those in the automobile looked back
they saw Hellig arise and shake his fist after them, and Snall waved
his arms wildly.

"We'll hear from them again, I suppose," said Sam.

"And they'll hear from me," answered Dick, "and the fellow who sent
them out to run the cars for us will hear from me, too," he added.

Tom was quite a distance ahead, but they soon caught up to his car. By
this time they were out of sight and hearing of the hotel, and going
down the other side of the hill they had come up.

"If you wish, you can take the lead," said the fun-loving Rover 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 dem 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'