CHAPTER XIV.
NODDY STEALS A MARCH.
Nestor sat up in bed, listening with all his might. But though he couldhear a murmur of voices in the next room, and though he was certainNoddy and his companions were plotting against him and his friends, theminer could hear nothing more definite.
"Forewarned is forearmed," he said, softly. "We'll see who'll win out,Pud Stoneham!"
Nestor was up early the next morning. The weather had cleared and it wasa beautiful day. The boys came down to breakfast with heavy eyes, forthey had slept soundly. Professor Snodgrass, too, had arisen early, andwas already searching for rare bugs.
"I want to get a red tree-toad," he explained, as he strolled up at thesound of the breakfast gong, "but I am afraid they are not to be had."
Suddenly he grabbed Ned's arm as the boy was walking toward theautomobile shed.
"One moment, I beg of you!" exclaimed the professor. "Steady now! Ah! Ihave the beauty. He was right on the back of your neck!" And he reachedover and took from Ned's coat a small insect.
"It's an extremely choice specimen of a sand flea," said the professor,proudly, popping the little animal into a glass case. "I hope I did notdiscommode you in removing it from you."
"Not at all," laughed Ned, and the others smiled at the simpleearnestness of the bug collector.
"I want to have a talk with you boys after breakfast," spoke Nestor.
His grave manner somewhat alarmed them, and they started to askquestions, but he would say nothing until after the meal. Then he toldabout what he had heard.
"What worries me," said the miner, "is that I saw about the hotel afellow that tried to follow me an' my pardner one day, and locate thelost mine. This chap's name is Tom Dalsett, and I saw him talkingto Stoneham, the gambler, just before we came in to breakfast. Somemischief is in the wind when two such fellows whisper together."
"Do you suppose they will try to get to the mine ahead of us?" askedJerry.
"I haven't a doubt of it," replied the miner. "We've got to look sharpfrom now on."
"Had we better start right away?" inquired Ned.
"It will do no harm to wait until the roads dry up a bit," was Nestor'sopinion. "In the meanwhile, see to the machine. Look over every part.They may have damaged it during the night. See to your guns, too. We'regoing to have trouble from now on, or my name isn't Jim Nestor."
His words rather alarmed the boys, but they were not going to back outnow, and rather relished, than otherwise, a conflict with their oldenemy, Noddy Nixon.
Jerry went to the shed where the automobile had been left for the night.As he opened the door he uttered a cry of surprise.
"What's the matter, have they taken our machine?" asked Ned.
"No, they haven't done that, but they've skipped in their own," saidJerry. "I wonder if they have done any mischief to ours?"
"That gang has stolen a march on us, all right," spoke Nestor. "They'vegone on ahead. Well, they may get to the mine first, but we'll give themthe hardest kind of a fight for the possession of it. I'm not going tolose a fortune if I can help it."
Jerry soon ascertained that the red machine was not damaged. Nestor madeinquiries and learned that the other party had left before daybreak, PudStoneham accompanying them.
"What became of that chap with one eye and a scar on his left cheek?"asked Nestor of the hotel clerk, the description fitting Dalsett.
"Oh, he went off with the others in the gasolene gig this morning," wasthe reply.
It was plain now that Noddy and his gang were going to make a boldstrike to discover the lost mine ahead of Nestor and his friends. Howthe Cresville bully had trailed the Motor Boys as far as he had wassomewhat of a mystery, though it was afterward learned that he had beencloser behind them after they left Chicago than they supposed. Themeeting at the hotel was an accident, though.
A stiff breeze sprang up, and soon dried the muddy roads. An earlydinner was eaten and once more the party started forward, this time inpursuit of Noddy.
"It's too bad to have to leave without getting that red tree-toad," saidProfessor Snodgrass.
"We'll take you to a place where you can get horned toads," said Nestor.
"Oh, that will be fine!" exclaimed the naturalist, with a boy'senthusiasm.
The roads were none of the best, and the auto could not be speeded withsafety. Nestor explained that the best plan would be to steer straightsouth for a while, after reaching New Mexico, and skirt around the edgeof the mountain range, rather than attempt to make their way across theRockies.
"It will take a little longer," he said, "but sometimes the longestway 'round is the shortest way home. We'll aim for Messilla, which isnot far from El Paso, and it's somewhat civilized there, so we can getsupplies if we need 'em."
The boys voted this plan a good one. By noon the auto had crossed thenarrow stretch of land which is part of Indian Territory, lying betweenTexas and Colorado. Then they were in the big State of Texas, and, whennight came on, they found themselves on a vast plain.
"It's a case of camp out to-night," said the miner. "Now we'll see whatsort of stuff you boys are made of."
But if Nestor expected to find the Motor Boys tenderfeet, he wasmistaken. They had camped out too many times before not to know what todo.
The auto was run under the brow of a little hill, and Jerry took chargeof things. Bob gathered wood for a fire and Ned went on a hunt forwater. He found a little stream that answered admirably. Jerry got outthe coffee-pot and frying-pan, and soon had supper cooking.
There was fried canned chicken, with crisp slices of bacon, some thickbiscuits, a jar of pickles and steaming hot coffee ready in a fewminutes. Bob got out the tin dishes, and, seating themselves on theground, the adventurers made a hearty meal.
"Well, I must give you boys credit for knowin' a wrinkle or two," spokeNestor. "I couldn't have done any better myself."
"It's a good thing I bought some of those canned goods," said Jerry. "Ithought that would be better than depending on what we could hunt."
Supper over, and the things put away, the boys got out their blankets inreadiness for the night. Nestor lighted his pipe and was puffing away,while in the fast-gathering dusk Professor Snodgrass went searching forrare specimens. He was successful in capturing two odd grass snakes, andseemed quite delighted. Then, as night settled down, each one rolledhimself up in his blanket and fell asleep.
Ned awoke first the next morning, and soon had the fire going andcoffee made. The aromatic smell of the beverage greeted the others asthey roused themselves, and soon a simple but satisfying breakfast wasserved. Then the journey was continued.
It was a fine day, and the adventurers breathed in great whiffs of thepure air as their car dashed along. They passed through one or two smallsettlements, but inquiries failed to develop any traces of Noddy and hiscompanions.
"They may be going straight over the mountains," said Nestor. "Well,even if they do I think we'll beat them in the race for the mine.Mountain climbing is mighty onsartin' in one of these machines."
But, had they only known it, Noddy and his gang were not aiming for themountains, and were but a little way in advance of our friends. However,the Motor Boys soon learned, to their cost, where their enemy was.
It was well along in the afternoon, and dinner had been eaten at arude shack of a hotel in a small village, that the auto was skimmingalong, due south. Off to the right were the foothills of the mightyRocky Mountains, while to the left was a vast rolling plain. Jerry wassteering, with Bob on the seat beside him, while in the rear were theothers, Professor Snodgrass busily engaged in sorting over some of hisspecimens.
All at once a low, rumbling sound was heard.
"Is that thunder?" asked Ned.
"Can't be," replied Nestor. "There's not a cloud in the sky." Then hestood up and glanced behind him.
"Great Scott!" he yelled. "Put on all the speed you've got!"
"What's the matter?" asked Jerry.
"Matter?" shouted th
e miner. "There's a herd of stampeded cattle comingstraight for us. If they're not turned aside they'll go over us like alocomotive over a fly! Quick! Turn over toward the hills! Maybe we canescape them!"
In terror, the boys looked behind them. Coming on with a mad rush, witha thunder of thousands of hoofs, and deep-mouthed bellows, were thesteers, galloping like the wind!