CHAPTER XVII.
OVER THE MOUNTAINS.
On and on the stream of miners hurried. Several paused to stare at theautomobile in wonder. Others passed by with never a glance. One man wasmounted on a lame mule that made but little better speed than some ofthe pedestrians.
Three men, who seemed to form a party by themselves, came to a halt infront of the machine. They whispered together a few moments and then onestepped forward and addressed Nestor.
"Will you sell that machine for three thousand dollars?" he asked.
"I'm not the boss. You'll have to speak to one of these boys," repliedthe miner.
"How about it?" asked the man of Jerry.
"I hardly believe we want to sell," answered the latter.
"That's right," whispered Nestor. "There's some game afoot. Don't sell.There must have been a big gold strike lately to cause this rush!"
The three miners saw that the boys would not part with their machine,which the prospectors wanted in order to make a quick trip to the newmining region. So they turned away and continued afoot on the trail.
For nearly an hour the stream of miners continued to march by. Then, asthe last stragglers were lost to view, Nestor said:
"Boys, we're in a tight place. We'll have to hustle. Somehow or othernews of the rich mining region near where my mine is located has leakedout. There's a rush, and we'll have to travel fast. We can't stick toour 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 travelnight and day from now on. We'll have to race against not only NoddyNixon 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 andtheir friends was turned into a mere resting place. Every one was filledwith excitement, and Professor Snodgrass forgot to start on a collectingtour. He did not open his green box, and, with the others, ate a hastymeal.
As soon as Jerry had finished his supper he gave the auto a thoroughoverhauling. Plenty of oil was put on the bearings, the water tank wasrefilled from a convenient spring and the tires pumped up. Then theholder for the carbide, from which the acetylene gas for the lamps wasgenerated, was packed with the chemical.
"I'm ready when you are," announced Jerry.
By this time each one had finished his meal. The dishes were placed inthe basket, Professor Snodgrass stowed his specimens carefully away andHank Broswick tightened the saddle girths on his horse.
"Forward!" cried Nestor.
With a series of chug-chugs the machine darted ahead. The hunter urgedhis horse on and the adventurers were once more moving toward the hiddenmine. It was going to be a bright, moonlight night, as could be told bythe silver disk that was already rising above the trees.
"We'll hardly need the gas lamps," observed Ned.
"But it's better to have them," remarked Jerry, who had been selected todo the steering.
Leaving the broad and level road that led south over the plains, theadventurers headed due west. In a little while it was evident that themachine was going uphill, for the motor began puffing laboriously, andJerry shifted the gear to first speed.
"We've struck the foothills," observed Nestor. "In a short time we'll begoing up the mountain. Then, look out!"
Broswick rode along just behind the machine on his horse. The animalwas a steady trotter and managed to keep up to the auto, which wasobliged to move slowly, as it had quite a heavy load on a steep grade.
For several hours the machine kept going. All the while the ascentbecame more and more steep until, at length, the adventurers foundthemselves well above the foothills and among the mountains.
"We'll keep on until about ten o'clock," said Nestor. "Then we'll campfor 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 orlevel stretch was reached, and there the going was easier. Jerry tookadvantage of it to run on the second gear. It was quiet, save for themournful hooting of an owl now and then, as the machine made littlenoise, and no one felt like talking. All at once there came from therear seat a strange sound.
"What's that?" asked Jerry.
"Chunky has fallen asleep and is snoring," answered Broswick, who wasriding beside the machine.
"I reckon it's time we camped for the night," put in Nestor. "Here's agood stopping place. We'll make an early start in the morning."
The machine was halted, blankets were gotten out and a small camp-firestarted. Tired and weary, the adventurers prepared for bed. Broswick,who carried his blankets on his horse, said he would stand the firstwatch, and Nestor agreed to take the second, so the boys could get afull night's rest.
"I'll do my share," said Professor Snodgrass, anxious to be of service.
But Nestor said there was no need for the naturalist to sit up. To tellthe truth, the miner was afraid that if the professor was left on guardhe would forget what he was doing and wander off in search of specimens.
Silence soon settled over the little camp in the mountains. The threeboys were slumbering peacefully, as was the professor. Broswick sat bythe fire, keeping watch, and Nestor was rolled up in his blanket.
Suddenly, from down the slope up which the auto had come, sounded theblast of a trumpet.
"What's that?" cried Nestor, springing to his feet, for he was a lightsleeper. 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 thetrail. We must watch out. It may be Noddy Nixon and his gang."
Once more silence settled down, but to the trained ears of the minerand hunter there came the faint throbbing that told an automobile wasapproaching. Nestor loosened the revolver in his belt and Broswickreached over for his rifle, which he always kept near him.
Nearer and nearer came the machine. It reached the level stretch onwhich the adventurers were encamped and then the speed of the enginecould be heard to increase. Nestor threw some light wood on the fire. Itblazed up brightly, and the miner quickly drew Broswick back into theshadows 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. Iwonder how they got behind us. I thought they were ahead."
"I reckon we can keep 'em behind if we want to," whispered Broswick. Heraised his gun.
"Hold on! we don't want to murder any one!" exclaimed Nestor, in awhisper, knocking the weapon up.
He was too late, as the hunter had fired.
"I wasn't goin' to do any damage," spoke the old man. "I only aimed tobust a tire. However, you spoiled my mark. The bullet went over theirheads."
"I thought you were goin' to shoot one of them," said Nestor.
Noddy, who, from the brief glimpse Nestor had, could be seen at thesteering wheel, increased his speed at the sound of the report, as couldbe told by the faster explosions of the motor. The noise of the riflegoing off awoke Jerry.
"What's the matter?" he cried, sitting up.
"Your friend Noddy just passed by," replied Nestor, "and the hunter gavehim a salute."
"I thought he was far away," said Jerry.
There was nothing that could be done, and the camp again settled down toquietness and slumber. There were no more disturbances, and at midnightNestor relieved Broswick. Almost before the boys knew it morning hadcome.
Then, after breakfast, they were off once more.
There were no signs of Noddy's machine save the marks of the broad tiresin the dust of the road. Leaving the plateau the adventurers were soonmounting toward the clouds again.
All the morning they hurried forward as fast as the auto could be urged.Broswick's horse kept well to the trail, for it was used to mountainclimbing. At
noon a stop was made beside a swiftly running brook anddinner was eaten. Then, after a rest beneath the trees, the journey wasresumed.
About five o'clock another halt was made for supper, thirty miles havingbeen reeled off during the afternoon.
"We'll do a bit of traveling as we did last night," said Nestor.