"Well, we got away in good shape!"
"We sure did; and fooled those fellows."
Thus spoke Paul and Innis.
"I'll show you that my car can go some, Mr. Cameron," said Dick, as he turned on more power.
"It may need to," answered the engineer.
"Why so?"
"Sam and Bill aren't going to give up so easily. And they have a speedy machine."
"You mean they may follow us?"
"I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they did. You know they were paid to see that no hostile interests got at me."
"And we might be regarded as 'hostile interests'; is that it?" inquired Dick, with a smile.
"Somewhat; yes. So put as many miles between them and us as you can. They're sure to discover, sooner or later, that I have gone, and they'll pursue us. But I think I put one over on them at that."
"How?" asked Paul, from the rear of the car, for Dick was driving.
"I poured water in the gasoline tank. They may be able to run for a few miles, but they're sure to stall sooner or later."
"Then there's no use in worrying," said our hero, and he had almost slowed down his car, when Mr. Cameron said:
"Don't bank too much on that. They carry an extra supply of the 'gas,' and they're sure to find out, in a little while, what the trouble is. They're both experts, and they were sent off with me on that account. Also, your Uncle Ezra's agents considered that it might be necessary for me to make a quick shift, so they provided a powerful car, and plenty of gasoline, though he did object most strenuously to the price."
"I can imagine him doing that," agreed Dick, with a laugh. "Well, then, we'll keep on for a while longer, and remain dark. It won't be so easy for them to trace us then, as this car makes very little noise for its size."
"I noticed that," said Mr. Cameron.
On they shot, over the desert. It was about an hour since they had left the dry gully where they had picked up the young engineer, and they had covered several miles.
Once Dick halted his machine, while they listened for any sounds of pursuit, but they heard none. If the other car was coming after them it was either following silently, or was so far back that no sound of its motor carried over the desert.
"And so you put water in their gasoline tank?" chuckled Dick, as he recalled what his guest had said.
"Yes, they were both playing 'seven-up,' and disputing over some intricate point, when I just took one of the water cans, and emptied it into the gas tank. I thought I ought to do something after their having taken most of the tricks so far."
"That was all right!" rejoined Dick. "I'd like to see them when they stall."
"Well, really I owed them something like that," went on the young engineer. "They had things their own way long enough. To think how I let them fool me makes me mad! And yet I believed what they told me—that they were in the right—I mean your Uncle Ezra and his friends—and of course as long as I was paid for my legitimate work, I saw nothing wrong in not coming to court to testify, particularly when they said that the other side had been guilty of the same kind of practice.
"But I see their game now. They thought I would never hear the other side. It was the luckiest thing in the world that I stumbled into your camp last night. It was fate. Do you believe in fate?" he asked Dick.
"I certainly do," answered that young man. "That is why I stuck those valuable papers—at least, they were valuable at one time—back of that glass where anyone could see them," and hetold of the experiences he and his chums had gone through.
In turn Mr. Cameron related some of his life's story. He was all alone in the world, having been left a small inheritance by his father. He took up the study of civil engineering, and made a success of it.
It was by accident that he had been hired by Mr. Larabee's agents to make the survey, and the rest followed by a "trick of fate," as he described it.
"I needed the money they promised to give me," he said, "or perhaps I should not have gone into the matter at all. I am intending to set up in business for myself, and the amount the lawyer named was very acceptable. I never stopped to think that I might be doing some one an injustice. The fact of the matter is, that I thought the trickery was on Wardell's side."
"I hope you are convinced now that it was not," said Dick.
"I am, perfectly. I think your Uncle Ezra, not to put too fine a point upon it, as the celebrated Mr. Snagsby would say—I think your Uncle Ezra rather put one over on me."
"I believe he did," said Dick, "and I'm glad I can be the means of correcting the wrong."
"And what will Uncle Ezra say when he finds it out?" asked Paul, with a chuckle.
"I'm afraid," answered the young millionaire, "that he'll have a fit; won't he, Grit?"
The animal growled, as he nearly always didat the mention of Mr. Larabee's name. Grit and Mr. Cameron, however, had made friends at once.
