ghway that was fairly good, but much more
lonely.

"I suppose we'll get back to the main road before a great while," said
Cora.

"I hope so," returned Bess. "This looks dreadfully lonely, doesn't it?"

"Don't think about it," came from her sister.

On they went, the way becoming wilder each instant. Yet the road
itself was fairly smooth, so that it was not necessary to slacken the
speed of the cars.

"Something really smells hot," said Hazel. "Could anything ignite?"

"Not exactly," replied Cora, "but we don't want to get too hot. It
makes trouble."

She slackened just a bit to make sure that Hazel's anxiety had no
foundation in fact, for, indeed, the big machine was using its engine
and gas to the utmost capacity.

Just ahead the glare of the _Comet_ could be seen as it plunged into a
deep turn in a deeper lined wood. Jack, in his _Get-There_, was after
the first, and then the girls had difficulty even in getting a
responding sound from the toots and the blasts which all were
continually sounding.

"They are away ahead," said Bess. "I thought they had seen enough of
getting too far away from us. How do we know but that we might meet
the gypsies on this lonely road?"

"I wonder if it is late or early for motorists?" asked Cora of Hazel.
"We haven't met a single party."

"Just happened so, I suppose," said Hazel. "Surely people out here
must enjoy this sort of weather."

"Listen!"

Cora gave three sharp blasts on her horn, but no answer came. "The
boys are getting too far ahead.

"I will have to accelerate----," she called.

She pressed down the pedal and bent over the wheel as if urging the
machine to its utmost. Then there was jolt--a roar! a bang! Cora
jammed on brakes.

"A shoe is gone!" she cried. "Exploded!"

Without the slightest warning a big tire overheated, had ripped clear
off the front wheel, the inner tube exploded, and the car had almost
gone into a ditch when Cora stopped it.

Bess had seen the trouble, and was able to halt her car far enough away
to avoid a collision.

"Isn't that dreadful!" cried Cora, her face as white as the tie at her
throat. "It ripped off just from speed!"

"Can't it be fixed?" asked Hazel, who now was out beside Cora.

"Oh, of course! but how and when? I have another shoe, but to get it
on, and the boys, as usual, out of sight!"

She had pulled off her gloves and was looking at the split tire. It
was marvelous that it should have come o