CHAPTER Y
AN IMPROMPTU RACE
"All ready!"
It was Cora who spoke. She and her chums, the Robinson twins, and afourth girl, were about to start out for the afternoon run Jack hadmentioned. The fourth girl was Mary Downs, a little millinery modeland helper, to whom Cora had promised a ride in the new car. It wasMary's initial spin, and, as Cora cranked up, the young girl, withthe queer, deep-set eyes, and the long, oval face so dear to thehearts of model-hunters, fairly quivered with anticipation.
"Are you all right, Mary?" asked Cora with a reassuring smile.
"Oh, yes," replied the girl with a happy little laugh. "Thisis--just glorious!"
"Wait just a minute," begged Bess. "I want to tie my hat on moresecurely. I do hope we get our auto bonnets soon."
"Madam said they would be finished to-day," remarked Mary. "They arevery pretty, I think." Madam Julia was Mary's employer.
"Chug! chug!" sounded from the motor as it speeded up, momentarily,drowning all conversation. Then, as Cora climbed in and adjusted thethrottle and shifted the spark lever, she let in the clutch, and thecar rolled gently away.
"Where were the boys to meet us?" asked Belle.
"At the turnpike junction," replied Cora as she deftly threw in thehigh speed gear, and that without the terrific grinding of the cogsthat betrays the inexperienced hand. The Whirlwind leaped forward,and the girls clutched their hats. "Jack promised he wouldn't be aminute late," went on Cora as she turned out to avoid a rut.
"Jack usually is on time," murmured Isabel. She almost lisped, yetthe more you heard it the more you thought it was but a prettylittle catch in her voice--in the accent--after the manner ofbabies, who seem to defer all they have to say to their listener.Every one loved Isabel.
"Oh, you think so, do you?" asked her sister. "Jack never makes anymistakes apparent to Belle," she added with an arch glance at Cora,with whom she was riding on the front seat.
"Never mind," murmured Belle.
Mary listened to the talk with evident pleasure. She was notaccustomed to this sort of perfectly frank jokes.
"There they are!" suddenly cried Cora as the Get There swerved intosight around the corner.
Jack, who was at the wheel of his car, with Walter beside him, swungin close to his sister's machine.
"All right?" asked Jack, looking critically at Cora as she slowed upthe big car, and noting her firm grip of the steering wheel.
"Fine and dandy!" exclaimed the girl, with the expression that makesthat sort of slang a parody rather than a convenience.
"And if there aren't Sid and Ida!" exclaimed Belle. "Seems to me werun into them wherever we go."
"As long as it's only metaphorically and not mechanically speaking,it's all right," observed Walter.
The yellow Streak glided smoothly along.
"Quite a parade," remarked Jack.
"Let's make it a race," suggested Cora, her dark eyes flashing inanticipation.
Jack glanced at Walter. The relations between him and Sid wererather strained. As for Ida--well, Ida was credited with "runningafter Walter," and the sentiment of lads toward such girls is toowell known to need describing.
"Oh, yes! Do let us race!" chimed in Bess. "It would be such fun!"
"All right," agreed Jack. "That is, if Sid is, willing."
"Will you race, Sidney?" called Cora, before the occupants of theyellow car had had time to greet the others.
"Yes, certainly," he assented. "I would like nothing better."
"Then we'll have to handicap the girls," suggested Walter. "Theyhave by far the fastest machine."
"But it's brand new," objected Cora, "and isn't tuned up yet, as thetwo runabouts are. Besides, look who we are--girls."
"Very charming ones, I'm sure," said Sid quickly, but, somehow, hisvoice did not ring true.
"Handicap," spoke Walter. "I suppose it's right, but yousee--er--we fellows could--" He was floundering about for a way ofsaying that the girls should not be penalized by giving the driversof the two runabouts a start. For, in spite of their small size andless power the runabouts were speedy cars. It seemed as if Walterdid not want to take the obviously fair advantage due him.
"Oh, no," declared Cora. "We'll let you handicap us all you wish.We are willing to test the Whirlwind on its merits."
"I should think so," sneered Ida, and then she turned disdainfullyaway, as if the landscape held more of interest for her than did thedetails of a race.
"Who is that forward girl?" asked quiet Mary of Bess.
"Ida Giles," was the whispered reply.
"She looked at me as if I did not belong in a motor car," went onthe little milliner, with that quick perception acquired by businessexperience.
"Well, she doesn't belong in the one she's in," retorted Besskindly. "I guess you imagine she meant something like that. Ida isnot really mean. She is merely thoughtless."
"That's the very meanest kind of meanness," insisted Mary, "for,when folks do a thing through thoughtlessness they do not knowenough to be careful next time."
Bess smiled to assure Mary that the milliner's model was on an equalfooting with the girls in the Whirlwind, at all events.