They drove on for a few miles farther, stopping now and then to listen for sounds of an auto coming after them, but they heard nothing. Then, as the way was getting rough, Dick decided to light the lamps, since it was hardly possible now for the two men to see them over the desert.
A short halt was made for this purpose, and then they got under way again. There was the coming of a pale light in the east, and Dick, looking toward it, said:
"The sun will soon be up. We'll keep on as far as we can in the cool of the day, and then halt in the best place we can find, for the engine easily gets overheated on this sandy desert. After rest, and a breakfast, we'll keep on."
All thought this was a good plan, and it was followed. They had put many miles between themselves and the two men when they slackened speed for the morning meal. The sun seemed to come up with a "pop" from the sandy waste, and immediately it was warm.
"Thank goodness we haven't much more of this desert," said Dick, as he helped his chums to prepare breakfast. "We can make better time when we get on harder ground."
"Are you going right into 'Frisco?" asked Innis.
"As straight as I can," answered Dick. "I don't want to run any more chances than I haveto, and there's no telling what the other fellows may do when they find that Mr. Cameron has deserted them."
"Would they telegraph in to the lawyers?" asked Paul.
"Very likely they would."
"Then they may be waiting for us when we arrive," said Dick. "We'll have to be careful."
"I agree with you," spoke Mr. Cameron. "Once they know I have gone over to the other side—the right side—they will do their best to discredit me. They may even cause my arrest on some trumped-up charge, to prevent me from going into court and giving my evidence to save Mr. Wardell's fortune."
"Then we'll be careful that they don't get you," said Dick, with a laugh. "I'll have some more coffee, Paul."
They were putting away the breakfast things, playfully scattering the wooden plates over the sand, when Innis, who had gone to the rear of the car, to look at the brake band, that needed a slight adjusting, called out:
"I say, Dick, they're after us!"
"Who?"
"Mr. Cameron's guards. There's a car coming over the desert behind us."
They all ran to look, and there, in the distance, could be seen a cloud of dust.
"Maybe it's a stage coach," suggested Paul.
Dick focussed a pair of field glasses on the cloud. Then he exclaimed:
"It's an auto, all right, and it must be after us, though I can't make out the kind of a car it is. Still, we'll take no chances. Come on, fellows, let's get a move on!"
They tumbled into theLast Wordand were soon speeding off over the sand.
"Lucky there isn't much more of this," said Paul. "We can't make any time here."
"And if we don't run into another sand-bog we'll be lucky," added Innis.
"We simply mustn't do that," declared Dick. "You fellows watch out, and so will I. We don't want to be delayed, for they would catch up to us then."
"They'll have hard work to get me to go back with them," spoke Mr. Cameron, grimly.
"Well, we don't want a fight if we can help it," said our hero. "If we can beat them, so much the better," and he glanced back to where the other auto was coming on in pursuit of the big car. Then Dick turned on more power, and watched the road ahead keenly. He wanted no accidents now.
But the auto behind was coming on swiftly. It was a powerful car, and was traveling light, while theLast Wordcarried a heavy load.
"But they sha'n't catch us!" murmured Dick.
From behind there sounded a report like that of a gun.
"A blow-out!" cried Paul.
"No, they're trying to signal us—with revolvers," said Mr. Cameron, with a chuckle.
Each one of Dick's chums said, afterward, that he thought the same thing at the moment Mr. Cameron made his statement—that the affair was more desperate than they had at first suspected. True, the men racing after them in the swift car might only be trying to attract their attention by the firing of revolver shots, but, knowing what he did, Dick was more inclined to think that it was done with the intention of injuring some one.
"Do you really think they're shooting at us?" asked Innis.
"Well, not so much at us, as at our car," said the young engineer.
"The tires!" cried Paul, with sudden thought.
"What kind have you?" asked Mr. Cameron.
"Not pneumatic!" exclaimed Dick, as he put on a little more power. "Cushions instead. It won't hurt them to get a few bullets inside."
