“Don’t try to do it in the dark,” advised the miner. “Tell you what to do. I’ll camp here with the machine, for I’m used to sleeping outdoors nights. It’s only about two miles into town now, and you boys can walk it. In the morning you can come back and fix things up.”
“What will you do for supper?” asked Jerry.
“Don’t you worry about that,” replied the miner. “I’ve got a couple of sandwiches in my pocket. I got ’em at the place we had dinner, ’cause I always like to travel with a little grub about me. They’ll do until morning.”
So it was arranged. The lights on the auto were put out and Nestor curled up in the tonneau, with some lap-robes over him. The boys started afoot for the town, promising to come back as soon as it was light enough to see to put the new tube in the tire.
“I wonder what Noddy’s game is?” asked Ned of his companions. “And how did he and Pender come together?”
“There’s no telling what those two may do,” said Jerry. “I’m afraid we’re in for trouble.”
They were to meet it sooner than they expected. About this time, a mile from where the crippled auto was stalled, two figures were sneaking along the road.
“Are you sure you hit the tire, Bill?” asked a voice, which, if the Motor Boys had heard, they would have recognized at once as Noddy Nixon’s.
“Course I winged ’em,” replied Bill Berry. “It was easy. All I had to do was to jump out from behind the bushes where we were hid and pop at ’em. I could hear the tire bust.”
“I wonder if it made ’em lay up for repairs?”