CHAPTER XXIV.
GETTING BACK HOME.
The sun was shining in through the chinks of the mound of hay the nextmorning when Ned awoke.
"What! Why! Where in the world am I?" he exclaimed. He had slept sohard, because of the fatigue of his ride, that he could not rememberwhere he was.
"Oh I know now," he said, at length, as the recollection of hisexperience came to him.
He stretched, rolled out of his fragrant bed and, brushing the wisps ofhay from his hair, stepped out into the glow of the sun. His first carewas to feel in his pocket to see if the carburetor parts, that had costhim all his trouble, were safe. They were all right, and then Ned beganto think of breakfast and getting home. He feared his parents would beworried over his absence.
"Doesn't seem to be a very thickly settled locality around here,"observed Ned, taking a survey and seeing nothing but fields and woodsin the distance. "I guess I'm in for a long walk for breakfast. AndI've got to push that motor. I can't fix the tire with what tools I havealong. Well, there's no help for it, and I suppose it will give me agood appetite."
He found Mr. Wakefield's motor where it had been left, covered with hayto keep off the dew. Ned rolled it out into the road and then, hearingthe musical tinkle of a brook near by, he bethought that a wash and adrink of cool water would not come amiss.
He found a clear sparkling little meadow stream. It raced and bubbledits way over the white pebbles, and between banks of green grass andmoss.
"That looks good," thought Ned, as he stretched out at full length onhis face and took a long drink. Then he found a shallow little basin,scooped out of a stone where the water formed a pool, and there hewashed and felt much refreshed.
"I'm still in the dark as to whether I'm on the right road or not,"thought Ned. "But it's daylight now, and I might as well keep going thisway until I meet some one to inquire of."
So he started off. He was hungry and wished very much for something toeat. It was no fun pushing the heavy motor cycle along the dusty road,but Ned dared not leave it behind on the highway for fear somethingmight happen to it.
He had gone about a mile, perhaps, when down the road he saw a farmwagon, to which was hitched a team of horses, approaching.
"Here comes some one at last," Ned thought, "and I may get a lift."
"Hello bub!" exclaimed the driver of the horses, a jolly-lookingblue-eyed farmer, when the wagon came opposite Ned. "Had a smash up?"
"No, only a tire broken," replied the boy. "But can you tell me whetherthis is the way to Cresville?"
"Well, you could get there on this road, but it's about five miles outof your way. Is that where you want to go?"
"It's where I live," Ned answered. "I went to Boston yesterday, and onmy way back last night I lost my way, my machine broke, and I had tosleep in a hay stack."
"I see you did," observed the farmer. "Some of the grass is in your hairyet."
Ned hastily removed the traces of his recent bed.
"But if you're going to Cresville," went on the man, "I can give you alift. I'm going within three miles of there."
"I'd be much obliged if you would," spoke Ned.
"Well, pile your machine in back there, and climb up on the seat," wasthe invitation, and Ned did so.
"You don't happen to know of any restaurants around here, do you?" heasked the driver.
"No, nothing open on Sunday."
"Sure enough, it is Sunday!" cried Ned. "I'm so upset I'd aboutforgotten it."
"Sleeping in the hay instead of your bed sort of put you off the track,"suggested the farmer.
"That's what it did," agreed Ned.
It was a beautiful morning and Ned thoroughly enjoyed it as he rodealong. Even the rough jolting of the farm wagon was not unpleasant.
"I don't usually travel in this kind of a rig on Sundays," explainedthe farmer. "But I have to go over to Doddtown for some grain for thehorses, and I had to take this cart."
"I'm glad you did," said Ned. "If you had been in a carriage I couldn'thave brought the motor cycle with me."
"No more you could," spoke the farmer. "Everything happens for the bestafter all. But here you are. This is as far as I go on your way. If youtake that road," pointing to where one branched off from the highwaythe wagon was on, "you'll come to Cresville. Sorry I can't take you allthe way, but it's only three miles."
"I'm much obliged to you for the lift," said Ned, getting the machineout of the wagon, and bidding his new acquaintance good-bye.
Leaving the motor cycle at a house on the outskirts of town, Ned reachedhome about noon, and found his parents much alarmed. Jerry and Bob wereat his house, and there was talk of organizing a searching party.
"Did you bring the carburetor parts?" asked Jerry.
"I did!" exclaimed Ned, as he passed them over.
"They're all right," announced Jerry, after an inspection. "From now onwe must take care not to leave our machines out of our sight. But whatdid you do with Mr. Wakefield's motor?"
Ned told where it was. Then he had a bath, and got ready for dinner.After the meal, which his chums ate with him, Ned went and told Mr.Wakefield what had happened to the motor. The latter was not alarmed forthe safety of his machine, and it was arranged that one of the employeesof the club could drive over for it on Monday. The rest of the day theboys spent quietly, anxiously waiting for the morrow when they mightagain try their motors.
Bright and early on Monday each boy was fitting the new carburetor partsto his cycle. The apparatus fitted perfectly and soon all three werespinning down the road at a good speed. They rode for several milesand were about to turn back, on Jerry's proposal to go to the athletictrack, when they heard the noise of an approaching motor.
The next instant a machine turned the corner of the road, and cametoward them. All three of the chums started as they saw that the riderwas Jack Pender. Hardly knowing what they were doing, Ned, Bob andJerry spread themselves out across the highway so that Pender could notpass. On his part he was so surprised that he shut off the power ofhis machine and came to a stop, just as the three chums, who had donelikewise, dismounted.
"Well?" observed Jerry quietly. "I've been wanting to meet you, Jack."
"Don't you dare to touch me!" exclaimed Jack. "If you do I'll have youarrested."
"You're a nice one to talk about having people arrested," went on Jerry."I've a good mind to shake you!"
"What did I do?" asked Jack, looking very uncomfortable.
"You know well enough what you did. Tried to fix our machines so theywouldn't work by taking off the carburetors. That's what you did."
"I didn't mean to," said Jack. "I was just--just turning them and theycame off."
"You'd ought to be made to pay for the damage you did," put in Ned. "Ihad to go all the way to Boston for new parts."
"I haven't any money," whined Jack.
"You have enough to lend to Noddy Nixon," put in Bob, remembering thatday when they had met Noddy at the soda-water booth, and the bully hadboasted that Jack loaned him money.
"I never lent Noddy any money!" exclaimed Jack.
"He said you did!" exclaimed Jerry.
"Well, he tells--what business is it of yours any how?" Jack interrupteda statement he was going to make. "I don't have to tell you anythingabout my affairs."
"No one asked you to," Ned put in. "All we want is for you to let us andour machines alone."
"I think a good thrashing is what he needs," said Jerry, with mockseverity, standing his machine against Ned's and advancing toward Jack.
"Oh no! Please don't!" begged the young coward. "I'll never do anythingagain. Please don't lick me! Noddy Nixon made me do it! Don't touch me,and I'll tell you everything!"
"Everything about what?" asked Jerry.
"About--about the--the mill robbery!" exclaimed Jack.
"What do you know of it?" asked Ned in amazement.
"I don't know very much, but you watch Noddy Nixon about six o'clockto-night," replied Jack. "There," he
burst out, "I promised I wouldn'ttell, but he's always getting me in trouble and never helping me out."
Then, before the boys could stop him, Jack Pender turned his machine inthe opposite direction, leaped into the saddle and was soon moving offswiftly down the road.
"Shall we chase him?" asked Ned.
"No, let him go," replied Jerry. "We gave him a good scare, and,besides, we want to be on hand for something else."
"What?"
"We want to watch Noddy to-night."