"Provided I don't meet that cow again," was the retort. "How about that rope?"

"I'll unfasten it for you just as soon as you are ready to start."

"I think I'd rather walk to the foot of the hill," remarked Mrs.

Ba.s.swood, timorously.

"Let us all walk down. I'll be glad of the exercise," cried Belle, who was tired of being cramped up in the tonneau of the automobile.

"Oh, but maybe that cow will get after us," exclaimed Jessie.

"Pooh! who's afraid of a cow!" cried the western girl, who had been brought up to face hundreds of animals on her father's ranch.

"Well, I think we had better let the automobiles go first, anyway,"

suggested Laura. "We don't want them to come along and run over us," she added, playfully.

Soon Ben and his chums were in the first of the touring-cars. Dave released the rope, and the automobile resumed the descent of the hill.

Then the towing-line was wound up and thrown into the tonneau of the second car, and that also resumed its journey.

Down at the foot of the long hill they met the cow and her owner, a tall, cadaverous-looking individual, who eyed our friends frowningly.

"I see you got your cow all right enough," remarked Ben.

"So I did, but I'd a mighty long run to stop her," growled the man.

"You put us in quite a hole; do you know that?" went on Ben.

"'Tain't none of my fault," replied the owner of the cow, quickly. "I have as much right on this road with my cow as you have with that there autymobile."

"Just the same, you had no right to let your cow keep to the middle of the road," cried Ben. "If we had had a worse accident we might have held you responsible."

"Huh! Hold me responsible, eh? Well ye wouldn't have got a cent out of me," said the owner of the cow, and then he pa.s.sed on up the hill once more, driving the animal before him. The cow was contentedly chewing her cud, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened to disturb her.

A quarter of a mile further on our friends came to a small stream spanned by rather a shaky-looking bridge, over which each machine was run with great care. On the other side of the stream they came to another fork of the road.

"Here's a signboard anyway!" cried Dave, whose car was now in advance.

"_'Rayville Four Miles._' We'll be there soon if this road holds out."

"I think you'll find the roads around Rayville all right," called Mr.

Ba.s.swood to him. "My friend told me that they were in good condition, especially those on the other side of the town."

A quarter of an hour later found the two touring-cars in the village where Mr. Ba.s.swood's friend resided. Here, as the gentleman had said, was located a fairly good hotel, where accommodations for the night could be had.

"Now, I'm going to go around and see my friends," said Mr. Ba.s.swood.

"Ben, you and your chums can stay here at the hotel. We'll be back before it's time to retire," and then he set off in the touring-car, taking his wife with him.

As the hotel at Rayville made a specialty of catering to automobile parties, our friends found the accommodations there both ample and satisfactory. After the hard run of the day, the girls and the boys were glad to rest awhile. Then they fixed up for dinner, which was served to them in a private dining-room, apart from the other patrons of the house. As might be expected, they had a good deal of fun, and Shadow was allowed to tell several of his stories, much to his own satisfaction if not to that of his listeners.

"By this time to-morrow night we ought to be at Bear Camp," said Dave, after they had finished dinner and gone out on the hotel veranda to watch what little was going on in the town.

"I guess it will be a good deal more lonely than it is here, Dave,"

observed Jessie.

"There will be too many of us to be lonely," he answered. "I'm looking forward to some splendid times."

"Oh, so am I, Dave, and I am sure the others hope to have good times, too."

It was about ten o'clock when Mr. and Mrs. Ba.s.swood came back to the hotel, having spent a very pleasant evening with their friends, who had wanted them to remain over night.

"I've got some news that I want to telegraph to Crumville," announced Ben's father, as he came in. "News that may interest Mr. Poole."

"What is that, Dad?" questioned his son, curiously.

"Why, Mr. Dobson spoke about a strange sort of man who called on him yesterday. He thought the man was out of his mind. He said the fellow asked for work first, but then said he didn't care whether he got a job or not, because he had to take the night express for Sumatra."

"A strange man who wanted to take the night express for Sumatra!"

exclaimed Dave. "It must have been 'The King of Sumatra'--Wilbur Poole!"

"Just exactly what I think, Dave," answered Mr. Ba.s.swood.

CHAPTER X

CAUGHT IN A STORM

"Did you ever know this Wilbur Poole, Dad?" questioned Ben.

"Yes, I met him years ago at Aaron Poole's home. But of course he was in his right mind then. Poor chap! I pity him very much."

"I think we all pity him," answered Dave. "n.o.body can be responsible after his mind breaks down."

"I feel sorry for Nat Poole and his folks," said Laura. "This will give them a great deal of trouble, not to mention the expense."

"If Wilbur Poole was anywhere around Rayville it might pay to start a hunt for him," suggested Roger.

"I don't think you'll find him anywhere around here," answered Mr.

Ba.s.swood. "But it won't hurt to take a look around, if you boys care to take a walk."

Ben's father went off to send his telegram to Aaron Poole, and all the boys set off on a hunt for the wild man. They covered the streets of the village and some of the roads on the outskirts, but without success.

They met three people who had talked to the strange individual, and from what had pa.s.sed Dave and his chums were sure that the man must have been Wilbur Poole.

"I guess we'll have to give it up," said Phil, when it was getting late.

"I'm tired out. And remember, fellows, we have a hard ride before us to-morrow if we expect to reach Carpen Falls in time to hit the trail for Bear Camp before it gets dark."

When the boys reached the hotel the girls were anxious to hear what they might have to tell.