"Good! For I think that's their intention," went on Mr. Cameron. "They're not in effective range yet, though. But they think they can disable us, and then get me back in their control again. They're going to have their own troublesdoing that though!" and he shut his teeth grimly. His former light-hearted manner seemed to have left him.
Paul took a backward glance at the oncoming car. Behind it there floated a little haze of smoke from the firing of the revolver.
"They're coming on," murmured the youth. "Can you get any more speed up, Dick?"
"I think so. I'm sort of doing it gradually, though, for this going is hard on the running gear, and I don't want a breakdown."
TheLast Wordresponded well to the demand made on her for increased speed. Faster and faster she raced over the sandy stretch of the desert, and now, Innis, looking back, reported:
"We're giving them the go-by, Dick, old man!"
"Glad of it. I thought we would. I have something left in reserve, too. I guess we'll make a get-away, all right."
"That water in the gasoline ought to work pretty soon, I should think," said Mr. Cameron. "They must have used up all that was in the feed pipe and carbureter, and the small auxiliary tank."
"I guess that's what's the trouble now, all right!" went on Innis. "See, they have stopped."
"Then they're stuck!" cried the engineer, joyfully. "It's all right, boys. They won't be able to find out what's the matter for an hour or more.They'll tinker with every part of the engine, and when they do find it's the gas we'll be far enough off."
"That's right," agreed Dick. "It was a good thing to do."
"The nerve of them, though—firing at us!" exclaimed Paul. "They might have hit one of us."
"I don't believe they would have done so intentionally," spoke the engineer. "The men are not as desperate as that. But the bullets might have glanced off. I imagine they fired low, just at the tires. But they had nerve even to chase after us, as if I were an escaping criminal."
"Do you think they had orders to prevent you from going away?" asked Dick.
"I believe they did," was the answer, "and to use force, if necessary. I didn't realize it before, but those men, including your Uncle Ezra, Mr. Hamilton, are probably desperate at the fear of losing control of this road. It means a big thing to them, and they want to beat Mr. Wardell if possible. But they shan't, if I can prevent it."
Dick, now that he realized that the chase was over for the time being, slowed up his car. They looked back along the level desert road, and saw, in the dim distance, the two men busy about their stalled machine.
"That will hold them for a while," said Mr.Cameron. "Now we can take our time about getting away."
Four hours later they had reached the end of the desert and had passed into Nevada.
"Into civilization once more," remarked Paul, as they saw the different nature of the country before them.
"And I'm glad of it," exclaimed Dick. "I've had enough of desert travel for a while."
"What is your programme?" asked Mr. Cameron, as they came to a pleasant place, where Dick decided they would stay for the night. It was sufficiently far from the main road to preclude the possibility of their pursuers finding them, even should they be able to get under way again. And that part of Nevada was not thickly populated.
"I think we'll head for Carson City," said our hero. "It will be the most direct route to reach San Francisco, and now that the matter of filing the papers within a certain date isn't so important, I want to get to the court as soon as possible."
"That's right," agreed the young engineer. "As soon as I can make affidavit to what I know your friend Wardell will be safe. Then it will be a matter of fighting it out legally, but he'll have a chance for his white alley, as the boys say. It won't be all one-sided. He'll have an opportunity to put his side of the case in, and I think the courts will restore his fortune to him. I'll do all I can for him, anyhow."
"That's very good of you," said Dick.
"Not at all. It's up to me to do that much, especially after what I did to knock him out—though I didn't mean to, and it was because I was deceived. I'll have a talk with your uncle, when I see him, Dick Hamilton," he added significantly.
"I don't imagine Uncle Ezra will show up around these parts, once he knows he is likely to be defeated," said the young millionaire, with a smile.
"He'll rather have it in for you; won't he, Dick?" asked Paul, as he patted Grit on the head.
"Well, he may," Dick admitted, with a peculiar smile; "but I'm not as afraid of my uncle as I used to be. I may tell him some things, too, the way I did when he tried to kidnap me."
"How was that?" asked Mr. Cameron, interestedly.
"Oh, when I went on a cruise in my ship," answered the owner of theLast Word, and he related the main incidents as I have set them down in "Dick Hamilton's Steam Yacht."
