ly level, so that Dave had no trouble in coming to a halt. It
was still raining as furiously as ever, and the thunder and lightning
were just as incessant. Looking down on the wet portion of the road
below them, they saw that the Basswood car was standing still, with
water and mud half way up to the hubs.

"He has shut off the power! That's no way to do!" cried Dave. "He ought
to keep his engine going, and either try to go forward or backward. If
he stands still he will sink deeper than ever."

"He's trying to back now, Dave," returned Phil, and he was right.

Soon they saw the wheels of the Basswood car revolving rapidly, and the
turnout itself moved slowly to the rear. Then Ben must have reversed the
power, for the car came forward, but this time headed for the left side
of the road.

"I don't think he'll gain much by that move," observed Dave. "I tried
it, and found it rather soft over there."

"Look, he is backing again!" cried Laura. "O dear! Whatever will he do
if he gets stuck fast?"

"Let us hope that nothing like that happens," answered her uncle,
gravely.

But that was just what did happen, and although both Ben and his father
did their best to free the car from the mud, it was without avail. They
managed to get to within fifteen feet of the end of the wet place, and
there they stayed, unable to budge either forward or backward.

"Listen! he is sounding his horn!" cried Roger, during a brief lull in
the storm.

"I guess he wants us to come back and help pull him out," answered Dave,
and sounded a reply to show that he had heard the call of distress.

"What are you going to do, Dave--try to turn around here or back down?"
asked Roger.

"Oh, it's too narrow to turn here!" cried Laura, in alarm.

"You'll have us all over in the ditch if you don't look out!" came from
one of the others in the car.

"I see a little wider spot further ahead," answered Dave, and turned on
the power once more.

Soon he had reached the place in question, and there, by skillful
maneuvering, he managed to turn the touring-car the other way. Then he
came down the hill slowly until within a few feet of the bad spot in the
highway.

"Hello there!" called out Mr. Basswood. "I guess you'll have to get out
that towing-rope again and give us a lift."

"Just what I thought," answered Dave. "We'll have it out in a jiffy."

He and his uncle alighted once more, taking with them the towing-rope
that had been used before. Mr. Ba