."
"He's walking strong, Elmer!" declared Toby, anxiously.
"So is Lil Artha, you'll find," the other flung back.
"Do you think he can be far ahead still?" Toby persisted, just as thoughthe boy in the lead could tell everything.
"I reckon he's holding his own," answered Elmer. "When we last heard hewas half an hour to the good. Then we'll likely run across him a fewmiles farther on."
"Say, it ain't far from dusk now, Elmer!" sang out Nat from the rear.
"Oh, we know that easy enough," called Toby. "Just you keep your machinein good temper, Nat, and everything'll be lovely, with the goose hanginghigh."
So they flew past the Fairfield walker in rapid style.
After that little exchange of opinions the trio relapsed into silencefor a brief time. The motors kept humming away as though out forbusiness, and the regular music that his machine was giving forth seemedespecially pleasing to Nat. Why, he was that delighted he could not bearto hush matters in the least by using the muffler! Who cared for thenoise anyway; this was no crowded town for the police to interfere.
And now Elmer began to grow anxious. Felix had waved his hand to them inpassing, and they had answered in a friendly way, Felix was not supposedto know anything about the mean plan on foot to further his interests atthe expense of the one whose fine work entitled him thus far to thelead.
How would they find Lil Artha? Was the pride of the khaki troop holdingout all right, or would they discover that he showed signs of weakeningwhen that sturdy and persistent Dutchman in the rear would soon pass himby?