"He's as bold as an old-fashioned pirate—your uncle," remarked the young engineer when Dick had finished. "But, say, this is something like living!" he exclaimed, as he saw the preparations under way for getting a meal. "I'm glad I eloped with you boys. Can I help at anything?"
"You might see if you can get some water," suggested Dick. "That in the tanks is a bit stale, I fancy."
Soon they were merrily eating, and talking over their plans for the next few days. They slept that night in the auto, and in the morning were off again, no signs of their pursuers having been seen.
In due time they reached Carson City, and laid in a supply of food and gasoline. Then they hurried onward again. The road was fine in some places, and miserable in others, but they made fairly good time.
They were in California now, and the end of their journey was almost in sight. They might have taken a train, and gotten to San Francisco sooner, perhaps, and very likely it would have been safer to do so, considering the risks they ran. But if this occurred to them they did not give it a second thought.
Besides, Dick did not want to abandon his car, and he had a sort of pride in sticking to it throughout the whole journey across the continent.
True, Mr. Cameron might have gone on by himself, but when Dick suggested this the engineer said:
"No, I'm going to stick by the ship. I don't believe those fellows can get ahead of us. Anyhow, I want your testimony, Dick, to go in with mine. Besides, I hold the trump cards, so tospeak. They can't do anything without me, and the evidence I will give is the most important in the case.
"Another thing, I feel as if I needed protection, and you boys can provide it. If I started for 'Frisco all alone they might get hold of me somehow, and keep me out of the way until it was too late to do anything. So I'll just stick with you. Four are harder to handle than one, as they'll find if they come any of their funny tricks on us."
"That's right!" agreed Paul, while Innis clenched his fists suggestively.
The way was rougher now, and they were proceeding more slowly. The trip across the desert had somewhat delayed them, for the heavy car sank deeper into the sand than they had counted on, and the trip had consumed nearly three times as much time as it ordinarily does.
They were within a few hours' run of Sacramento, passing through a rather lonely region, when Dick, who was at the wheel, leaned forward, and through the open front windows of the car seemed to be listening to the chug-chug of the motor.
"What's the matter?" asked Paul.
"She doesn't seem to be running just right," he answered. "Something seems to be out of gear. Maybe it's one of the timers. I guess I'll have a look."
As he put out his hand to shut off the gasolineby the lever provided for that purpose, the big car came to a sudden stop of its own accord.
"A breakdown, I guess," murmured Dick. "And a bad place to have it in," he added as he looked about him. As he alighted, followed by the others, there came up behind them a powerful auto containing three men. This car stopped, and two of the strangers got out, approaching Dick and his friends.
"Something gone wrong?" asked one of the men, pleasantly, while the third member of the trio was getting out of the powerful car that had pulled up back of Dick's.
"Yes, the motor stopped without any reason, as far as I can see," said our hero. He gave a hasty glance at the men. As far as he could tell he had never seen any of them before. A look at Mr. Cameron showed that he was not perturbed at their arrival, for he was looking at some queer rocks at the side of the roadway.
"Perhaps I can be of some service," said another of the trio. "I know something of autos."
"We'll take a look," agreed Dick, as he opened the bonnet over the motor. "It's the first time it's gone back on me since I had it, except for a little brake trouble," he went on.
"It's a mighty fine car," said the stranger. "I don't know as I ever saw one like it."
"She was built to order," said Dick, not caring to go into details. Yet he had no intentionof concealing anything, for he realized that their enemies, if they desired to keep track of their progress, could do so anyhow, since the car was not one to be easily forgotten.
While Dick and the man who had admitted that he was something of an auto expert, were going over the motor, looking for the trouble, the other two strangers had gone back to their car.
"Want any help?" asked Paul, as he and Innis strolled about.
"I guess not," said Dick. "Make yourselves comfortable. We'll start as soon as we can."
Mr. Cameron was walking idly about, examining different geological specimens. Then the two men who had gone back to their car discovered that one of the tires had a puncture, and was down almost flat. They called this information to the one who was with Dick, and the latter answered:
"Better put in a new inner tube. We'll want to make time when we get away from here."
