“Guess I can stand a few pounds more steam,” he said, and clapped it on.
As he did so the wheels of his truck hit against a big stone.
Up into the air went the wagon.
Flop went Barney Shea into the bottom of the truck, shouting:
“Oh, why did I lave Mrs. Faylix O’Doolahan an’ the pigs!”
As the wagon went up Frank Reade made an involuntary clutch.
He didn’t care what he got hold of, so that he could hang on, for it wouldn’t have proved just the cheese to have gone flying head first out of that truck just then.
It happened that he clutched one of the driving reins as he felt himself rising in the air.
This big pull on one side caused an instantaneous increase of speed on one side of the horse, and away he wheeled, dashing off like a rocket at right angles from the course.
Down came Frank in a heap on top of Barney, and just then the truck landed on the ground and bumped along once more.