Part 22 (2/2)
[Ill.u.s.tration: FRANK HAD SUDDENLY PLUNGED OVER THE SIDE OF THE BRIDGE.]
CHAPTER XVIII
MATCHING WITS
”After him, Bart! We mustn't let him get away!” exclaimed the stout man, as he hurriedly climbed out of the tonneau of the automobile.
”Not me! I ain't hankering after a cold bath just now,” answered his companion, who had jumped out on the other side, and was running around.
”Run down to the bank and get hold of him, if you can!” continued Jim, harshly.
This seemed at least reasonable, and Bart had no objections to trying to do something along such lines.
”Don't see anything of him here!” he announced a minute later, as he appeared below, and ran along the bank of the stream.
The moon had gone behind a cloud, as though wis.h.i.+ng to favor the escape of the unwilling chauffeur.
”Hang the luck! Well, come up here then, and we'll put off. P'raps I might manage with my other arm. We can't hang around here, with time flying. The town's close by. Hurry up, Bart!”
But when Bart reached his side, he found the other breathing out threatenings in a fas.h.i.+on that denoted a new difficulty.
”What's wrong now?” asked the slim man, who was panting from his exertions.
”That clever little scamp has dished us, that's what; carried away the spark plugs of the machine with him, and without them we might as well try to move this bridge. I was a fool to trust him one second. We've just got to find him, Bart, that's all there is to it! Either that, or walk into Fayette, and perhaps lose that train. Come on back again. You take one side, and I'll look over the other. He's there, sure, unless he got drowned, and that I don't imagine is the case.”
Bart was fully awake to the great necessity of finding the boy, after hearing what Frank had done as he jumped from the car. Each of them hurried around the approach of the bridge, and slipped down the bank.
”Any sign of him over there, Jim,” called Bart, as he pushed his way into the bushes and reeds that bordered the creek.
”Don't see none yet, but keep on further down. Like as not as he just drifted with the current a bit, and then crawled out. Get him, if you find his tracks, I feel like I could do something to him for playin' this trick on us. h.e.l.lo!”
”What's doing, boss?” called the other.
”Here's where he crawled out, all right,” replied Jim, excitedly.
”How d'ye know it is?” demanded the other, across the water of the creek.
”It's all wet. I'll follow it up, and nab him in a dozen winks. He can't have got far away, I reckon.”
”What d'ye want me to do, Jim?” called his companion, after a wait.
”Go back to the bridge, and cross over here.”
”All right. Keep right after him. The moon's going to come out again right soon. If you see him, give him a shot to make him stop!” and shouting in this vein, Bart turned to retrace his steps back to the bridge.
He was somewhat out of wind by the time he had half mounted the abrupt bank that served as the base for one end of the bridge. All at once he heard a sound that electrified him. It was the cranking of the car!
<script>