ompound pulleys, which would enable considerable force to be
applied. Mr. Sharp detached one of the powerful oil lamps, and the
three travelers took a look at the auto. It was indeed deep in the mud
and it seemed like a hopeless task to try to get it out unaided. But
Tom insisted that they could do it, and the rope was soon attached, the
hook of one pulley being slipped around one of the braces of the bridge.

"Now, all together!" cried the lad, as he and his friends grasped the
long rope. They gave a great heave. At first it seemed like pulling on
a stone wall. The rope strained and the pulleys creaked.

"I--guess--we--will--pull--the--bridge--over!" gasped Mr. Sharp.

"Something's got to give way!" puffed Tom. "Now, once more! All
together!"

Suddenly they felt the rope moving. The pulleys creaked still more and,
by the light of the lamp, they could see that the auto was slowly being
pulled backward, out of the mud, and onto the hard road. In a few
minutes it was ready to proceed again.

The rope and pulleys were put away, and, after Tom had made an
examination of the car to see that it had sustained no damage, they
were off again, making good time to the hotel in Burgfield, where they
spent the night. They had an early breakfast, and, as Tom went out to
the barn to look at his car, he saw it surrounded by a curious throng
of men and boys. One of the boys was turning some of the handles and
levers.

"Here! Quit that!" yelled Tom, and the meddlesome lad leaped down in
fright. "Do you want to start the car and have it smash into
something?" demanded the young inventor.

"Aw, nothin' happened," retorted the lad. "I pulled every handle on it,
an' it didn't move."

"Good reason," murmured Tom, for he had taken the precaution to remove
a connecting plug, without which the machine could not be started.

The three were soon under way again, and covered many miles over the
fine country roads, the weather conditions being delightful. On inquiry
they found that by taking an infrequently used highway, they could save
several miles. It was over an unoccupied part of country, rather wild
and desolate, but they did not mind that.

They were whizzing along, talking of Tom's chances for winning the race
when, after climbing a slight grade, the auto came to a sudden stop on
the summit.

"What's the matter?" asked Mr. Sharp. "Why are you stopping here, Tom?"

"I didn't stop," was the surprising answer, and the lad shoved t