The merchant agreed. So Jerry turned the auto toward Cresville and made a quick run, leaving Mr. Baker and Mr. Slade at their respective homes, and then he and the boys came back in the machine to the fire. They found most of the crowd gone, and the engine about to return to quarters.
“Do you want us to trail along and pull you again if you get stuck?” asked Bob of the engineer.
“Well, you might come in handy,” was the answer. “We’re much obliged to you, boys.”
“Glad we were on deck,” said Jerry. “However, I guess you will not need us again,” and he sent the auto ahead at a good speed. “We’ll take a little ride before we go home,” he added to his chums.
It was a bright moonlight night, rather warm for the close of September, and the road was a fairly good one, so the boys skimmed along, their thoughts on the western trip they were soon to make. For several miles they kept on. Suddenly Jerry yanked the levers and put on the brakes.
“What’s the matter?” asked Bob, as the auto came to a stop.
“There,” replied Jerry, pointing ahead.
The boys looked and saw, a little in advance, a tumble-down hut, from the window of which a light gleamed.
“That’s queer,” observed Jerry.
“What is, to see a light in a hut?” asked Bob.