e-e!"

CHAPTER XIII

THE DAY OF THE BIG RACE

Bang--bang-bankety-bang-bang-bang! The ten scouts bounded out of bed at
once. All were wide eyed with excitement and wonder.

"What the dickens! An earthquake!" demanded Bud Weir.

Jiminy Gordon was the first one to the window.

"Gee whiz, look at him go!"

"Look at who--what?"

"Why that was one of the racing cars," said Jiminy. "They are tuning up
for the big races to-day. Guess it was a foreign car from the racket it
made. All the mufflers off. Couldn't make out just which car it was
though. Going so fast it looked just like a gray streak. I--"

"Bnr-r-r-r-r bumpety-boom-boom-boom-b a n g bang-bang!"

"Whoopee-e-e, here's another one," screamed Jiminy.

The ten scouts rushed to the front door of the building, ignoring the
fact that they were clad only in pajamas and night shirts, and waved to
the passing racer.

"Cracky, look at him tear up the beach," exclaimed Bruce.

"Rather early in the morning to risk one's neck, eh? It's only four
o'clock. Guess they are doing their last tuning up before the events
start," said Jiminy.

"Say, how do they race?" asked fat Babe Wilson. "Do they line 'em up
like a lot of sprinters and start 'em when a pistol is fired?"

"Well, they may do some match racing tomorrow, but to-day I think they
will hold their time trials. They will race to see who can make the best
time over the course," said Jiminy.

"How fast can they go?" asked Ray Martin.

"Oh, they can make a mile in half a minute. The world's record for a
mile is twenty-five and one-half seconds," said Gordon, who was more or
less of an authority on automobiles among the members of the Quarry
Troop.

"Gee Whizz! Say what can they make fifteen miles in? How long will it
take 'em to go the full length of the beach?" asked Bruce.

"Well, the world's record for fifteen miles is just ten minutes flat.
That's an old record and Dan Dacy says he's going to smash it to
smithereens to-day. Hope he does. Say, fellows, what do you say to
going down and looking over the garages before breakfast?"

"Fine, let's get some clothes on and we'll start right away," said
Romper.

Dressing was only a matter of a few minutes and presently the troop was
on its way down the boardwalk toward the point where the series of
green-peaked roofs located the garages of the speed maniacs. Although it
was not yet five o'clock in the morning there were scores of pe