"Don't let me keep you," said Dick, quickly. "I think I may be able to locate the trouble myself."
"Well, I am in something of a hurry," the man admitted. "But, since my own car needs attention I'll stay with you until they get the tire fixed. Have you looked at the carbureter?"
"No, I was just going to."
Together they inspected that important part ofan auto's mechanism. They found it a little out of adjustment, and proceeded to remedy it.
"I imagine the trouble, as much as anything, is in the gasoline," said the stranger. "It's an awful poor quality they supply nowadays. It'll get so, after a while, that we'll have to use kerosene. In fact, I'm thinking of getting a car that has a two-jet carbureter on it, to mingle gasoline and kerosene. That's what we'll come to, after a while."
He and Dick talked interestedly of the mechanical side of autos, while the carbureter was put in shape for a test. Meanwhile the two men were working away at their tire. They seemed to be having trouble with it, and Paul and Innis were just going to ask if they did not want some help in return for the service their friend was rendering Dick, when Mr. Cameron exclaimed:
"I'll lend 'em a hand. I want to learn how to change a tire. I may have an auto of my own some day."
With the three of them at work, the tire was soon in shape and pumped up. But Dick's car would not respond. The self-starter was tried again and again, but, though the motor flywheel was turned over rapidly, the cylinders would not take up their work.
"She doesn't seem to be getting a spark," said the man. "How is your magneto?"
"It never has been out of order," said Dick. "Still, there is always a first time."
"Let's have a look at that," the stranger suggested, and he and Dick went around on the other side of the car where the electrical mechanism was located under the bonnet.
As they reached it there came from the other car the staccato sound of the exhaust. One of the men had started it going.
"Now don't let me keep you!" exclaimed Dick. "It's getting late, and we can bunk here all night if we have to. You can't."
"No, that's where you have the advantage of us. But I'll just have a look at your magneto, and then I'm afraid I'll have to be getting on. I'll be with you in a minute!" he called to his two friends. "Are you ready to start?"
"We will be in a minute," came back the answer. Mr. Cameron was standing near the machine, while Paul and Innis had strolled over to a spring and were drinking.
Suddenly, as Dick looked, he saw one of the men at the other auto make a jump for Mr. Cameron. The latter leaped back, but not in time to avoid being caught. The young millionaire had a glimpse of a white cloth being pressed over his friend's face, and a moment later the two men had lifted him into the tonneau. Then, while one held the struggling engineer there, the other leaped to the steering wheel.
"Come on!" he cried, evidently to the man with Dick. "We're ready now!"
"Good!" and with that the third man racedfrom Dick's side and the next instant was in the moving auto. A moment later it passed Dick's car with a burst of speed, and went down the road in a cloud of dust, bearing off Mr. Cameron.
For a moment Dick could not find his voice. Then as the significance of what had occurred dawned on him he cried out:
"Paul—Innis! They've got Mr. Cameron! It was a trick! Those are some of Uncle Ezra's agents! They're going to get Mr. Cameron out of the way and spoil our case. Come on!"
The two cadets came running back, surprise showing on their faces.
"We've got to get him back!" cried Dick.
"But how can you, with our car stalled?" asked Paul.
The young millionaire made a gesture of despair. Then with a last hope he sprang to the steering wheel and pressed the button of the self-starter.
With a whizz and a roar the motor began running. By some trick Dick and the man had remedied the trouble without knowing it. TheLast Wordcould proceed again.
"Good luck!" cried Innis.
"Come on!" yelled Dick. "We've got to chase them!"
The three made flying leaps for the car, and a moment later the strange race was on. But the other auto was out of sight.
"Say, they're regular kidnappers!"
"That's what! Wanting to help us was all part of the trick."
"I wonder how they overpowered him? He was a strong man."
"Chloroform, I guess."
"That's right," agreed Dick, the foregoing remarks having been made by his chums as the big car dashed along in pursuit of the other. "I smelled it," the young millionaire added.
"I do hope we can catch the scoundrels!" murmured Paul.
"It's a handicap, though, with night coming on," said Innis.
