CHAPTER I.
AN ENCOUNTER ON BICYCLES.
"Hi, Ned! what do you say to a little race?"
"I'm ready," called Ned Slade.
"How about you, Jerry?"
"Oh, I'm always ready," answered Jerry Hopkins, tossing aside the coreof an apple he had been eating. "But how far is the race to be, Chunky?"
"To the oak tree," replied Bob Baker.
"Suits me," said Jerry. "All aboard!"
The three bicyclists rose from the grass where they had been resting inthe shade of a big maple tree, after a trip of about five miles on theirbicycles around the country outside of the village of Cresville, wherethey lived. Cresville was a pleasant town, not a great many miles fromBoston.
The three boys were chums, and had been ever since they had startedto school together, eight years previous. There was Bob, the son ofAndrew Baker, who was counted one of the wealthiest men in Cresville.His interests were varied, but were mainly in banks and bankinginstitutions. Besides Bob there was in the family a daughter Susie. Bobwas fourteen years old, and Susie two years younger, and Bob was so muchinclined to stoutness that he was sometimes called "Chunky" by his chums.
Ned was the only child of Aaron Slade, owner of the largest departmentstore in the town, and a well-off merchant. As for Jerry he lived withhis widowed mother, and his sister Julia Hopkins, a girl whom it woulddo your heart good to know, she was so jolly and full of fun. The deathof Mr. Hopkins, a few years previous, had left his widow with an ampleincome, which she devoted to the bringing up of her children. Jerry andNed were the same age, fifteen years.
All three boys were sturdy chaps, full of life and energy. They hadstudied, played and fought together so long that they had come to beregarded as three inseparables by the townspeople.
"Now are you fellows ready for the word?" asked Bob, steadying his wheelin a line with the other two.
"Let her go!" called Jerry.
"Sing out, Chunky!" shouted Ned.
There was a moment of suspense, and a momentary thrill over even soslight a thing as this little sprint among the three boys. Each onemeant to win.
"Go!" yelled Bob.
In an instant the wheels were started off. Three boys bounded into threesaddles. Three pairs of feet began to pump the pedals desperately. Acloud of dust arose and the race was on.
It was a distance of half a mile from the maple tree, where the startwas made, to the oak which Bob had designated as the winning post. Theroad was a good hard level stretch of macadam and the wheels fairly spunalong it.
At first the boys were on even terms. Then Bob gradually drew awayfrom Ned and Jerry. Seeing this Ned put an extra ounce or two into hispushing and he soon caught up to Bob. These two held the lead on almosta line for a few hundred feet.
Suddenly there was a whirr of wheels behind them, an excited joyousshout and, with a yell, Jerry whizzed past, and obtained such a goodadvantage that he kept it, until he reached the oak, where he leapedoff, and cast himself down in the shade to rest.
"I didn't think you could do it, Jerry," panted Ned, as he and Bobflashed up two seconds later. "Honest, I didn't."
"Nor I," came from Bob. "You must have been practicing lately."
"Well, I thought I ought to try and improve my wheel-work," said Jerrymodestly. "I'm thinking of going in the club races that will be heldsoon, and I wanted to stand some sort of a show."
"I'd say you stood a pretty good one, if you ride like you did to-day,"interposed Ned. "You went past us flying, and Bob and I weren't going soslow, either; were we, Bob?"
"Not exactly."
For a few minutes the boys lolled lazily in the grass, enjoying thefresh air and sunshine. Then Bob took three apples from his pocket andtreated.
"Do you fellows know what I wish?" began Jerry, who had finished hislight lunch first. "I wish we all had motor-cycles."
"It wouldn't be a half-bad idea," agreed Bob, after a little thought."I'm beginning to get a little tired of this leg-work, myself. How aboutyou, Ned?"
"I think I could use a motor-cycle if one came my way," replied Ned."That is after I learned how to operate one, and wouldn't blow myselfand the immediate neighborhood up with gasolene."
"They're easy to run," affirmed Jerry, "and no more dangerous than ahorse. The catalogue I have says so."
"That reminds me, are you two going in the bicycle races?" asked Jerry."You know there are going to be some fine prizes."
"You mean the Cresville Athletic Club races?" asked Ned.
"Yes," replied Jerry.
"I hadn't thought much of it," said Bob. "I heard about 'em, but ittakes a lot of time to train, and you have to almost starve yourself."
"How about you, Ned?"
"Well, if you and Bob go in for it, Jerry, I s'pose I might as well too.Tell us what you know about the races."
