George made a quick motion with his hand as though throwing something at his tormentor; then his care-free laugh floated after them.
About three miles farther along the road they discovered another sight.
"What's going on there?" shouted Toby, who again hung rather dangerously close in the rear of the leader, because he wanted a chance to exchange remarks from time to time.
"Looks like a breakdown, and that's a fact," Elmer replied.
"That's right," called Toby immediately. "It's Tom Cropsey, and he's trying to put a plug in his tire. He's got a puncture, and that ended his run as inspector."
The boy looked up as they drew near, and shook his head even as he grinned.
"All in, I reckon, Elmer, can't seem to fix her!" he called, as the scout leader flashed past.
Possibly he would have been glad if they had stopped in order to assist him repair the obstinate break; but Elmer had other fish to fry just then, and time was too valuable to waste in gaining a recruit who could never keep up with them for even half a mile.
So they presently saw the last of poor Tom, marooned so far away from home, and with night coming on apace.
Elmer knew that they might expect to overtake some of the others at any minute now, and every time he turned a bend he looked closely to see if there were not figures on the road ahead.