“Hi! they are off the road!” yelled Paxton, looking around.
“They are on the path!” yelled Coulter. “Come, we mustn’t let them get ahead of us!” And he pedalled forward with vigor.
“Follow me and be quick!” cried the young major to his chums. “This path comes out into the road at the foot of the hill!” And away he sped.
It was a dangerous proceeding, for a jar of any kind might throw them headlong into a tree or a rock. But they were on their mettle, and willing to take chances, and Andy and Pepper stuck to Jack’s trail like shadows. On and on they went over the foot path, and out in the roadway Coulter and Paxton did their best to outdistance them and block their chances of winning the race.
At last the bottom of the hill was less than a hundred feet away. Jack saw a straight stretch ahead of him and put on all power. Like an arrow from a bow his wheel swept on and gained the road well in advance of Coulter and Paxton. Andy followed, with Pepper overlapping his back tire by three inches.
“Come on, we’ve got to catch them!” screamed Coulter, in a rage. “Remember the narrow road at Dunham’s farm.”
“All right, set the pace and I’ll keep up if I can!” cried Paxton.
Jack and his chums were fifty feet in the lead. They watched Coulter and Paxton narrowly and saw them trying to steal up.
“It won’t do to let them pass us—they’ll only pocket us again,” said Andy.
“Yes, but they’ll wear us out trying to keep them back,” answered Pepper. “I must say, they ride well.”