"Line up!" called Jack. "Get ready for the race. We'll not insiston a handicap for you, Cora."
Sid sent his car directly to the middle of the road, the very bestplace.
"Better let the touring car go there," suggested Walter in as even atone as he could command. "It will need lots of room, and the road'snot very wide."
"That's right," added Jack. "A runabout can go on either side,then."
"I don't know," began Sid. "Cora ought to beat, and yet with twofellows driving against her--"
"Oh, if it's a matter of girls," almost sneered Ida, "I'll drive theStreak."
"Good idea!" hurriedly spoke Jack. "That will `make the match even.Suppose we take a girl to drive our car, Walter?"
Walter glanced rather ruefully at his companion.
"Why--er--yes," he drawled. "Suppose we take--"
"Bess," finished Jack, quickly. "She knows considerable about acar, and she's driven this one."
Somehow, the idea of having Bess as a rival to Ida suggested fun toJack.
"Now we have it," went on Cora's brother, as Bess alighted from theWhirlwind and entered the Get There. "Are we all ready?"
"Where's Walter going?" asked Cora, for he had given up his seat toJack, who moved to make room for Bess. Mary, Cora and Belle were inthe touring car.
"I guess I'd better get into the big machine,", decided Walter."Three such pretty girls in it all alone are an unequal division ofbeauty and talent--the last for myself, of course."
He moved toward the Whirlwind. Ida frowned. She had rather hopedto have matters so arranged that Walter would be with her. Cora sawthe frown and laughed merrily as Walter slipped into the seat besideher.
"I suppose you think you are going to do the mascoting for thiscar," she said.
"At your service, mademoiselle," replied Walter, trying to bow, apoliteness rather difficult of accomplishment in a small seat. "Doanything you like, but don't run me into the ditch. My watch isdeadly afraid of ditches."
Then Cora introduced Mary, the little model blushing refreshingly.
Walter made a mental note of Mary's eyes, and the soft tints, likethe bloom of a peach, in her cheeks. The two other girls were notslow to observe his interest. It was odd, thought Cora, how boys goin for the romantic sort--and models!
"All ready?" called Jack again.
Ida shook her head. She looked critically at the clutch lever, fromher seat at the wheel, which Sid had relinquished to her. The leverwas not properly adjusted, and she called her companion's attentionto it.
Sid shifted it, and then Walter called from his seat beside Cora.
"All ready here!"
"It's about time," murmured Jack, jokingly.
The cars, which had been cranked, were "chug-chugging" away, andvibrating with the speed of the
unleashed motors. Three clutchpedals were released, and the three cars moved forward. There was agrinding of gears, as Ida threw in a higher speed. Her hand and earwere not quite true, but to the surprise of the others her cardarted ahead. It was speedier than had been thought.
It was a beautifully clear road, and the machines were now fairlyflying along it. Bess clung desperately to the wooden rim of thesteering wheel of Jack's car.
"Keep her straight," he cautioned. "Don't work so hard at it. Anauto is like a horse--a light, firm touch is what it needs."
"Um!" murmured Bess. She was afraid to open her mouth lest sheshould lose her breath in the wind.
"Look out for that wagon!" Walter suddenly called to Cora.
A clumsy vehicle was some distance in advance, and seemed to bestanding still, so slow was the movement. Ida was nearer to it thanthe others, and as she passed it she swung safely to one side,giving several disconcerting blasts on the horn as she did so. Shewas proving herself a good driver.
Somehow Bess had managed to distance the big car and had swung tosecond place. Cora thought she had her machine going at full speed,but either it had not "warmed up" yet, or she was not properlyfeeding the gasolene, and had not correctly adjusted the sparkingdevice.
Just as Cora was about to pass the wagon, which feat Bess had nowsafely negotiated, the old man driving it seemed to awaken from anap. He appeared to remember something he had forgotten and pulledhis horses to one side--the wrong side--toward Cora's car, which wasrushing right at him! The Whirlwind was almost upon the wagon!
"Mercy!" screamed. Mary. "We'll be smashed!"
"Steady!" called Cora, though her face went white.
Walter reached over, as if to take the wheel from the girl. Shestopped him by a shake of her head, and then braced herself for whatwas coming. She screamed at the top of her fresh, clear voice:
"Stop! stop! Don't turn! stop!"
The farmer heard just in time. He fairly pulled the horses back ontheir haunches, and the wagon came to a stop. There was barely roomfor the auto to get past, but Cora managed it.
"Oh!" sighed Mary in thankfulness. "Wasn't that awful?"
"A narrow escape," assented Isabel. "But not as bad as the otherone was. You should have seen that! We're safe now."
The Whirlwind careened along the road, from the shelving gutter backinto the middle of the highway.
