"Wonder what it was?"

"We'll have to go and see!" cried Dave, and put on the power once more.

"That's right!" cried Dunston Porter: "Get down there as fast as you can, Dave. But be careful--we don't want to run into them, or have any accident of our own. There must be something wrong down there!"

CHAPTER IX

ON THE ROAD

"Perhaps they have gone off into some ditch!"

"Maybe they bounced off a rock and hit a tree!"

"A fellow could easily break a wheel on this rough road!"

"Oh, I hope none of them have been hurt!"

Such were some of the remarks that came from those in the tonneau of the touring-car, as Dave put on the power and started down the winding road which led to the bottom of the long hill.

"Better keep her in low gear, Dave," said Dunston Porter, as the car struck a rather steep incline. "The engine will help hold her back."

"I think I can hold her with the brakes, Uncle Dunston," answered the youth, who had already thrown off the power. He had the foot-brake well down, and now he threw in the emergency as well.

On and on slipped and slid the big touring-car, b.u.mping over a road which seemed to grow worse as they progressed. All of the lights were on full, and they were needed, for the road turned and twisted in such a fashion that but little could be seen ahead. In some places the highway seemed extra narrow, this being caused by the heavy trees and bushes lining both sides. At one point the water had caused quite a washout, and into this and out again they b.u.mped with such violence that all the girls shrieked in alarm.

"Some b.u.mp that!" was Roger's grim comment.

"O dear, I thought sure I'd be jounced out!" cried Jessie. "Dave, can't you go a little slower?"

"I'll try," returned the youth, and jammed down the foot-brake as hard as he could. For an instant the touring-car came almost to a standstill, but presently they slid onward again, coming a moment later to another bend.

"Look out! Don't run into us!" It was a yell from in front, and now Dave saw Luke Watson standing in the roadway, waving his handkerchief.

Down in the darkness beyond Dave made out the red, rear-light of the Ba.s.swood automobile. As the second touring-car came on Luke leaped to one side, but his warning had had its effect, and now Dave jammed on both brakes with all the force at his command, at the same time swerving slightly to the left. He just grazed a trunk strapped to the back of the first machine, and then came to a halt on a water-break a short distance beyond.

"Somebody get out and put a few stones under the wheels!" cried Dave, who could not leave his seat because of one foot on the brake.

"All right, we'll fix it!" cried his uncle, and leaped out, followed quickly by the boys in the tonneau of the car.

Loose stones were to be had in plenty, and soon the car wheels were well blocked. Then Dave was able to join those on the ground.

"Shall we get out?" asked Laura, anxiously.

"Suit yourselves," returned Dunston Porter, who was already moving in the direction of the other car.

The Wadsworth machine contained a hand flashlight, and getting possession of this, Dave and his chums hurried toward the other automobile. They had already seen at a glance that the Ba.s.swood touring-car had swung around to the side of the road, and that one front wheel was held fast between a large rock and a fair-sized tree.

Apparently the car was not hurt, and no one seemed to be injured.

"How did it happen, Ben?" sang out Dave, when he saw that the accident was not a serious one.

"Funniest thing you ever heard of," returned his chum. "You couldn't possibly guess it."

"Didn't you slip on the rocks?" queried Phil.

"It was a cow put us here," said Mr. Ba.s.swood, gravely. "Just a plain, every day, red cow." And in spite of the accident his eyes had a twinkle in them.

"A cow!" came from several of the others, in wonder.

"Yes, a cow!" answered Ben, and his tone showed his deep disgust. "I was going down the hill just as nicely as you please when along came a cow.

A man was driving her, and when he saw us coming he did his best to get the cow out of our way. But that mooly didn't budge from the middle of the road, so I had to turn to one side--and this is the consequence."

"But I am so thankful that no one was hurt," broke in Mrs. Ba.s.swood.

"Think of what might have happened if the car had turned over!" and she shuddered.

"But where is the cow?" questioned Roger.

"Oh, as soon as she had put us in this hole she turned tail and ran down the hill as fast as she could, and the man went after her," explained Mr. Ba.s.swood.

"I guess the man ran away because he was afraid we might hold him responsible for damages," remarked Shadow. "Say! this puts me in mind of a story," he added. "One time a cow got on the front piazza of a house, and----"

"For gracious sake, Shadow! I guess you'd want to tell stories at a funeral," burst out Ben. "Never mind your yarn now. Let us see if we can get this machine out from between this rock and that tree."

"You didn't break the steering-gear, did you?" asked Dave, anxiously, as he allowed the flashlight to play over and around the touring-car.

"I don't believe I hurt anything, Dave. But of course I can't be sure until I try to run the car," answered Ben. "What's worrying me is: How am I going to get out of this fix? I don't believe I can back out--in fact it wouldn't be safe."

"Looks to me as if we'd have to chop the tree down to get out of here,"

commented Luke, who had come back from where he had signaled the other car.

"I think I see a way of aiding you," said Dunston Porter, who was examining the rock that held the wheel to the tree. "I think if we dig under the edge of this rock, we can loosen it and roll it down the hill.

Then we'll be able to lift the front of the automobile around--that is if we can keep the machine from sliding down on us."

"We can easily fix that part of it," answered Dave. "All we've got to do is to take that towing-rope we brought along and fasten it to a tree and the back axle of the car."

"That's the talk, Dave!" cried his uncle. "Get the rope and make it fast at once."

While our hero and several of the other boys were adjusting the towing-line which had been brought along for emergencies, Dunston Porter and Mr. Ba.s.swood set to work to loosen the rock which held the wheel.

This was no easy task, but finally, with the aid of a hammer and a small crowbar, it was accomplished, and the rock slid down the roadway. Then the automobile began to start forward.

"Look out there!" cried one of the boys. "This line may not hold!"

"That will hold two cars like that," answered Dave. The rope strained and creaked, but did not break, and soon those in front of the car had the machine jacked around once more in a straight position, headed down the road.

"Now Ben, I guess you're all right again," said Dave.