Yet Chance——
Dan suddenly turned on his heel and went to the gasoline tank. He opened it; he looked in, he dipped in a stick and smelled of it. Then he opened an auxiliary tank faucet, and let the fluid run upon the ground.
It was water mixed with gasoline!
Billy ran to him when he heard his cry of rage.
“What is it, Dan?” he asked, amazed by the look in his brother’s countenance.
Dan was not often in a rage. When he was really angry it was well to “stand from under,” as Billy expressed it.
And just now Dan was almost beside himself with sudden passion. He shut off the faucet and sprang to the cans strapped on the running board of the car. One after the other he opened. All water!
“The scoundrel! The blackguard!” cried Dan. “If I had him here I’d make him drink the stuff. Oh, the rascal!”
Billy very quickly was made aware of the catastrophe. They were ten miles from any gasoline supply station, without an ounce of the fluid, and there was not a farmhouse, even, in sight. They could neither telephone for a new supply, nor hire a wagon to bring it to them.
“It will take till noon to get any—noon at the earliest,” groaned Billy. “Dan, we’ve lost all chance of winning Mr. Briggs’ trophy.”