“We must push for it,” said Nestor; “that is, if we intend to sleep in beds to-night.”
Ned was steering, the boys having agreed to take turn and turn about. It became quite dark, and the auto was shooting along at reduced speed, for, even with the gas and oil lamps, the road was dim.
Suddenly a shot rang out in the darkness. It was followed by a louder report as one of the auto tires burst, punctured by a bullet. The car careened to one side and bumped along on the flattened rubber.
“They’re shooting at us!” cried Nestor. “Two can play at that game!”
He whipped out his revolver and fired three shots straight ahead, the flashes cutting the darkness.
“They’re behind, not ahead!” yelled Jerry, who was in the rear seat with the miner. “It was one of the back tires that burst!”
Ned had shut off power and the auto came to a halt. The boys got out, and Jerry took off one of the oil lamps to see what damage had been done. A new inner tube would be needed, and it would be hard work inserting it in the dark.
“That’s some of Noddy’s or Pender’s work,” observed Ned. “They must be following us, and yet they started off ahead.”
“There are so many roads around here that they could go off to one side, wait, and then come up behind us,” said Nestor. “But what’s to be done?”
“We can’t go ahead until we fix the tire,” said Jerry.