Part 38 (2/2)

”I give it up,” said Tom. ”The authorities will have to rebuild it, I guess.”

”n.o.budy ain't gwine to do dat, boss. Kase why? Kase dis road was built fo' de mill an' de people wot lived heah. Now de mill ain't runnin' an'

de people moved away, da ain't much use fo' the road, an' n.o.buddy ain't gwine to put up de bridge--an' Ike Henry, dat's me, has got to tote things 'round by de udder road after dis!” he added ruefully.

”Well, we can't bother about the bridge,” replied d.i.c.k. ”The authorities can fight it out with those fellows who are running the auto.”

”But the shots?” queried Sam. He had dropped on a flat rock to rest.

”We tried to hit the tires--but we failed,” explained Tom. ”The auto was moving too fast, and the trees and bushes were in the way. Besides, we didn't want to hit the girls.”

d.i.c.k and Tom walked down to the stream. It was not very deep and they concluded that they could easily get to the other side, by leaping from one bit of wreckage to another,--thus keeping from getting wet,--for at that season of the year the water was decidedly cold.

”Let us go over and climb to the top of the next hill,” said d.i.c.k. ”We may be able to see which direction the auto takes.”

The others were willing, and telling the colored man to wait a while for them, and promising him good pay, they climbed over the sunken bridge to the other sh.o.r.e of the stream. Then they raced along the rocky road, around a bend, and up a steep hill that all but winded them.

”I see the machine!” cried Tom, who was the first to top the rise.

”Look!” And he pointed with his hand, down in the valley that lay stretched out before them like a map in the gathering darkness.

At a great distance, moving at a fair rate of speed, was the enclosed touring car containing Dora and Nellie and their abductors. It was headed for a distant main road, lined here and there with farmhouses and outbuildings. Presently it turned into this mainroad, and started westward, at an increased rate of speed.

”My, see them streak along!” murmured Sam.

”They are evidently going to put as much distance as they can between themselves and us,” returned Tom.

”Say, do you see any telephone wires?” asked d.i.c.k, anxiously.

”Not a wire,” came from his brothers, after a long look for lines and poles.

”Neither do I. I guess they haven't any connections at those farmhouses, so it will be useless to walk there.”

”But what shall we do, d.i.c.k?” asked Tom, impatiently. ”We can't sit still and do nothing!”

”We'll go back to the _Dartaway_ and fly after them.”

”But the wind----” began Sam.

”It has gone down a little, I think, Sam. And anyway, we've got to take a chance--it's the only thing left. If you don't want to go----”

”d.i.c.k, stop right there! If you go I'll go,” cried the youngest Rover, firmly. ”I'm as much interested in this as anybody, even though Grace isn't there,” he added, with a show of color in his round cheeks.

But little more was said just then. The three boys ran down the hill to the stream and crawled back over the wreckage.

”I guess those horses can carry the lot of us,” said d.i.c.k; and so it was arranged, d.i.c.k and Sam getting on the back of one steed and Tom and Ike Henry on the other. The boys asked the colored man about telephone connections, but he could give them little information excepting to state that his employer had no such convenience.

<script>