“For the love of smoked beef, Fred, why don’t you tell us what it’s all about?” demanded Jack. “You promised to tell us—you know you did.”
“Have patience, old man! Have patience!” returned the youngest Rover solemnly. “The answer is coming soon—have patience.”
While talking, the boys had reached the roadway, Andy in advance of the others. Then all heard a noise in the distance and looked up to see what it meant.
“It’s an auto, and making some speed,” said Gif. “Gee, this is no road to race on!” he added, looking at the uneven highway.
Andy was still well ahead and now he, as well as the others, stepped to the side of the road to let the car pass. On it came and then they noticed that the car, which was large and powerful, had a broken mudguard and that one of the headlights was smashed.
“Look out!” screamed Jack. “Of all the fools——” and then he and those near him had to fall back into some bushes as the big car lurched by within a few inches of them.
“By golly, the fellow running that car ought to be arrested!” gasped Gif. “He must be crazy to run like that.”
“Looks to me as if they were running away from some accident,” said Jack. “The mudguard and one light were broken.”
“Look! Look!” screamed Spouter, pointing up the roadway in the direction which the automobile had taken. “They knocked Andy down! He’s lying in the road!”