er to his
older brother. "I don't know a thing about these roads."

"We'll have to trust to luck and the signboards," returned Dick.

"It will be all right if only you don't get on some road that is
impassible," put in Fred.

"And get stuck thirty miles from nowhere," added Songbird.

"You stick to dem roads vot haf stones on de got," said Hans wisely.
"Ton't you vos, drust der car to der tirt roads, no!"

"I shall follow Hans' advice and stick to the good roads," said Dick.
"I think the signboards will help us to get back to Philadelphia
sooner or later."

They sped down the hill and there found the road turned to the left
and crossed a small stream. Then they reached a corner with several
signboards.

"Hurrah! that's the way to Philly!" cried Sam.

"But it doesn't say how many miles," protested Grace.

"Never mind, we are bound to get there before dark, and that is all we
care," came from Nellie.

In the exhilaration of running the cars, Dick and Tom soon forgot
about the trouble with the chauffeurs. It was great sport, and as soon
as Dick "got the hang of it," as he said, he let the speed out, notch
by notch. His car ran a trifle more easily than did the other and
before long he was a good half mile ahead of that run by Tom. Those in
the rear shouted for him to slow down, but the wind prevented him from
hearing their calls.

"This is something like, isn't it?" said Dick to Dora, who was beside
him.

"Oh, it is splendid!" she replied enthusiastically. "I feel as if I
could go on riding forever!"

"An auto certainly beats a team all to bits, if the road is good."

They passed up another hill, and then through a patch of woods. Then
they made a sharp turn, and the car began to descend over a road that
was filled with loose stones.

"Say, Dick, you'd better slow up," cautioned Sam, as the machine gave
a quick lurch over a stone. "This road isn't as smooth as it was."

"I know it."

"I saw a road to our right," said Grace. "Perhaps we should have taken
that."

There was no time to say more, for the automobile was jouncing over
the stones in too lively a manner. Alarmed, Dick, who had already shut
off the power, applied the brake, but he was not used to this and he
jammed it fast so it did not altogether prevent the car from
advancing.

"Oh, we must stop!" screamed Dora, a moment later. "Look ahead!"

Dick did so, and his heart gave a leap of fear. Below them the stony
road was narrow, and on on