FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129  
130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   >>  
met something just as bad." Presently the boys came to a spot where the river wound around the hill, and beyond this was a broad stretch of plains, apparently many miles in extent. Far to the southward they could see some tall timber. "The Bimbel ranch must be somewhere in this vicinity," declared Jack. "Yes, and the Bangs place can't be so very far off," returned Fred. But distances in the open air are deceiving, and the boys rode along over the plains for the best part of an hour before they reached a spot where the trail branched in several directions. Here they came to a halt, wondering which way to turn next. "It's too bad they don't put up a few signboards out here," grumbled Randy. "How is a fellow going to know where he's heading?" "I suppose the natives know these trails just like we know the main streets of New York City," answered Jack. "And that being so, they don't need any signboards." Jack had consulted the rude map given to him by the ranch foreman, but this did not seem to have upon it the forks of the trail. "I suppose those cowboys would know at once which was the main trail and which were only side trails," said Gif. The boys were still uncertain which way to turn when Fred set up a cry of amazement. "Here comes an auto, boys! What do you know about that?" "An auto!" several of them repeated. "Where?" The youngest Rover pointed with his finger, and there, to the astonishment of every one in the party, they beheld a small touring car coming across the plains at a speed of twelve or fifteen miles an hour. It was running in a curiously haphazard fashion. "What a way to run an automobile!" ejaculated Randy. "Maybe the driver is getting out of the way of holes," answered Jack. And then he added quickly: "There isn't any driver!" Completely mystified, the boys stared at the oncoming automobile. For a moment it seemed heading directly for them, but suddenly swerved and started off across the plains in another direction. "It is empty!" ejaculated Andy. "It's running by itself!" CHAPTER XXIII JARLEY BANGS "What do you know about that!" "Who ever heard of an automobile running around by itself?" "It's gotten away from somebody," came from Jack. "Just look at it skating over the ground!" "Come on! Let's stop the blamed thing!" shouted Andy, and started off on horseback after the runaway car. "You'll have a sweet job catching that auto," declared his t
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129  
130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   >>  



Top keywords:
plains
 

running

 

automobile

 

answered

 

driver

 
suppose
 
ejaculated
 

heading

 
started
 

trails


signboards

 

declared

 
fashion
 

pointed

 
youngest
 

finger

 
beheld
 
twelve
 

touring

 

fifteen


astonishment

 

repeated

 

coming

 

curiously

 

haphazard

 

stared

 

skating

 

ground

 

blamed

 

catching


runaway

 
shouted
 

horseback

 

Completely

 

mystified

 
oncoming
 

quickly

 
moment
 

CHAPTER

 
JARLEY

direction
 

directly

 
suddenly
 
swerved
 

returned

 

distances

 
vicinity
 

reached

 
branched
 

directions