CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE
I [A Plan and a Scheme]7
II [A Little Practice in Strategy]23
III [A Plan that Did not Fail]40
IV [Safely Away]53
V [Camping on a Strange Road]74
VI [On to the Gold Cup Races]90
VII [A Night Adventure]104
VIII [Plans for the Big Race]120
IX [The Crafty Plan of Mr. Gouger]134
X [Adventure Befalls the Chosen Trio]151
XI [Mr. Blackbeard, the Giant]168
XII [Discovered]184
XIII [Around the Gold Cup Circuit]203
XIV [At the Clarion Racing Camp]218
XV [Secrets of the Woods]233

THE AUTO BOYS' QUEST


CHAPTER I

A PLAN AND A SCHEME

"And they piled three stones one on top of another to mark the place. The first was just a big field stone, the second was rough and flat and the third, which was at the top, was the kind called conglomerate. You know—all full of pebbles, like coarse gravel pressed into a mass. Or—or like a fruit cake."

There was a note of earnestness in Billy Worth's voice, as if he felt his words to be of great importance and desired that his hearers be impressed accordingly. That his communication did have reference to an important matter was made most apparent, perhaps, by the response it elicited, also earnestly spoken: