The car took a curve and the wheels skidded; but Dan did not reduce speed. He got back into the center of the road before they reached a covered bridge over the river.
The bridge was well lighted. Good fortune in that!
As the car rushed down to the covered way Billy suddenly uttered a frightened yell. There was a car stalled right in the path!
The covered bridge was divided by a partition into two driveways. The stalled machine was in the right-hand track—the way the Speedwells should take according to all rules of the road. Its rear lamp was shut off and the Breton-Melville would have crashed into it had not the bridge lights revealed the danger.
And even then it is doubtful if Dan could have braked in time. Indeed, he did not try to. He swerved to the left and saw that that side of the bridge was clear.
The drab car shot across the bridge at terrific speed. The boys could not halt to see what was the matter with the stalled auto. A few moments only did they have to run into Farmingdale. And they would have to reduce speed on the outskirts of the town.
For several miles they had traveled more than a mile a minute!
The day’s race was done, however; the lights of the Holly Tree Inn were in sight. They rolled into the yard, where several autos were already standing, with two minutes to spare. It was twelve minutes to ten.
But as Dan and Billy threw aside their coats and got out to stretch their legs, the younger boy said:
“What car do you suppose that was in the bridge, Dannie?”