"I pass," replied Harry Packard, one of the most lawless of the quartet; "but it's a fair gamble, Ralph, that they're not up to any good."
"I should say not," said Balt Finn, the driver of the touring-car. "That Ferral is after Mings' hide."
"Well," said Mings sullenly, "I wouldn't have gone through Ferral in Lamy if you hadn't said so, Ralph."
"I'd like to know what their game is," mused Sercomb. "Mings, you and Packard go to the place where they left the car. If you can smash the car some way, they won't be able to go to Lamy until we're ready to leave here."
"A nice jaunt before breakfast!" muttered Packard.
"We can stand it, I reckon," scowled Mings. "Let's take a drink all around and try it, anyhow."
Packard pulled a flask from his pocket and took a swallow of its fiery contents; then he passed the flask to Mings.
"You fellows have got some in the house," said Packard, corking the flask and returning it to his pocket. "Joe and I will take this with us. Maybe we'll need it," and he winked at Mings.
"Be careful what you do to the fellow that stayed with the car," cautioned Sercomb.
"Suppose it's Ferral?"