forward. "It covers the glass so I can hardly see."

"Better take it slow," suggested Dave.

Another flash of lightning lit up the scene, accompanied by a crack of
thunder that made some of the boys crouch down for a second. Then came
more wind and more rain.

"I hope the wind and lightning don't throw a tree down across the
roadway," cried Phil, loudly, to make himself heard above the fury of
the elements.

"We've got our eyes open!" answered Dave. "I'll look over the
wind-shield," he added, to Roger, and lifted a corner of the front
curtain for that purpose.

"You'll get wet, Dave."

"Not a great deal, and I'd rather do that than have an accident," was
the reply.

Roger had thrown the car into low gear, so that the power was really
acting as a sort of brake. Slowly they slid along, over the wet stones
and dirt. Then came a sharp turn, and the senator's son slowed down
still more. The touring-car skidded a distance of several feet, and all
held their breath, wondering if they would go down into a small gully,
or waterway, that lined the road on one side. But in another moment that
danger was past, and all breathed more freely.

But almost immediately a fresh peril confronted them. At another turn
Dave sent up a warning cry:

"Brake up, Roger, there's a tree or a big limb ahead!"

Through the rain-covered shield the senator's son saw the obstruction.
He set both the hand-brake and the foot-brake, and all heard the wheels
and the chains scrape over the stones and dirt. But the car could not be
stopped, and two seconds later crashed into the tree limb, a branch of
which came up, striking the wind-shield and cracking it.

"Look out for that glass!" yelled Bert, in fresh alarm. "Don't get any
in your eyes, Roger!"

The youth at the wheel did not reply. Dave, quick to act, seized a
lap-robe that was handy and held it up in front of Roger, who did not
dare to leave the wheel. Then came a jingle of glass, but the pieces
fell at the feet of the boys in the front of the car. The automobile
itself slid on another ten feet, dragging the tree limb with it.

"Say, that was a narrow escape!" muttered Phil, when the danger seemed
over.

"We'll have to see how much damage has been done," declared Dave.

He crawled from the car and Roger followed. The other boys were also
coming out in the storm, but the senator's son stopped them.

"No use in all of us getting wet," he said. "I don't think the damage
amounts to muc