f Ferd to run him down seemed well
founded, for, pretending to be unable to control the heavy machine, the
rider came lunging directly at the standing boy, who would have been
struck only for a quick leap to one side, by means of which he avoided a
collision.

But alas! the edge of the road was closer than Ferd had calculated on
when maliciously endeavoring to give the pedestrian a scare, and as a
consequence the motor-cycle plunged down into the ditch.

Ferd managed through a quick effort to leap off his seat just in time to
avoid being overwhelmed in the disaster.

He scrambled to his feet choking with both dust and anger.

His beautiful machine lay with its front buried in the water of the
ditch, and the sight was so disagreeable that Ferd seemed to lose what
little discretion he generally boasted.

"There, see what you've done, Dick Morrison!" he exclaimed, fiercely.

"Well, now, I like that," answered the other, hardly knowing whether to
laugh or show indignation; "you try to run me down, and when I step out
of the way to avoid an upset you accuse me of having had a hand in the
mess. Why did you jump off when by a twist of the handlebars you could
have saved the machine? Suppose you blame yourself, not me."

"But you saw that I had lost control, and if you'd only wanted you could
have stopped its plunge; but you'd rather see me get into a peck of
trouble. How d'ye suppose I'm ever going to lug that heavy thing back up
to the road now?" demanded Ferd, spitefully.

"Oh! I don't mind giving you a hand at that. I hate to see such a fine
machine lying in the mud like a mired cow," declared Dick, cheerfully.

Ferd looked at him dubiously, as though his spirit urged him to decline
the generous offer of assistance made by one he chose to regard as his
enemy; but the road was lonely, no one might come along for some time to
help him, and the motor-cycle was too heavy for him to drag out of the
hole unassisted.

So he swallowed his pride, and grudgingly allowed Dick to take hold on
one side while he dragged at the other, and in this fashion the machine
was speedily placed once more on dry land.

Of course it was pretty well soiled, and did not look very much like the
spick-and-span new wheel that a few days back had been the envy of every
boy in Riverview.

Dick, who could not bear to see anything abused, immediately snatched up
a handful of grass from the side of the road under the fence, and
commenced to wipe