Jerry related what he had heard about the plans of the athletic clubto hold an out-door meet on their grounds three weeks hence. As he hadsaid, several valuable prizes were to be awarded, and there were manyclasses of handicap contests, so that the boys would have plenty ofchances to enter, and stand a good show of winning one or more of thetrophies.
"It sounds good," said Ned at length.
"I'm going to enter, and begin training at once," decided Chunky.
"Same here, then," came from Ned. "Have you entered yet, Jerry?"
"No, but I've begun to train some. There's plenty of time to send inyour name if you want to enter. The lists are open until five daysbefore the races."
"All right, then it's settled," exclaimed Ned, slowly rising from hiscomfortable berth in the grass.
The three boys mounted their wheels and started slowly homeward. Theytook their time, keeping close together and talking now of the comingraces and again of the prospects of owning motor-cycles. At the top ofa long, gentle sloping hill, that led down, almost to the centre of thetown, the boys put their feet on the coasters and let their wheels glidedown by gravity. Soon they were going at a rapid rate, with Ned slightlyin the lead.
At the foot of the hill another road crossed at right angles. By reasonof a turn to this second road, and a clump of trees, any one passingalong it could not be seen until he was nearly in the middle of the hillroad.
Suddenly there shot from behind the clump of trees lining the cross-road,a figure on a wheel.
"Look out!" yelled Bob and Jerry.
Ned looked up and saw, but was too late. He could not check his speed,and the only thing to do was to turn to one side, and try to avoid theother rider. Unfortunately the other rider, also seeing the danger, tookthe same turn as had Ned.
"There's going to be a smash!" called Jerry in excited tones.
The shock threw Ned and the other cyclist from their wheels into thedusty road. The bicycles went in one direction and the riders inanother. Both boys were lying still on the highway when Bob and Jerrycame running up.
"Are they killed?" asked Jerry in a trembling voice.
"No, only stunned, I guess," answered Bob, feeling of Ned's heart, andfinding it beating. "Let's see who the other fellow is."
He turned the boy who had collided with Ned over.
"Noddy Nixon!" he said. "He'll be sure to say this was Ned's fault, andit may make trouble. I wish Ned had put on his brake."
Ned sat up and opened his eyes. A few seconds later Noddy Nixon didlikewise.
"What happened?" gasped Ned, rubbing the dust from his eyes.
"You had a little spill, that's all," answered Bob.
"A little spill? I should say we did," snarled Noddy, who was larger andstronger than any of the three chums, and older, being about eighteen."A nasty little spill it was, too. And all your fault, Ned Slade! Whydidn't you look where you were going?"
"Why didn't you look?" asked Ned, hotly. "I turned out to avoid you, andif you'd been paying attention you wouldn't have steered right into me.It's as much your fault as it is mine."
"My leg's broke," came from Noddy. "You'll suffer for this!"
r /> "Get up and let's see if it's broken," urged Bob, taking hold of Noddy'sshoulder.
"Oh! Ouch!" screamed Noddy, who though he was strong and a bully wasalso a great coward in pain. "My shoulder's broken, too. I'll sue youfor this, Ned Slade, after I get well, and I'll lick you, too."
"Oh, dry up!" muttered Ned, who was painfully limping toward his wheel.
When Noddy came to move he discovered that he was not as badly hurt ashe had foolishly imagined. He got on his feet, brushed the dirt fromhis clothes, and found that he could walk all right. But he scowleddarkly when he saw Bob grinning at him.
"You're more scared than hurt," said Bob.
"Look here, you impudent little snob!" burst out Noddy, limping overtoward the boy who was still smiling. "Don't give me any of your lip. Iwon't stand it. I'll knock your head off!"
"Better not try," advised Bob quietly, the smile leaving his face. "Twocan play at that game."
"Yes, and so can we all of us!" broke in Jerry, who was something ofa boxer. "We're sorry for what happened, Nixon," he went on, "but youneedn't rub it in."
"Oh, shut-up!" cried Noddy, turning away, and picking up his wheel."I'll get even with you for this, though," he muttered.
"Two of my spokes are broken," he went on, after an examination of hisbicycle. "You'll have to pay for them, Ned Slade."
"So are two of mine, and my handle bars are bent," retorted Ned. "Iguess we'll call it even, Noddy. I won't charge you for straighteningthe handles," and he laughed in spite of the pain of his bruises.
"You--you!" began Noddy, but rage seemed to choke him, and withscowling face he mounted his wheel and rode slowly away. "You justwait!" he shouted back, shaking his head at the three boys.