“Because, if they had known, we wouldn’t be here now.”
“What next?” asked Kit in a minute. “What are we going to do about it? We ought to do something right away.”
“I suggest,” Jimmie answered, “that we take our searchlights and our guns and go out and find that third machine.”
“And chase up the outlaws?” demanded Kit.
“That’s the idea,” Jimmie answered.
“Chase the Louise in that slow old ice wagon that we went by this afternoon like it was anchored?” demanded the boy.
“The machine is all right if properly handled,” Jimmie insisted.
“But you saw how it staggered around the summit,” argued Kit. “I don’t want to trust my bones in any such old contraption.”
“It’s oranges to oats,” Jimmie exclaimed, “that a new spark plug will put that machine in pretty good shape. Of course we can’t hope to keep up with the Louise on a long chase, but I don’t believe there’ll be any long chase to-night. The outlaws will settle down in some nook and remain there until morning. All we’ll have to do to-night will be to locate them. We ought to be able to do that.”
“Say,” said Kit with a grin, “I wish you’d find an air boat somewhere and row me back to Robinson’s barn. I used to have a good flop now and then when I lived there, but since I’ve been with you boys, it’s been a night and day job.”