"Well, we won't stop until we have to," said Dick, grimly.
"How do you suppose they worked it?" asked Paul, as theLast Wordcareened on over the uneven way.
"They must have been trailing us," suggested Dick, as he held to the vibrating steering wheel. "Martin and Wickford probably got in touch with their crowd by telegraph after we got awayfrom them, and very likely mapped out the course we would probably take. They knew we had to come to San Francisco. Then they dropped out of the game—Martin and Wickford did—and some others took up the chase. The object was to get hold of Mr. Cameron so he couldn't testify."
"And they've done it," said Innis, gloomily.
"But we'll get him back!" asserted Paul.
"That's what!" declared Dick. "We'll keep on their trail until we get him away from them. Fate rather played into their hands this trip. If we hadn't become stalled they might not have caught up with us, as I was thinking of laying up over night, and they might have passed us in the evening.
"However, it can't be helped. We'll do the best we can. As soon as they saw us, when they came dashing up, they must have laid their plans. They knew our car the moment they laid eyes on it, and we were at a disadvantage, for we'd never seen them before."
"And we didn't suspect," added Paul, gloomily.
"No," went on our hero. "I even believe they punctured that tire on purpose."
"They might have," admitted Innis. "It's a wonder that fellow didn't put your motor out of commission for keeps, Dick, while he was working over it."
"He might easily have done so. I neversuspected a thing. But I was watching him pretty closely, for all that, for he didn't know as much about machinery as he pretended to. He couldn't have tried any trick without my seeing him, and I guess he didn't care to take any chances.
"His game was to hold my attention while his confederates worked things so as to get Mr. Cameron near their car. Then they grabbed him, stuck a chloroformed rag over his nose to take the fight out of him, and made their get-away."
"It's lucky your motor started when it did," remarked Innis, as he clung to the sides of the swaying car.
"That's right," agreed Dick. "We might have been stalled yet, only that luck was with us. I suppose monkeying with it the way we did, we put back into adjustment some little thing that was out of gear. She's running like a sewing machine now."
And indeed the big car was responding nobly to the demands made on her. The road was very good, fortunately. It was getting dusk, but the boys had no thought of even halting for supper. There were some sandwiches they could eat later on.
Dick switched on the powerful searchlights and the path ahead of them was illumined by a brilliant glow. Mile after mile they covered, and as it happened, the only crossroads they passed were so poor that it would have been dangerous for the car ahead of them to have turned off.
"Though they may slip into some side lane, and trust to us to run past," said Paul.
"Maybe," assented Dick. "The odds are against us, but we'll keep on."
"Look!" suddenly cried Innis, pointing ahead. Through the darkness they could see a single gleam of red, like some big ruby.
"Their tail light!" cried Dick.
"Unless it's some other car," said Paul.
"We haven't passed any, though maybe we're catching up to one that came in from some side road," admitted Dick. "Here goes for a spurt. Maybe we can catch 'em!"
He threw on all the power that was safe on such a road at night, and theLast Wordforged ahead. It was their one best chance to catch the other car, if indeed that was it, and they were taking advantage of it.
On and on they raced, the big auto swaying dangerously. Fortunately they did not have to worry about tire trouble, and this was something that might handicap the other car at a moment's notice. On and on they raced.
"The light seems to be brighter now," said Paul.
"I think we are catching up to them," agreed Innis.
"I hope so," murmured Dick. He peered ahead for a sign of any possible obstruction into which they might crash. At the speed they were keeping up, to hit anything, or have even a slightaccident, would be serious. But the big lights made the road very plain.
"They must have seen us," observed Paul.
"I fancy so," agreed Dick. "I wish we had some way of puncturing one of their tires."
Almost as he spoke there came from the car ahead of them a loud report.
"They're firing at us, just as those other fellows did!" cried Paul.
"No, that wasn't a shot!" yelled Dick. "Fellows, it's a tire blow-out. We've got 'em."
He gave the laboring motor of theLast Worda little more gasoline and adjusted the spark lever. The car responded promptly.
"We're overhauling 'em!" cried Innis.
