e, if pushed, the auto could make it in much less time, but
Gerald thinks we'd better take our time and enjoy the ride."

"The plan is a fine one," said Aunt Betty, "especially the getting
away in the early morning, before the hot part of the day sets in."

"I thoroughly agree with you, auntie," said Dorothy.

"If we fail to find a village," Aunt Betty continued, "where we can
get coffee and rolls, we will draw on our own supply of provisions
and eat our breakfast en route. Or we can stop by the wayside, where
Ephy can make a fire and I can make some coffee."

"Oh, you make my mouth water," said Aurora, who knew that Aunt Betty
Calvert's coffee was famous for miles around.

Aurora took her leave a short while later, and hardly had she gone
before Gerald Blank drew up in front of the Calvert place in his big
automobile and cried out for Jim and Ephraim.

Neither the boy nor the negro needed a second invitation. Each had
been keen in anticipation of the ride--Jim because of his natural
interest in mechanism of any sort; Ephraim because he felt proud of
the title "chauffeur," which Aurora had bestowed upon him, and was
curious to have his first lesson in running "dat contraption," as he
termed it.

"I tell you, Gerald, she's a dandy," said Jim, after the boys had
shaken hands and made a few formal inquiries about the interval which
had elapsed since last they met. As Jim spoke, his eye roamed over
the long torpedo body of the big touring car.

Straight from the factory but a few weeks since, replete with all the
latest features, the machine represented the highest perfection of
skilled mechanical labor. The body was enameled in gray and trimmed
in white, after the fashion of many of the torpedo type of machines
which were then coming into vogue.

Seeing Jim's great interest, Gerald, who was already a motor
enthusiast, went from one end of the car to the other, explaining all
the fine points.

"There is not a mechanical feature of the Ajax that has not been
thoroughly proven out in scores of successful cars," he said. "Now,
here, for instance, is the engine." Throwing back the hood of the
machine, the boy exposed the mechanism. "That's the Renault type of
motor, known as 'the pride of France,' and one of the finest ever
invented. Great engineers have gone on record that the men who put
the Ajax car together have advanced five years ahead of the times.
You will notice, Jim, that the engine valves are all on one s