Clarence Young

“ Somewhat puzzled at the little man’s words, Jerry sat still. His companions saw on his back the little brown butterfly that had escaped from the tire.
Quickly the little man brought his net down on Jerry’s shoulders. Once more the meshes were eagerly grasped, and this time it seemed with success, for the little man set up a yell of delight and capered about like a boy who has found a hornets’ nest. ”

“ At Jerry’s direction, the end of the rope the boys had was fastened to a stake driven into the ground.
“Now I wonder what we’d better do?” mused Jerry. “We’ll have to use the limb of the tree as a roller, and some one has to hold it in place. Yet it will take all three of us to pull one man up. If only one of the men was up here to give a hand we could manage. As it is——”
“I have it!” cried Ned, suddenly, and he ran back to where the auto stood. ”

“ The parents of the boys had wisely concluded that it would be a good experience for their sons to develop the mine further, since they seemed to be in good hands under Nestor’s guidance, and able to take care of themselves.
“We’ll have no end of good times,” said Bob, trying to turn a handspring on the grass, but tumbling down in the effort.
“I’d feel better if I was sure we had seen the last of Noddy and Pender, as well as Bill Berry and that Dalsett chap,” spoke Jerry.
“Oh, they’ll never bother us again,” came from Ned. “They’re running like scared rabbits. We’ll never see them again.” ”

“ When Jerry recovered consciousness he found himself sitting on the ground, while Ned and Nestor were bathing his head with water that Professor Snodgrass was bringing up in his hat.
“Where am I? What happened?” asked Jerry.
“You’re still on the map,” said the miner, “and as for what happened, it was what often happens out here. Part of the mountain parted company from the main hill, that’s all.”
“Is the auto smashed?” asked Jerry.
“It appears to be damaged some,” replied the miner, and Jerry felt his heart sink. “But never mind that. It’s lucky we’re not all killed. ”

“ It blazed up brightly, and the miner quickly drew Broswick back into the shadows of a big oak tree.
“We’ll watch as they go past,” he said.
A minute later an auto dashed by.
“There they are!” exclaimed Nestor. “There’s that gambler, Pud Stoneham, and with him is Tom Dalsett, the man who knows where my mine is. I wonder how they got behind us. I thought they were ahead.”
“I reckon we can keep ’em behind if we want to,” whispered Broswick. He raised his gun.
“Hold on! we don’t want to murder any one!” exclaimed Nestor, in a whisper, knocking the weapon up. ”

“ Andy himself arrived right after breakfast.
“Hurrah!” he shouted. “Here we go—all aboard—blow the horn—get out of the way—turn on the gasolene—off brakes—break the records—mile a minute—whoop!”
“You’ll have all the excitement you want for once, I hope, Andy,” said Jerry.
“Betcherlife!” exclaimed Andy, in one breath.
The boys piled into the auto; good-byes were called, over and over again. Then came a toot of a horn as Mr. Wakefield came up the road in his machine, a friend, who intended making the trip, accompanying him. ”

“ The noise of the approaching car sounded nearer.
“Better keep well over, Chunky,” advised Ned.
“I’m not going to give ’em more than half the road,” answered Bob, firmly. “If they want a race they can have it, too.”
He threw the third-speed clutch into place, and the boys’ car shot ahead so suddenly that Andy was nearly toppled out of his seat. The red auto dashed down the road.
Behind it, at a swift pace, there came a big, green affair, almost twice the size of the Cresville machine. It was going at a great pace, a lone man occupying the steering seat, and no one being in back. ”

“ He came over to where the hunter sat.
“Sounded like Gabriel’s trumpet,” replied the hunter, quietly.
“No; it was an auto horn,” spoke Nestor. “A machine is coming up the trail. We must watch out. It may be Noddy Nixon and his gang.”
Once more silence settled down, but to the trained ears of the miner and hunter there came the faint throbbing that told an automobile was approaching. [131] Nestor loosened the revolver in his belt and Broswick reached over for his rifle, which he always kept near him. ”

“ Ned reached the machine, cranked it up, and a few minutes later steered it close to where Bob and Jerry stood.
“The auto can do what we can’t,” he said.
“What do you mean?” came from Jerry.
“I mean it can pull the men up over the cliff!”
“Hurrah! So it can!” exclaimed Jerry. “I see your plan.”
The car was turned around so the rear of it was close to the edge of the precipice. Then the rope was fastened to the axle.
“Get ready, down below!” called Jerry.
“We’re ready!” came back the answer.
Jerry and Bob stretched out on the ground, each one holding an end of the improvised roller. ”

