The Motor Boys on the Wing: or, Seeking the Airship Treasure. Young Clarence

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СКАЧАТЬ nothing!” retorted Ned, after a look to the rear. “It’s Noddy Nixon, and he’s coming on at a terrific clip. Look out Jerry! He’ll do something spiteful just for fun. Keep over.”

      “I’m over as far as I dare go,” replied the tall lad. “I don’t want to slide into the ditch,” for the road at this point was bordered by deep marshy gutters on either side. It had rained that morning, and the hollows of the road were filled with muddy water.

      On came Noddy, his horn wildly tooting, and his cut-out muffler thundering like a battery of small guns. His machine was increasing its speed every moment.

      “He’d better look out on the turn,” said Jerry to his chums, as he slowed up.

      With a whizz and a roar the machine of the bully passed the one containing our heroes. This was at a point on the road where there was a big puddle. Into it splashed the big-tired wheels of Noddy’s car, and instantly a shower of dirty water was sprayed all over our friends, drenching them, and soiling their trim car.

      “Wow!” yelled Noddy in derision as he passed. “Wow! Look out for me! I’m a terror!”

      “You’re a sneaking coward! That’s what you are!” shouted Ned, wiping the muddy drops from his face.

      “By Jinks! Look at my clothes!” wailed Bob.

      “The sneak!” burst out Jerry. “I’ll fix him for that!”

      “Take after him!” urged Ned. “We can beat his car all to pieces! Overtake him, and we’ll haul him out and rub his nose in the mud! The cad!”

      “I’ll catch him all right!” declared Jerry grimly. “We’ll get even with him for this, all right.”

      It was the work of but an instant to turn on more power, and the speedy car of our motor boys shot ahead down the road after the fast-disappearing vehicle of the bully.

      “There! He made the turn!” cried Ned.

      “And on two wheels,” murmured Jerry. “He’s taking chances.”

      On thundered the pursuing auto. Jerry slowed up at the turn, but even then he took it at such speed that the machine skidded unpleasantly.

      Once more they swung out into a straight stretch, and as they did so there came a simultaneous cry of surprise from the three boys.

      For there before them, off to one side, and stuck deep in the muddy road-side ditch, was the car of Noddy Nixon. But the bully was not in it, nor was he in sight. He had suddenly disappeared.

      CHAPTER IV

      NODDY NIXON’S PLIGHT

      “What can have happened to him?” asked Ned.

      “That’s his auto; isn’t it?” demanded Bob.

      “Surely,” answered Jerry. “No mistaking that; but Noddy isn’t in it – that is unless he was knocked unconscious and has slipped under the seat.”

      “Let’s look,” proposed Ned. Jerry had brought their own car to a stop, and as the three lads alighted, peering anxiously toward the stalled machine for a sight of the bully, they were startled by hearing a groan of distress.

      “What’s that?” cried Bob.

      “It sounded like – him!” declared Jerry.

      “Oh – Oh fellows – help me – Oh I’m – I’m stuck!” exclaimed a woe-begone voice.

      Simultaneously our friends turned their gaze in the direction of the cry. It came from a slimy black pool of mud and water, off to the left of the Nixon car, which was in the slough over the hubs. The sight that met the gaze of Jerry and his chums was enough to excite their pity, even though the victim was their worst enemy.

      Noddy Nixon was standing in the mud puddle which came considerably over his waist, and from the condition of his face, it was evident that he had been flung in head first, and had, after a struggle righted himself. He was covered, streaked, spotted and speckled with the black, slimy mud. It dripped from his shoulders, dripped from his extended hands, and even oozed from his chin in a slimy stream.

      For a moment our heroes gazed at him without speaking, then Jerry uttered an expression combining surprise, dismay and pity.

      “Well, what do you think of that?”

      “He certainly is all in,” was Ned’s opinion.

      “Good and proper,” murmured Bob.

      Probably the hardest thing Noddy Nixon ever had to do was to appeal for help to the three boys whom he had, many times in the past, used so meanly. Yet there was no way out of it.

      “Oh – oh, fellows,” he faltered. “See if you can’t help me out of here. I – I’m stuck.”

      “How’d you get there?” asked Jerry for want of something better to inquire about.

      “I – I stopped my car too suddenly,” replied the bully trying to wipe some of the mud from his face with a still muddier hand. “It skidded, and I put on the brakes hard, and I was flung out.”

      “You didn’t pick out a very good place to land in,” grimly remarked Bob.

      “Guess he didn’t have time,” suggested Ned.

      “Oh, aren’t you going to help me out?” begged Noddy.

      “Do you mean help you out, or your car?” asked Jerry. “Why can’t you wade over to solid ground? Then we’ll help you pull out your car. That’s stuck pretty bad too.”

      “No, I – I can’t wade out,” replied Noddy helplessly. “I’m in a sort of muck, or quicksand. Everytime I try to take a step I go in deeper. I need a board or a fence rail, or – or something to help me. Oh, please, fellows – I know I’ve been mean to you – but forgive me and help me out!”

      “It’s about time you got wise to the fact that you did us some mean turns,” spoke Ned. “How about splashing mud on us a little while ago?”

      “I’m sorry I did that.”

      “Yes, you are now, but the next time you get the chance you’d do the same thing,” declared Jerry.

      “No, honest I won’t!” promised Noddy, and he was in earnest – at least for the time being.

      “Well, you don’t deserve to have us help you out, but we can’t see you in this plight without doing something,” went on Jerry. “Try once more to pull yourself out. I don’t fancy getting all covered with mud.”

      Noddy tried, but it was of no use. The more he struggled to free himself, the deeper he sank, and he was evidently very much alarmed – so much so that he began to blubber.

      “Oh, now, stop bellowing, and we’ll help you,” cried Ned, much disgusted by the cowardice of the bully. “Come on, fellows, get some fence rails, and we’ll see what we can do.”

      The rails were brought, and extended to Noddy in a sort of criss-cross platform to support him. In placing them our friends got in the mud over their shoes, but there was СКАЧАТЬ