“If we are running as good as he is we can afford to keep still about it,” said Dan, wisely. “And if we’re not——”
“Pshaw!”
“If we’re not,” continued Dan, smiling, “he’ll know it fast enough. Let’s not wrangle with him. I want to beat him as badly as you do—and I hope we’ll beat him a plenty; but there’s no use crowing over him——”
“Hullo!” exclaimed a voice behind them, and the brothers turned swiftly to see Burton Poole arm in arm with Chance himself. By the look on Avery’s face Dan feared that the fellow had heard at least a part of what had been said.
“How under the sun did you get here, Speedwell?” demanded Poole, in vast surprise. “Is that a flying machine you’ve got? I declare, you have beaten some of the best cars in the race!”
“We don’t know that they are beaten yet—except one,” said Dan, quickly. “That one’s in the ditch.”
“But I don’t see how you could have got so far——”
“But you got here,” snapped Billy. “I don’t see why you should expect to run so much better than we do.”
“Well, my car is a much better auto,” said Poole, with conviction; “and we had a daylight run. What time did you get away? Almost noon, wasn’t it?”
“Ten minutes to twelve,” said Dan.