“ Pender and Berry ate in dogged silence.
After supper, when the men had lighted their pipes, Nestor told the sheriff the story of the trip to the gold mine. The official was much interested.
“It’s a good thing you have the claim to your mine filed,” he said. “I understand there’s a great rush of diggers this way. They were at Eagleville yesterday, a town about twenty miles from here, and I expect they’ll be stragglin’ in here to-morrow. Whenever there’s news of a gold strike the miners are on the trail like a hound after a fox.” ”

“ All the while the ascent became more and more steep until, at length, the adventurers found themselves well above the foothills and among the mountains.
“We’ll keep on until about ten o’clock,” said Nestor. “Then we’ll camp for the night. We must get some sleep or we’ll be all tired out.”
Up, up, up went the auto. After quite a climb a small plateau or level stretch was reached, and there the going was easier. Jerry took advantage of it to run on the second gear. It was quiet, save for the mournful hooting of an owl now and then, as the machine made little noise, and no one felt like talking. ”

“ I have you, my beauty. Long have you escaped me, but I am on your trail. Ah! Don’t move now. Softly! There!”
He banged the net down on the tire, sprang forward and caught the meshes between his fingers. Through his bespectacled eyes he peered eagerly at what he thought he had captured. A disappointed look came on his face.
“Got away again!” he muttered. Then he looked up and saw the party in the auto watching him. He did not seem in the least surprised. At once his eyes fastened on Jerry.
“Don’t move! Don’t move! I beg of you!” he cried to the boy. “Don’t stir as you value your life. ”

“ They could not go on because of the precipice, and their escape to the rear was cut off by the maddened steers that now were but a quarter of a mile away, thundering on fiercely. To turn to the left or [113] right was impossible, as the line of cattle was a curving one, like a pair of horns, and to go to either side meant to run straight into the midst of the beasts.
“Let’s get out of the machine and shoot as many as we can!” cried Ned, drawing his revolver. “Maybe we can scare them away!”
“Don’t think of it!” exclaimed Nestor. “Cattle are used to seeing men only on horseback or in wagons. ”

“ But this did not seem to be the plan of the besiegers. They were content to keep close watch so that those in possession of the mine could not leave.
As an experiment, Nestor tried it. He walked a little way down the valley. He had not proceeded far before there was a spurt of dust at his feet and a voice cried:
“Better go back, Jim. You’ll be all right as long as you stay in bounds, but if you go out there’ll be trouble; so I advise you to keep quiet.”
“Wait till I git hold of you, Tom Dalsett!” cried the miner, shaking his fist in the direction of his invisible foe. ”

“ But Bob advanced his spark further, and turned on a trifle more of gasolene. The red auto once more leaped forward.
“We’ve got him!” cried Bob. “He can’t get another inch out of his, and I haven’t used the accelerator pedal yet. We’ll beat him!”
[8]
“If we don’t all break our necks!” exclaimed Jerry, holding to his seat.
“Terrible fast—takes your breath—shakes the liver-pin out of you—loosens all your teeth—great sport—smash the machine—never say die—don’t give up the ship—whoop!” yelled Andy, as he slid down to the bottom of the car, unable any longer to remain upright. ”

“ In the first volume of the series, called “The Motor Boys,” the writer told how Bob, Ned and Jerry won several important races, including that which brought to them a much-wished-for prize, a grand touring car.
The car won, there was nothing to do but to take a long trip, and in this present book, “The Motor Boys Overland,” are given the particulars of a journey in the automobile to the great West. On the way the boys fall in with an old miner, who has the secret of a lost gold mine of great value. ”

“ My, how the mud and water splashes! And, say! Good land! Who do you suppose is in the car?”
“The President?” answered Jerry, sozzling his face in the water.
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“It’s Noddy Nixon, Jack Pender and Bill Berry!”
“No!”
“Yes, it is!”
The others crowded to the windows to look. Sure enough, there were the three enemies of the Motor Boys. They ran their machine up under the shed where stood the red auto, and then Ned lost sight of them.
“Well, it’s a free country,” observed Nestor. “It looks as if they were following you, but there’s no law to prevent it. ”

“ In spite of poking fun at the stout youth, every one felt the need of food. So a stop was made, a fire built, and soon coffee was boiling. Broswick went off in the woods with his rifle and came back with a brace of birds and a jack rabbit. What the boys voted was the finest meal they ever ate was quickly prepared.
“We must be careful not to lose the auto again,” [156] said Jerry. “We have had trouble enough with Noddy. The next time he may beat us altogether.”
When camp was made that night a system of watches was arranged so that some one would be on guard all through the dark hours. ”

