ar, and the marvel of it was that he knew enough to disengage the
clutch while he did this. Afterward he told how he had heard the
demonstrator impress many times on Mollie the need of doing so.

"Oh, we'll never get him now!" cried Mollie, as she realized that the
auto was moving under power now, and not merely by momentum. "Oh, Paul!"

The child was actually steering--the girls could see that, for the auto
swerved in and out, narrowly missing the curbstone, as he turned and
twisted the wheel too much.

"Paul! Paul!" cried his sister. "Stop it! Stop it!"

But Paul only laughed. He was having too much fun to want to stop.

It was hopeless for the girls to try to catch the auto now. They were
far behind it, but still Betty ran on. Several narrow escapes had Paul
on that perilous journey, and then in the nick of time he was saved from
what might have been a serious accident.

[Illustration: WILL KICKED HIS WHEEL FROM UNDER HIM AND WAS AT PAUL'S
SIDE.

_The Outdoor Girls in a Motor Car_ _Page 51._]

Up the road was coming a racing car, going at high speed. The man,
crouched almost under the steering wheel, if he saw Mollie's car at all,
probably imagined that a motorist of experience was guiding it. But Paul
was on the wrong side of the road, and there was no telling at what
moment he might shift the course.

Then, riding like the wind, out from behind the racing car shot a
bicyclist. At the sight of him Mollie screamed:

"Will--Will Ford! Save Paul! He's in my car--there ahead of you!"

Will Ford was riding directly toward Paul. In an instant Grace's brother
had sensed the situation. Skillfully going around the racing car, which
had fortunately slackened speed as the driver evidently realized that
something was wrong, Will guided his wheel toward Mollie's auto.

Then he turned, so as to ride in the direction in which it was
advancing, with ever-increasing speed. Will gauged his progress to that
of the car, rode up alongside the run-board, and, in another instant,
kicked his wheel from under him and was at Paul's side. In another
second he had snapped off the power and applied the brakes.

"What for oo 'top me widing?" demanded Paul, rather indignantly.

Will's heart was beating fast, and he panted for breath, but he managed
to answer:

"Too bad, Paulie, but you haven't any license to drive a car, you know,
and a policeman might take you."

"Yes?"

"Sure. You mustn't do it again," and Will's voice was s