"I'll race you," said Sam, and away they started at a breakneck speed.
"Hold on!" cried Dick. "Don't tire yourselves out in that fashion.
We've got a good many miles to go yet."
But neither of the racers paid any attention, and soon they were a good distance to the front. Hans was doing his best to keep ahead of the youngest Rover, and, as his steed was a little the better of the two, he had small difficulty in accomplishing his object.
But, alas, for the poor German boy! The race made him careless of where he was going, and soon he found himself on the very edge of a swamp, similar to that encountered before.
"Whoa!" he yelled to his horse. "Whoa!" And then he added: "Sam, go pack kvick!"
"What's wrong, Hans?"
"It ist all vet aroundt here, und I—Du meine Zeit!"
As the German youth finished, his horse stepped into a fair-sized hole on the edge of the swamp. On the instant, a cloud arose from the hole.
"Hornets!" screamed Sam, and backed away with all speed.
"Hellup! hellup!" yelled Hans. "Ouch! Oh, my!" And then he tried to back away. But the hornets were angry at being disturbed in their nest and went at him and his horse with vigor.