“ There’s a rush, and we’ll have to travel fast. We can’t stick to our original plan. We’ve got to go over the mountains.”
“Must we start right away?” asked Ned.
“The sooner the better,” answered Nestor. “We’ll have supper and travel night and day from now on. We’ll have to race against not only Noddy Nixon and his gang, but these miners who have gone on ahead of us.”
From what was intended to be a peaceful camp, that of the Motor Boys and their friends was turned into a mere resting place. Every one was filled with excitement, and Professor Snodgrass forgot to start on a collecting tour. ”

“ The spirits of all were raised, and soon the hunter and Nestor busied themselves making a rude sort of rope harness for the horse.
The animal did not seem to mind pulling the auto, and, after everything had been collected, and some of the game the hunter had shot was packed to be taken along for supper at the next stopping place, the start was made.
It was slow traveling, compared to the former speed, but it was sure. The slight down-grade helped the animal dragging the heavy machine, which otherwise would have proved too much for one horse. The adventurers rode in the car, and Ned steered. ”

“ Not an accident had occurred since the hold-up by the tramps and the blowing out of the tire on the boys’ auto, and each one was congratulating himself that the trip was being made under the best of luck.
The travelers were about opposite Grant’s tomb, and were moving along slowly, when suddenly, with a noise like a shot, one of Mr. Wakefield’s tires burst. A young woman, driving a spirited horse, was passing his auto at the time, and the animal, taking fright, took the bit in his teeth and bolted. ”

“ Most of it was very pure, and it could be dug out with a knife.
“It’s the richest mine I ever saw or heard of,” said Nestor. “There’s enough gold in sight to [196] make us all rich, even if no more develops as we dig farther down. It’s a great strike!”
“It certainly is,” agreed Jerry. “But can we establish a claim to it?”
“The mine will stand in our joint names before another day,” replied Nestor. “I’ll start for the Government office the first thing in the morning, after I’ve staked a claim for each of us.”
“Providin’ Noddy Nixon an’ his crowd don’t make more trouble,” spoke Broswick. ”

“ Suddenly, from behind, there came a wild chorus of yells and shouts, revolver shots mingling with the noise.
[85]
“It’s the cowboys coming back!” cried Ned.
“Nonsense; they are miles behind us,” observed Nestor.
“Well, they’re some kind of cowboys, anyhow,” cried Jerry. “And they’re after us.”
Bang! bang! went the guns. “Whoop!” yelled the cattlemen who were riding like mad. “Stop the horse thief!” they shouted.
Nearer and nearer came the cattlemen, a bunch similar to those who had wanted to run the auto.
“They seem to be after us,” observed Bob.
“We haven’t stolen any horses,” said Ned. ”

“ Jerry headed the machine toward the foothills. Once among them the adventurers might escape. The auto was going almost at full speed, swaying from side to side on the rough road. Nestor, who was keeping watch of the herd, cried out:
“I’m afraid it’s no use. They have turned and are right after us!” ”

“ The naturalist and the boys had two rooms, while Nestor was by himself. Noddy and his chums disappeared after the meal, Pud Stoneham accompanying them.
It must have been about midnight when Nestor was awakened by hearing voices in the room next to his. At first he paid no attention to them, for he was sleepy. But he sat up suddenly when he heard some one say:
“They’re on the trail of a rich gold mine. I know, for I heard the old man talking about it.” ”

“ A stealthy movement in the bushes attracted his attention.
“So that’s their plan, eh?” he murmured. “Hank, take your gun and go up to the mouth of the mine shaft. If any of that gang tries to approach, shoot to wound but not to kill. They were trying to sneak up to the mine and gain possession,” explained Nestor, in reference to his directions to the hunter. Broswick hurried up the slope.
[200]
Jerry and the other boys proceeded to get the morning meal. As for Professor Snodgrass, he was walking around, gathering specimens, as though danger was a thousand miles away. ”

“ Leaving the broad and level road that led south over the plains, the adventurers headed due west. In a little while it was evident that the machine was going uphill, for the motor began puffing laboriously, and Jerry shifted the gear to first speed.
“We’ve struck the foothills,” observed Nestor. “In a short time we’ll be going up the mountain. Then, look out!”
Broswick rode along just behind the machine on [129] his horse. The animal was a steady trotter and managed to keep up to the auto, which was obliged to move slowly, as it had quite a heavy load on a steep grade. ”