“Come on! Let’s stop the blamed thing!” shouted Andy, and started off on horseback after the runaway car.
“You’ll have a sweet job catching that auto,” declared his twin. Nevertheless, he followed Andy, and, not knowing what else to do, the others did the same.
The automobile was of a cheap variety, and clattered noisily on its way, with one cylinder occasionally missing fire. It had been running in a snakelike course, but now it seemed to be making something of a circle.
“By jinks! I think it’s coming back here!” exclaimed Fred suddenly.
“It isn’t running as fast as it was,” declared Spouter. “Maybe it’s going to stop.”
“I’m going to see if I can’t get aboard!” cried Jack, with sudden determination, and headed his horse behind the touring car, which was still moving at a fair rate of speed.
Once one of the front wheels went down in a hole, and then the car slued around and started off, heading almost for the boys.
“Look out!”
“Get out of the way there or you’ll be run down!”
Wild cries rent the air, and the young horsemen scattered in every direction. But Jack was watching his chance, and as the car slued around once more he managed to leap from his horse and clutch the side of the automobile. Then he leaped into the car and turned off the power, and in a few seconds he brought the automobile to a standstill.