“Not very much, I wasn’t,” said that lad, who had been ruefully rubbing various portions of his anatomy. “I was too busy picking myself out of the remains of an evergreen tree to do any fighting. I pretty nearly knocked a hole in the side of your garage with my head, Doctor Dale.”
“It sounded like a young earthquake,” grinned Joe. “It was just luck that you didn’t scare them away, Doughnuts. Next time, see that you leave the garage and the shrubbery alone, so that the fighting men won’t be deprived of your help.”
“Huh,” sniffed the fat boy. “It took me to find them, didn’t it? Probably you’d be looking for them yet, if it hadn’t been for me.”
“Well, however that might have been, I think you boys had better come into the house and repair some of the damage to your clothes,” said Doctor Dale, with a twinkle in his eyes. “I’m expecting a friend to visit me this evening, who may have an interesting proposition to put up to you. You’d better hurry, too, as he is likely to be here at any moment now.”
“What is the proposition?” asked Joe, as they turned toward the house.
“I’m not going to tell you now, but I don’t mind saying that it has something to do with an automobile tour. Does that interest you?” and he smiled as he looked from one eager face to the other.
CHAPTER VIII
A CRASH IN THE DARKNESS
“Does it interest us?” repeated Bob. “I should say it did!”
“Automobile is my middle name,” remarked Joe.
“Just when we were wondering what we could do with the rest of our vacation!” exclaimed Jimmy, jubilantly.