"Why didn't you let me take the wheel?" asked Walter, looking atCora in a strange sort of way.
"I couldn't seem to let go," she said with a nervous little laugh."I knew, of course, that you could run it more safely than I could,but somehow I couldn't seem to let go. My fingers appeared to beglued to the wheel."
"I certainly could not have done better," admitted Walter. "But Ithought I might help you. Look at Ida, though! She is going likegrim death."
"If she doesn't encounter another farmer she may be all right," saidCora. "But I wonder why I don't go faster. Oh, no wonder. I'm onsecond speed. I forgot to throw in the high gear. Here it goes. Nowwatch me pass them."
She advanced the lever, and the car shot forward. It was going at agreatly increased speed, and easily passed Bess and Jack.
"Here's where we leave you," called Cora.
"It's about time," replied Jack. "I thought something was wrongwith you.
"Third gear," answered Cora. "Forgot I had it." Her voice floatedback on the wind.
With a merry shout she turned on more gasolene and advanced thespark. She was almost up to Ida.
The race was to end at a bridge, which was only a few rods ahead.
"Careful," cautioned Walter to the fair driver beside him. She wasmaking some rather reckless curves.
"I'm all right," declared Cora.
"I'm sure we'll win," exclaimed Mary.
The Whirlwind was now close to Sid's car. He heard it coming andlooked around. Then he caught the steering wheel from Ida, leaningover to reach it.
"Foul!" shouted Walter. "That's not allowed!"
"Never mind!" panted Cora. "I'm not afraid to let him steer. I canbeat him!"
Jack stood up in his machine. He was angry, and showed it in hisface.
"Stop, sis," he called to Cora. "The race is yours. Don't passhim."
"She can't!" retorted Sid.
"Oh, I'm afraid!" gasped Bess, beside Jack. "He's steering right infront of her to cut her off. He won't turn out."
Then, as if realizing that the race would be counted lost to themfor Sid's violation of the rules, Ida tried to displace the hands ofher, companion from the wheel.
"Let me steer!" she exclaimed. "I want to! Let me, Sid!"
"No!" he answered angrily. "I'm going to run it now."
The car was swaying from side to side because of the erratic motionimparted to it, due to the struggle between Sid and Ida to gainpossession of the wooden circlet.
"Let me take it! I want to beat her!" spoke Ida in a tense whisper,and Sid, with a queer look at her, nodded.
He released his grip of the wheel, and again Ida took it in a firmgrasp. But the change was not skillfully enough made, and the nextmoment the Streak cut diagonally across the road, right in front ofthe Whirlwind.
"Oh!" screamed Cora, in spite of herself, and Bess and Mary addedtheir frightened cries. Cora swung the wheel as far to the right asit would go. There was a grinding sound as she threw on theemergency brake, and the powerful clutch of it held the rear wheelsin so firm a grip that the big rubber tires fairly slid along theroad.
"Sid," cried Ida, "they'll collide with us! Do something! Do itquick!"
He stood up and tried to take Ida's hands from the wheel again, butshe seemed to have lost her head. The big car was still careeningtoward them, though the brakes were slowing it up. Then Ida, with aflash of instinct, did the only thing possible. Instead of puttingon brakes and trying to stop, she pressed the accelerator pedal, andthe little car shot forward at a momentarily increased speed.Between them Ida and Sid managed to steer it into a ditch, andbrought up with a crash against a fence, splintering the rails. Ida,with more force than she thought she possessed, jammed on thebrakes, and the Streak, with a groan and a jar, came to a stop.
Then there came a jolt, a ripping sound, and Cora's big,four-cylindered machine banged into the Streak, for, in spite of allCora and Walter could do, the Whirlwind could not be stopped in time.
But, fortunately, the damage to the large car was not great, for asshe saw that a collision was inevitable, Cora had quickly shiftedthe wheel, and but a glancing blow had been struck. A mud guard wastorn from the Whirlwind. Only Cora's plucky driving, and heremergency stop, had prevented a worse accident.
"Well," remarked Sid in a strange voice, "we're alive, at any rate."
"Yes," added Bess sharply, "and no thanks to somebody, either."
"If you mean me--" began Sid, the color flaming into his face.
"Look at your radiator!" suddenly exclaimed Walter. "It's sprung aleak!"
A stream of water, trickling down from the front of the Streaktestified to this. A piece of the broken fence rail had jammed intothe radiator, puncturing several coils and bending others out ofplace.
"No more go in her," observed Sid ruefully. "We'll have to be towedback home."
"Is your car damaged much, Cora?" asked Walter, for the girl hadleaped out and was critically examining the auto.
"Only the mud guard," she replied as she reached up to the steeringwheel, touched the levers and shut off the engine.