The red tail light was growing more bright every moment. It could be seen that the other auto was losing speed. There was the sound of another tire giving way, and then the screech as brakes were quickly applied.
"We've got 'em!" yelled Dick. "Luck's with us to-night, all right!"
The other car was in full glare of the search-lamps of Dick's car now. Three figures were seen to leap out and make for the woods on one side of the highway.
"Mr. Cameron! Mr. Cameron!" yelled Dick. "Are you all right?"
There was no answer. A moment later the big car shot up alongside the stalled one. The boys leaped out, and a glance inside the auto theyhad pursued showed them the figure of the engineer huddled up on the floor of the tonneau.
"Are you all right? Have they harmed you?" asked Dick, opening one of the side doors. A murmur was the only answer he got.
"They've gagged him!" cried Paul.
A moment later the boys had the rag from the mouth of their friend, and had cut the cords that bound him. They helped him to his feet, and one of them brought him a drink of water from the big car.
"How are you?" asked Dick, anxiously.
"All—right—now," was the hesitating answer. "A little—knocked out, but still in the ring. You came just in time, boys."
"How is that?" inquired Dick.
"Ten minutes later they would have been at the railroad station, and had me aboard a train. Then they'd have taken me into the unknown again, and you'd never have gotten me until it was too late. You were just in time."
Little time was lost in transferring Mr. Cameron to Dick's big car. The young engineer was soon himself again, the slight feeling of illness, caused by the chloroform, passing off.
"Those blowouts came just in time to let us get you," remarked Dick, as he looked at the stalled car.
"Yes," agreed Mr. Cameron. "They ran so fast they overheated the shoes. I didn't think you could catch us."
"Oh, theLast Wordcan go some when she has to," said Dick, proudly. "I never called on her for as much speed as this before though. What did they do to you?"
"Nothing much, after they took me by surprise, and bundled me into their car. Then they gagged me, as I found out when I recovered my senses, and they trussed me up pretty well with the ropes. I could hear them talking, though."
"Were they some of Uncle Ezra's gang?" asked Dick.
"Yes, they were taking the place of my two former guards, Sam and Bill. I guess they hadtheir orders to hide me away somewhere so you boys couldn't find me until it was too late. But what are you going to do now?"
"Get something to eat, and then head for San Francisco as fast as the car will take us," said Dick. "We won't waste another minute. No telling what trick they may try next."
The meal, served in the big auto, revived them, for they were tired with the chase and worn by anxiety. Soon they all felt better and a little later they were on the move again, leaving the stalled car where doubtless the men would come back and get it.
"It's a wonder they didn't show fight when they found we were overhauling them," said Paul.
"I guess they didn't dare risk it," said Mr. Cameron. "They were taking enough chances with the law as it was. Well, I'll be glad when this is over so I can settle down to business again. I'll give my testimony as soon as I can, and then the case will be over."
As Mr. Cameron knew the roads well they made a night journey of it, coming at dawn to a fair-sized city where they stopped for gasoline. Then they continued on, and in due time came to San Francisco.
"Now what's the program?" asked Paul, when they realized that they were at the end of their journey. They had crossed this great continent.
"Get to a good lawyer, explain the case to him and have him fix matters up so your friend Wardell won't lose his fortune," said Mr. Cameron, and this was done, a call being made on Mr. Whitfield Ainslie, who was recommended by Mr. Tunison.
The lawyer agreed that no time was to be lost. Matters were put in shape for presentation to the courts, and Mr. Cameron's affidavits were filed. The papers Dick had taken such care of came in useful, though their importance was not as great as they would have been had not Mr. Cameron been able to tell what he knew.
Then came the day in court, when the other side, with the lawyers representing Mr. Larabee fighting in every way their trained legal minds could think of.
The judge heard all the testimony, including how Mr. Cameron had discovered the unexpected evidence, and how, under a misapprehension, he had agreed to keep silent about it. The manner in which Mr. Wardell gave up his railroad stock was also recited.
"Why is he himself not here to give testimony?" the judge asked.
