e hand brake a notch tighter, but this did little good,
since it was the bands that were worn.

On and on bounded the touring car, down the long hill. On both sides the
road was bound by rocks and trees, with nasty gullies in several spots.
Here and there were "resting spots" for teams, and over these
indentations flew the automobile with jolts that threatened to break all
the springs at once.

"The turn! Beware of the turn!" cried Sam and Dick together, when about
three-quarters of the hill had been passed.

Tom nodded but said not a word. He had thrown the motive power to the
low gear, and thus the engine was doing something towards holding the
car back.

Suddenly Dick uttered a cry, and the next minute Sam saw him dive down
to the bottom of the tonneau and bring up several long ropes to which
were attached a number of hooks. He had placed these in the automobile
for possible use in getting the _Dartaway_ out of the woods or from
among the rocks.

With care Dick took the hooks and threw them out of the machine. At the
same time he leaned over and allowed the ends of the ropes to catch on
the swiftly-revolving wheels of the machine.

"Maybe they'll hold something--anyway I hope so," he said.

They had now reached the turn. Tom was running as closely as possible
to the inner side and Dick had commenced to toot the horn again. With a
slipping and sliding, the touring car went over the dirt and stones,
rushing nearer and nearer to the gully on the outer edge of the highway.

"Look! Look!" screamed Sam, a second later. "A carriage, and three
ladies in it!"

He was right, and the carriage was less than a hundred yards ahead. But
just now Tom could think of nothing but the turn, for the machine was
running closer than ever to the gully. If they went down in that the
touring car would most likely turn turtle, and they might all be killed.

But they did not go down into the gully. By sheer good luck Tom managed
to throw the automobile back into the roadway, two wheels for a second
spinning in midair. Then he had to reckon with the other danger--that of
hitting the carriage with the three ladies.

The ladies had heard the tooting of the auto horn and had tried to draw
up to the side of the road. But the incline was still steep and the two
horses evidently did not like the looks of that gully.

"You can't pass them!" groaned Sam, and just then came a grinding from
underneath the touring car. This was followed by a