Three or four minutes passed without anyone’s uttering a word, each was so busy silently watching the ruts and the road ahead. For a short distance the car proceeded reluctantly in high gear, but as they continued to descend, the accumulated rain water caused the road to become heavier, and Marjorie was forced to shift successively from high gear to second, and from second to low. It was with great difficulty that she kept the car going straight ahead; every time she steered out of the natural ruts in an attempt to find more solid ground, the rear of the car slithered around in first one direction and then another, till it looked at times as if they were about to slide into the ditches on either side of the road. Afraid to stop, for fear of being unable to start again, Marjorie kept the engine racing, yet they were making but little headway; the rear wheels revolved in the slippery mud as if upon a tread-mill.
The girls sat there, fascinated and helpless, watching Marjorie’s efforts. They were powerless to help her, and knew it; for she was by far the best driver among them. Daisy was the first to break the silence; it was she who felt responsible for bringing this misfortune upon the others.
“It can’t be much farther,” she said. “At least, if this map is true to proportions.”
Marjorie said nothing; all of her energy was directed in keeping the car in the middle of the road. The engine was exceedingly hot now, and the mud, instead of lessening, seemed to become even thicker, and she could feel the car slowing down under the strain as if it were giving out. She looked ahead and beheld, to her immense delight, that they had reached the lowest point of the road, and presumably the worst; for in the distance she could see that it ascended gradually, and in doing so, looked more substantial.
The sight fired Marjorie anew. It was such a short distance to go! If she could only make it! She braced her aching shoulders and tired arms for a renewed effort.
Ethel saw the look of determination on her face, and encouraged her.
“Hang on, Marj, old scout!” she urged. “Don’t give up the ship! Get us out of this and we’ll invent a new merit badge to reward you with!”
But the car, despite Marjorie, had made as much progress as it could; whether it was because the motor was overheated, or because they encountered an unusually deep rut, the engine, after a spasmodic pant or two, stopped dead, and the car settled back comfortably in the ooze. The girls let out a distressing groan.
There was a moment of deep silence after the labored chugging of the engine had ceased, and then they heard Lily’s car churning behind them.
“Can’t you even pull over a little?” demanded Florence. “To let Lily’s car pass?”