"It's too bad," said Jessie, soberly. "I am glad it is not one of my relatives who is roaming around like that."

Both Dunston Porter and Mr. Ba.s.swood had suggested an early start on the following morning, so the entire party were downstairs and to breakfast by seven o'clock. In the meantime the two automobiles had been overhauled, and provided with oil and gasoline, as well as with water.

"I've got rather a bad cut on one of the rear wheels," said Ben.

"Perhaps I had better change the shoe before we start."

"Oh, take a chance on it!" cried Luke. "I think you'll get through all right enough."

"Perhaps Luke; but if I don't, that blow-out will cost me a fine inner tube. However, I'll take the chance. Get in everybody, and we'll be off!"

As Mr. Ba.s.swood's friend had said, the road leading from Rayville northwestward was in fine shape, and they were able to cover the next thirty miles at a fair rate of speed. But then they got in among the hills, and here the road became as winding and dangerous as ever.

Not knowing much about the stopping-places ahead, the grown folks had had the hotel people put up a substantial lunch for the tourists, packed in two hampers.

"It will be jolly fun camping out this noon," said Laura. "It ought to just suit you, Belle."

"It certainly will!" was the answer from the western girl. "I'd rather eat in the open than in the stuffy dining-room of a hotel any time."

"There may be one drawback to having lunch outdoors," said Phil. "It looks like rain."

"Phil, if you say rain again I'll throw you out of the car!" cried Roger.

"I must admit it does look a little like rain," said Laura, casting her eyes skyward. "That's an awfully black cloud over yonder. O dear, rain would spoil it all! I do hope it holds off!"

Dave had been running the car, but now his uncle insisted upon taking the wheel. Then Roger climbed over onto the front seat, giving the one he had been occupying beside Jessie to our hero. They were in the lead, with the Ba.s.swood turnout not far behind.

"This is more like," said Dave, in a low tone to Jessie.

"Oh, well, I suppose you had to do your share in running the car, Dave,"

she replied, giving him a bright look.

"I don't believe Uncle Dunston cares as much for driving as he pretends," went on the youth. "Behind it all, he is a good deal like Belle--he prefers to be on horseback. He was brought up to it."

"He has certainly been a great traveler, Dave."

"Yes, indeed! And I would like to be just like him. I'd love to travel."

"And where would you go if you had the chance?"

"I don't know. Maybe around the world," and Dave's eyes lit up as he spoke.

"Around the world! And would you go all alone?"

"All alone? Not if I could get anybody to go along with me! Wouldn't you like to take a trip like that, Jessie?" and he gazed at her fondly.

"Oh, Dave!"

"Well, it would be a great trip for both of us; wouldn't it?"

"Dave, don't be silly," and Jessie blushed deeply. "We are not going around the world yet, we are going to Bear Camp, and that's plenty far enough."

"Yes, I know, Jessie. But you see"--and Dave lowered his voice--"I want to make sure that when I go you'll go with me. It will then be the finest trip that ever anybody----"

Bang! It was a report like that from a small cannon, and came from close beside them. Jessie gave a scream, and so did Laura and Mrs. Ba.s.swood, while cries of wonder and alarm came from the boys. The Ba.s.swood car had come up alongside of the other automobile, and just at that instant the tire which Ben had said was cut blew out, sending a shower of dirt and stones in all directions. Mr. Ba.s.swood, who was at the wheel, brought the car to a quick stop, and Mr. Porter also halted.

"Well, it went, just as I thought it might," remarked Ben, grimly.

"Too bad!" returned Luke. "I reckon it was my fault. I should have let you put on that other shoe before we started."

"It's n.o.body's fault!" cried Mr. Ba.s.swood, quickly. "Now then, boys, we'll see how soon we can get another shoe on."

Many hands made the labor of jacking up the car and changing the tire a light one. Fortunately the automobile was equipped with a pump attached to the engine, so that blowing up the tire by hand was unnecessary.

"This is only a little exercise to get up an appet.i.te for that lunch,"

remarked Dave, gaily. "We want to do full justice to the stuff in the hamper."

"As if there was ever anything the matter with your appet.i.te!" cried Phil, dryly.

"Why Philip, my son, you know I never eat more than a bird!" retorted Dave, with a twinkle in his eye.

"Humph! A bird, eh? I guess you must mean an ostrich," retorted the shipowner's son, and at this sally there was a general laugh in which even Dave joined.

"Just eleven o'clock," remarked Luke, consulting his watch. "When do we stop for that lunch?"

"At twelve o'clock precisely," answered Mrs. Ba.s.swood. "That is, of course, if we happen to be in the right kind of a place. We don't want to stop just anywhere."

"Might eat the lunch while we were running," suggested Roger. "It would make it last so much longer."

"Wow! What a joke!" cried Phil.

"Say, that puts me in mind of a story!" burst out Shadow. "A fellow named William took his best girl for a trip by train to another town, and on the way they went into the dining-car for lunch. He said afterwards that it was the longest lunch he had ever eaten, and as the girl had ordered nearly everything on the bill of fare it was also the longest bill he had ever paid."

"A long bill but a short story, Shadow!" cried Luke.

"I'd like to know one thing, Shadow," observed Dave. "Was it William who paid the bill or was it Bill who had to put up several Williams to pay for it?"

"Good gracious, Dave! What are you talking about?" queried his sister, with a puzzled look on her face.

"Oh, that's easy, Laura," answered Roger. "William--Bill, Bill--William.

Don't you see the joke?"

"Yes, of course! How thick I am!" returned the girl, quickly.

Soon they were once more on the way. They had a long hill to ascend, the road winding in and out among the trees and around the rocks. It was a hard pull, and several times they had to change to second gear and even to low.

"O my, what a beautiful view!" cried Belle, when the top of the hill was gained. And in her excitement she stood straight up in the automobile to look around her.

"It certainly is beautiful," returned Jessie. "One can see for miles and miles in every direction!"