Almost as he spoke there came from the car ahead of them a loud report.
"They're firing at us, just as those other fellows did!" cried Paul.
"No, that wasn't a shot!" yelled Dick. "Fellows, it's a tire blow-out. We've got 'em."
He gave the laboring motor of the Last Word a little more gasoline and adjusted the spark lever. The car responded promptly.
"We're overhauling 'em!" cried Innis.
The red tail light was growing more bright every moment. It could be seen that the other auto was losing speed. There was the sound of another tire giving way, and then the screech as brakes were quickly applied.
"We've got 'em!" yelled Dick. "Luck's with us to-night, all right!"
The other car was in full glare of the search-lamps of Dick's car now. Three figures were seen to leap out and make for the woods on one side of the highway.
"Mr. Cameron! Mr. Cameron!" yelled Dick. "Are you all right?"
There was no answer. A moment later the big car shot up alongside the stalled one. The boys leaped out, and a glance inside the auto they had pursued showed them the figure of the engineer huddled up on the floor of the tonneau.