"Because, your honor," said Mr. Ainslie, "he is really not needed. He has given Mr. Hamilton power of attorney to act for him. Besides Mr. Wardell is, I am informed by credible authority, in South America, trying to make a new fortune for himself."
"Well," remarked the judge with a little smile, "in that case I think we shall have to give him back his old one. I find for Mr. Wardell, let judgment be entered accordingly," and he signed the papers and turned them over to his clerk for formal filing.
"What does that mean?" whispered Dick to his lawyer.
"It means that you have saved Mr. Wardell's fortune for him. I congratulate you."
"Well, I had a race for it!" said Dick, grimly. "But it was fun after all."
Of course Uncle Ezra's lawyers tried their best to upset the judgment in Mr. Wardell's favor, but they were ruled out of court. Uncle Ezra even came on himself, crabbed and angry at having spent money on railroad fare.
"And so you're responsible for my losing all this money, be you, Nephew Richard?" he snarled, when he found he had lost his case.
"It wasn't yours by rights," declared Dick. "I'm sorry to have to go against you, but it was the only thing I could do."
"Humph!" sniffed Mr. Larabee. "Don't you let that pesky dog of yours nip me, or I'll sue you for damages!" he cried, as Grit growled and showed a desire to get nearer to Uncle Ezra's legs.
"Down, Grit," said Dick, quietly. "I don't suppose, Uncle Ezra," he went on, "that you'll want to ride back with us in the big auto. We'llbe touring back after we see something of California."
"I wouldn't ride with you for a farm!" snapped the old man. "Besides, I've got a return ticket an' I'm not goin' to let the railroad get the best of me. I've lost enough money as it is."
"You might sell the ticket," suggested Dick, but he hoped his relative would not ride back with him.
"Huh! Yes, and lose nigh half of it. No, sir, I'm going back in the cars!"
"Thank goodness!" exclaimed Paul in a low voice. And then, as Mr. Larabee left Dick's chum asked:
"Well, what's next on the program, old man? Do you think we'll have any more adventures like those we've just passed through?"
"I don't know," remarked, Dick, musingly. And what new adventures befell him and his friends will be related in the next book of this series, to be called "Dick Hamilton's Airship; Or, A Young Millionaire in the Clouds."
Uncle Ezra departed for the East next day, a very much put-out man. He said he never would forgive his nephew.
"Now look here, Uncle Ezra," remarked our hero, solemnly. "I don't care what you think, for I know I did right in this matter. You may have been fully within the law in what you did——"
"I was, Nephew Richard. I had the law with me."
"But not the moral law," went on Dick. "You might have been the cause of Mr. Wardell taking his life. He actually contemplated that as he was in such despair at losing his fortune. I was lucky enough to prevent him, and I saved his fortune for him, for the honor of my family."
"Humph!" sniffed Uncle Ezra, as he went for his train, Grit growling a good-bye. "Wa'al, maybe it's all for the best," he added grudgingly. "I've lost a pile of money, but still I wouldn't want anybody to suicide on my account."
"And now let's forget law and legal papers and all such stuff!" cried Dick, a little later. "We're going to have a good time the rest of the summer."
And that they did need not be doubted. Dick informed his father by telegraph of the success of the trip, and later wrote the main facts to him. In turn Mr. Hamilton sent Dick a letter that had come from Mr. Wardell in South America.
Thus in possession of the address Dick wrote telling of the saving of the fortune. And, as Mr. Wardell had not been as successful in South America as he had hoped to be, he came on home, and took up the management of his affairs, so luckily preserved to him. Mr. Cameron, in recognition of his services, was made chief engineer of the railroad, a position that exactly suited him. Mr. Wardell offered Dick a substantial sum,but the young millionaire turned it over to charity.
Criminal action might have been taken against the men who practically kidnapped him, but it was decided best to drop the matter, so they were not sought out, nor were those who had annoyed and tried to get the papers from Dick.
"And now let's tour California," said Dick one day, some time after all court matters were over. "We'll see the sights and start back across the continent so as to get to Kentfield when the football season opens!"
"That's the talk!" cried Paul Drew.
And here we will take leave of Dick Hamilton and his friends.
THE END