“I’m afraid it’s a clean get-away,” grumbled the inspector when, after a brief examination, he led the way out of the cellar. “Those wheel tracks show that the truck went around this end of the house, but that doesn’t help us much.”
“They haven’t been gone but a few minutes!” cried Ned, excitedly. “Look! The sand is still running into the deepest wheel ruts!”
“But in that case we would have met them,” began the officer.
“The old road!” cried several voices. “They’ve gone out by the old wood-road!” Pausing an instant to swing shut the stone slab, the boys made a rush for the flivver and sent it bouncing across the rough stretch of pasture.
The big blue car was close behind, but when the wood-road was reached, Inspector Baker insisted upon taking the lead. “Latrobe isn’t a fellow to take any chances with,” he shouted. “If we overtake him there may be trouble. You boys keep well behind us and out of danger!” and as he flung this warning over his shoulder, the inspector forced the big car into the narrow bush-lined road at a reckless speed.
Close behind came the flivver, taking every turn and twist of the crooked track with all the skill that Dave Wilbur could muster and, in complete disregard of orders to the contrary, keeping a scant ten yards behind the big car.
Less than two miles of the difficult road had been traversed when the truck was sighted ahead. Evidently its occupants were not expecting pursuit, for they were traveling at a moderate pace suited to the roughness of the way. As the roar of pursuing motors reached his ears, Casey, who was at the wheel, sent his clumsy vehicle forward at the limit of its speed.
“There’s Slade!” yelped Dick, as a turn of the road gave a glimpse of a white-shirted figure clinging to the rear of the bouncing truck. Even as Dick spoke, Slade was seen to heave one of the heavy cases of bottles into the road directly in the path of the big blue car as it rounded the curve.
With a ripping crash the automobile struck the obstruction knocking it into a mass of wood and glass splinters through which the car smashed its way, skidding wildly but regaining its equilibrium uninjured as the road straightened. Mindful of his tires, Dave swung the flivver around the wreckage and back into the road without much loss of distance.
“That was a clever trick!” cried Ned. “It may work next time!”