Part 10 (1/2)

From this it may be seen that there was more than a little hero wors.h.i.+p mingled with Tom's love for Bert, and no wonder. Bert was the sort of fellow that everyone had to admire and like.

By this time the boys had begun to return with their bundles and boxes, and soon everything was safely stored in the tonneau, and the boys had time to wonder how they were going to get themselves in too, as the supplies seemed to take up about all the room.

Finally it was arranged that Jim and Dave should stay in the tonneau to see that nothing was shaken overboard, while Bob and Frank ranged themselves on the running board.

In this fas.h.i.+on they started, but it soon became evident to everybody that they would never be able to get back to camp before the storm broke, even with the help of the ”Red Scout.”

Thunder could be heard coming nearer and nearer, and soon they felt the first warm drops of rain. Bert wished then that they had a top to their car, but unfortunately the leather covering ordered by Mr. Hollis had not yet arrived at the camp.

”What do you think we'd better do, Bert; make a run for camp or hunt shelter around here?” asked Tom.

”Why, this road is pretty rough, and we can't make much speed,” replied Bert. ”I guess we'd better hunt cover right away,” as a vivid streak of lightning split the sky, followed by a crash of thunder.

”We noticed an old barn over toward the right when we were on a botany expedition the other day,” said Frank, ”and I think that if you swing into that dirt road we're coming to, it will lead us right to it.”

”Well, here goes,” said Bert, and swung the ”Red Scout” into the old road. Sure enough, before they had gone a quarter of a mile they sighted the old barn, and were soon snugly established in it. To be sure, the roof leaked in places, but it was fairly tight, and what did a bunch of hardy campers, in the pink of condition, care for a few drops of rain?

There was some hay left in the barn, and they lounged comfortably around on this, talking and listening to the rain, which by this time had increased to a downpour, and beat fiercely on the roof and sides of the old barn.

The boys started a discussion about the hill-climbing feat of the ”Red Scout,” and while all agreed that it had been a splendid performance, Bob seemed to be inclined to sneer at Bert's handling of the car. He firmly believed that he knew more about automobiles than Bert, and was sometimes a little jealous of the praise given him by the other boys.

”Oh, I don't know,” he finally remarked, when Tom remarked that some people seemed able to coax more out of a car than others, ”I don't see that that makes much difference. I'll bet that if I had been running the 'Red Scout' this morning it would have gone up that hill just the same.

Why, when I used to run my uncle's car----” but here he was interrupted by cries of derision, and Tom remarked:

”I suppose that if Bob had been running the 'Red Scout' he would have run it up the hill backwards so that it would think it was going downhill, and so got to the top without any trouble.”

This sally caused a general laugh at Bob's expense and he subsided, but was heard to mutter about ”getting the right mixture,” and ”easing her down to second speed,” which n.o.body but Bert understood, but which seemed to make him feel much better.

In justice to Bob, it must be said, however, that he did know quite a little about automobiles, but usually lacked nerve when it came to putting his knowledge into practice.

By this time the boys were all hungry, and as there seemed to be a small chance of the rain letting up for a while, Bert proposed that they have lunch. There was plenty of food in the automobile, and Bert started the boys to fis.h.i.+ng out crackers and jam.

Suddenly a thought struck him. ”Say, fellows,” he called, ”how about making some cornbread and having a real bang-up meal? We've got bacon and all the fixings here, and we all know how to cook, thanks to our experience as campers. I'll make the corn bread, and Tom here will fry the bacon.”

There was such a joyous and noisy consent to this plan that Bert could not help laughing. ”All right,” he cried, ”some of you fellows dive into the car and bring out the new frying pan and the Dutch oven we bought to-day. We'll build a fire on that slab of stone over there, and have something to eat in next to no time.”

This was no sooner said than done, and as the odor of frying bacon and hot ”corn pone” filled the old barn, the boys thanked their lucky stars for the thousandth time that they had come on this camping trip.

In a short time everything was ready, and they seated themselves near the fire. Tom dished out the sizzling bacon and steaming ”corn pone.”

Under the cheering influence of this feast even Bob Ward forgot his grudge of the morning, and when he shouted, ”What's the matter with Wilson?” the resulting ”He's all right!” almost lifted the roof off the old barn.

Soon they had finished and cleared away the meal, and when they opened the barn door were surprised and delighted to find that the sun had struggled through the clouds and was now s.h.i.+ning brightly. Quickly they packed the tonneau, and were soon ready to start.

”All right, fellows, get to your places,” sang out Bert, and soon they were chugging out of the old barn that had offered them such timely shelter.

Once outside and fairly on the disused road, however, it soon became apparent that only with great difficulty could they make any progress at all. The rain had converted the road into a quagmire, and although Bert brought the ”Red Scout” from third speed to second, and finally to first, he saw that they must soon stop altogether, and indeed this soon proved to be the case.

The faithful motor apparently had plenty of power, but the car sank into the mud up to its axles, and the rear wheels simply turned around without propelling it. Bert finally threw out the clutch and the ”Red Scout” stopped as though he had applied the brakes, so great was the opposition formed by the mud.