CHAPTER XVI
INGRATITUDE OF CHANCE AVERY
There had been enough gasoline—rather, enough of the vapor—left in thetank to ignite the instant the lighted cigarette fell into it. And theflames spread with surprising rapidity.
A crowd ran toward the square, where the auto stood; but nobody seemedto know at first what to do. Some shouted for water, others merelyyelled “Fire! Fire!” at the top of their voices. And one fleet-footedyoungster made for the hose house, intending to arouse the volunteerfiremen.
Burton Poole let his small nephew escape and turned with a startledvisage toward his car. Chance Avery had heard the explosion, too, anddashed out of Appleyard’s store to see the car burst into flames. Hegrabbed a pail of water from a man who was running with it, and wasabout to dash the fluid upon the flames when Dan Speedwell shouted tohim to stop.
“Not water, Avery! You’ll only make it spread!” cried Speedwell. “Here,Billy! Get me that shovel.”
Billy obeyed on the instant. The shovel was in the idle hands of alaborer—a man who did not know enough to use it in this emergency.
There was a heap of sand in front of Appleyard’s, where the cement walkwas being repaired. Dan seized the shovel from his brother, and beganheaving the sand in a shower upon the blazing car.
Wherever the sand landed the fire was snuffed out. A well aimedshovelful quenched the flames which flared from the opening of the tank.In a very few moments every spark was out—and thanks to Dan Speedwell,and to Dan alone.
But only one of the partners thanked Dan. Burton Poole wrung his handand clapped him on the shoulder, and told him he was “a good fellow.”But Avery kept his face averted and examined the damage done to theautomobile with lowering brow.
“It will have to go to the shop,” growled Chance, and would say no more.
Dan and Billy went home on their motorcycles and found that already Mr.Speedwell had put in several hours upon the auto. They were able tohitch Bob and Betty to a truck and drag the car, on its own wheels, downto the Darringford shops. There they delivered it to Mr. Hardy with theexpectation that in a day or two, at the latest, they would be riding intheir own machine.
They were busy making up lost recitations for several days. And whenthey went down to the shops to inquire about the machine they foundnothing done to it. A big rush of extra work was on, they were informed.The repair gang couldn’t get at the drab racer.
This began to bother the Speedwells after they had called twice andfound nothing done. Then they saw Chance Avery and Burton Poole runningabout town again in their machine. It had been repaired, and repainted,and was as bright as though new.
The brothers noticed this fact about Burton Poole’s machine one eveningwhen they attended a business and social meeting of the Riverdale OutingClub. Chance Avery, who was still president and captain of the club,despite his unpopularity with the majority of the members, seemed tofeel amused on this evening whenever he looked at Dan or BillySpeedwell.
During the social hour Jim Stetson and his sister, Ruth, invited a fewfriends to run up to their uncle’s cottage at Karnac Lake. The last timethe Stetsons had had a party at the lodge it was something of a failurebecause of certain incidents that attended the run.
“We certainly are not going to chance the risk of being chased by elksand letting Mildred get lost in the Big Swamp,” chattered Ruth, with herarm around the waist of the doctor’s daughter. “We’re going in cars. TheGreenes will go, and we depend upon you, Burton, to bring a part of thecrowd. And let’s see—oh, yes, you, Dan Speedwell! You and Billy have acar?”
“So we suppose,” returned Dan, rather ruefully. “It’s being put in shapenow; but your party isn’t until next week Friday, is it?”
“That is the time,” said Ruth Stetson. “I am going to ask you to bringMilly here, and Lettie Parker, and Kate O’Brien and Maybell Turner,beside two of the boys. Can you do it?”
“Why, the car will hold that number,” said Dan, quietly. “I think weshall not fail you.”
Chance lounged near, with his hands in his pockets and there was asneering smile on his face.
“Aren’t you counting chickens before they’re hatched, Speedwell?” hesuggested. “You don’t know whether that broken-down car of yours isgoing to run at all, do you?”
“Oh, I guess she will be all right when they get through with her downat Darringfords,” returned Dan, easily.
“That car will never be fixed in those shops,” remarked Chance.
“Who says so?” demanded Billy, hotly.
“I say so,” snarled Chance. “I know all about it. The car isn’t worthrepairing in the first place. It’s too badly wrecked. You Speedwellsmight as well go down and take your ramshackle old car home again.”
“Biff” Hardy caught Dan by the sleeve as he and Billy were going out.
“What is it?” asked the older Speedwell.
“You’d better mark what Chance told you, old man,” whispered Hardy.
“What do you mean?” asked Dan, in surprise.
“You just think he’s gassin’, do you?”
“What else can it be? What has he to do with the Darringford shops?”
“Well, you must admit,” said Biff, with a broad grin on his freckledface, “that Frank Avery has something to do with the shops.”
“Naturally. He’s superintendent.”
“And I only know what father said. He’s worried about it. Burton Poole’scar came in to be repaired and repainted after your car was on thefloor. Dad had to drop everything else and fix up Poole’s car. But theSuper forbade his touching your machine. It stands right there yet, andAvery says that no more outside repairing can be done for a month.”
“Not until after the thousand mile run!” gasped Dan.