sin' them 'ere lundsharks is on ther road now? They will sight us
again along ther trail," said Tim.

"We can make a detour," replied Jack. "The only place they are apt to
use to waylay the coach will be along the ledge mentioned by the
storekeeper."

"Fer sure." assented Fritz, "Ach, I vish me dot ve vos fighdin' dem now!
Let her gone, Shack!"

The inventor started the Terror off.

It had begun to rain.

There was every indication of a wet night.

Jack had informed himself about the roads.

Both he and Tim put on their rubber clothing and occupied the front
seat, where they managed the wheel.

A detour was made, and several miles further along they struck into the
high road again.

"If the stage-coach in any manner resembles the Terror," said the young
inventor, as they ran along, "I think I know of a way in which we can
substitute this vehicle for it and fool the bandits, should they waylay
her."

"Decoy 'em, eh?"

"Yes. We can easily disguise this coach."

"By hitchin' ther stage horses onter it, yer kin do it."

"I'll make the venture anyway, if I can meet the stage."

"When I wuz aboard o' ther frigate Wabash, we once played that ere trick
on a pirate," said Tim. "Yer see, it happened---"

But Fritz heard him.

And produced his accordeon.

Its horrible tones rang out.

Tim stopped and was just going to expostulate, when Jack put an end to
the playing by saying:

"Stop that, Fritz!"

"But dot yarn---"

"The road agents may hear it."

That settled it; the music ceased.

It made Tim chuckle, and he said:

"Gosh blame yer fat mug, I'll spin ther yarn anyway now! As I wuz
a-tellin' yer, we wuz arter a pirate, an' as a passin' ship captain told
us he seen ther lubber a-hidin' in a bay, we made up our minds ter
disguise ther frigate so's ter haul up inter gun range o' ther lubber.
So we sot ter work, an' paintin' her white, we altered her rig, an' bore
down on ther bay. In we went, but ther pirate had gone. Whar? Nobody
knowed. We was disappinted. Whar wuz we ter look next? No one knowed. So
we sailed away. Night fell. We hadn't gone far afore we sighted her ten
leagues away ter ther---"

"Say! You can't see thirty miles at night."

"I meant to say three leagues---"

"Nor three leagues---"

"One league then, gosh blame it!"

"That's better."

"Waal, we sighted her b'arin' down on us."

"And then?" asked Jack, smilingly.

Why, we let her git right up ter us, thinkin' she had a