"Whoa, I say!"
For the horses had begun to prick up their ears and dance about at the sound of the automobile horn.
"Clear the road, for we are coming!" came the cry from behind, and then with a tooting of the horn, a puffing from the engine, and a wild yelling from the occupants, the big touring car shot past the carryall with less than three inches to spare, and plunged down the hill at a speed that soon carried it out of sight in a cloud of dust.
It was enough to scare anybody, and the hearts of some of the boys beat wildly for the moment.
"That's taking a fearful risk," was the comment of one lad. "If they don't look out, they'll break their necks."
There was little time to say more, for the students now realized that Horsehair was having his hands full with the new team. One horse was plunging with might and main to break away and the other was shying to the left. Then came a sudden snap, as a portion of the harness gave way, and the next moment the carryall was sweeping down the hill on the very heels of the team that was running away.
[CHAPTER XXVI]
A DEFEAT FOR OAK HALL
It was a time of great peril and all the students in the carryall realized it. With a portion of the harness broken, the driver could do little or nothing to control the team. They had the bits in their teeth and plunged down the hill and over the rocks in a manner that sent the turnout swinging first to one side and then the other.