“Listen,” said Thad, impressively. “I’ll stop the car the very second they come in sight. The chances are they’ll have the road blocked in some way, so as to prevent our getting past. Then when I give the word everybody get out in a hurry, and meet their rush with the liveliest business you know how.”
“He didn’t say how many there were in this bunch, did he, Thad?” asked Bumpus.
“No, and I forgot to ask him,” came the reply.
“That’s the way with scouts always,” said Giraffe, pompously. “When danger comes along a scout shouldn’t say, ‘How many are there of the enemy,’ but just shout out, ‘Where are they, so I can get busy?’”
“Half a dozen or ten, it doesn’t matter,” said Allan, “we’re primed to scatter them like chaff before the wind. Remember they are bringing all this trouble down on their own silly heads. It isn’t any of our choosing.”
It was in this resolute spirit then that they approached the bend in the river road, around which they fully expected to find trouble lurking. Bumpus was so tremendously excited that he actually seemed to be holding his breath. His blue eyes were round, and staring at that curve in the road now dreadfully near; and if the hand that gripped that tough cowhide trembled it was from nervous tension, not fear.
Apparently all was calm and peaceful about that spot. Not a single sign of anything unusual could the four scouts detect as they came close to the bend. Doubtless watchful eyes had noted their coming, and the news had been duly conveyed to those who were in hiding, so that they would know when to commence operations.
Now the car had reached the turn and was commencing to negotiate it. Whatever was in store for the chums it could not be longer delayed. Still, so far as they could see after swinging around the curve, the road was perfectly clear of all manner of obstacles, which fact rather surprised Giraffe, who had evidently anticipated discovering a log thrown in such a way as to completely barricade the thoroughfare.
“Why, they don’t seem to be here after all, Thad!” he exclaimed.
Giraffe spoke just a second too soon. In fact hardly had the last word left his lips when there was something doing just ahead of them.