“Yes, you did!”
“We did not!” put in Jack. “We found it back there on the plains running around all by itself.”
“What? You expect me to believe such a story as that?” exclaimed the tall man, glaring at them more ferociously than ever. “Running around by itself! How could it be doing that? You took it from where I left it, up by the trees yonder!” and he pointed to a quantity of tall timber some distance away.
By this time the other boys were coming up, bringing with them the two unused horses. The man gazed at them in surprise and also noted the two steeds that were not being used.
“Maybe you’re telling the truth and maybe you ain’t,” went on the man sourly. “I’d like to git at the bottom of this.” Thereupon the boys related what had taken place and Spouter mentioned the fact that his father was the owner of Big Horn Ranch.
“Oh, then you’re Mr. Powell’s son, eh?” cried the man. “Are you the boy who went to Colby Hall with my nephew, Lester Bangs?”
“Is Lester your nephew?” queried Spouter. And as the man nodded shortly, he added: “Then you must be Mr. Jarley Bangs?” and again the man nodded.
“I think you ought to thank our chum here, Jack Rover, for bringing your car back to you, Mr. Bangs,” remarked Gif. “If he hadn’t jumped from his horse into the car the machine might be racking itself to pieces out on the prairie now. It was doing all sorts of stunts when he jumped aboard and shut off the power.”
“I can’t understand this nohow,” grumbled Jarley Bangs. “If what you say is true, how in thunder did that car git started? I left it by the edge of the woods while I went in to look over some timber that we thought of gitting out this fall. All at once I heard the engine go off with a bang, and when I ran out of the woods to see what was doing the car was gone.”
“Was any one with you?” questioned Spouter.