they did so, for at a turn they suddenly came upon some broken
bottles thrown down just where the machines had to pass. Dave gave a
yell of warning, and turned off the power and applied the brakes just in
time, and, as before, Roger had to turn into the bushes, to avoid
striking the turnout ahead.

"They thought they'd make us cut our tires," said Dave.

"Right you are," answered Phil. "Phew! If we had gone over that glass we
might have had some nasty punctures or blow-outs."

"They ought to be arrested for this!" said Sam, wrathfully. "It's
against the law to put glass on a public highway."

"We can't prove they did it," answered Ben. "If we accused them, of
course they would deny it. But it shows their meanness."

The boys got out and picked up some of the glass, and swept the rest
aside as well as they could. Then the machines were started up once
more, and soon they came in sight of the Hook Stock Farm, and Dave
beckoned to a man who stood near the gateway.

"Have you lost one of your bulls?" he asked.

"We sure have!" answered the man, quickly. "What do you know about him?"

"We know he tried to run off with our autos," returned Dave, with a
grin, and then told the man the story, and described where the animal
could be found. While he was speaking two other stock farm hands came
up. They had been looking for the bull since early morning.

"He's a valuable beast," said one of the men. "I hope he ain't hurt
none."

"He isn't hurt--and we are mighty glad he didn't hurt us," said Phil.

"Oh, he won't hurt nobody--if he's left alone," said the man.

"How can he hurt anybody, if he is left alone?" was Roger's dry query.
But the man was too dull to see the joke.

From the stock farm hands, the boys found out which were the best roads
to take, and then passed on again, up hill and down dale for a distance
of six miles, when they came out on a broad and well-kept highway.

"Good! This is what I like!" cried Dave, and turned on the power until
the touring car was moving along at a lively rate. Roger "hit her up,"
as he called it, also, and before long they had covered an additional
ten miles. Then they had to go over a hill, beyond which lay the village
of Lester.

"Let us stop at Lester for some ice-cream soda," whispered Phil to Dave,
and the latter agreed.

At the foot of the hill there was a turn, and Dave slowed up to make
this, and Roger did likewise. Then, as they passed a deep and muddy
ditch, Dave