put
the starting gear out of commission to begin with. Here he is, and
grinning at a great rate."

The third rider slowed up as he approached the spot where they awaited
him. No danger of the two men starting their car, and swooping down on
the allies; if they commenced to run on foot toward Rod and his chums it
was only necessary to leap into their saddles and be off like the wind.

"It worked like fresh grease, Rod!" panted Josh, as he threw himself
down from his seat, and held one hand to his aching side, for that
boisterous laughter was weakening him more or less; "oh! they fell into
your little trap like innocents. It was like taking candy from the baby
to work them like I did."

"There they are, shaking their fists at us right now!" burst out Hanky
Panky, as he pointed along the road toward the deserted house.

"It's about all they can do; when you come to think of it!" grinned
Josh.

"We were getting cold feet when we heard them shooting, old fellow; and
I hope none of the lead so much as touched you! I saw the dust fly up
after nearly every shot, it seemed to me."

"I rather think the fellow meant to hit my wheel and disable it,"
explained the latest arrival; "but it isn't so easy to do a thing like
that, when a motorcycle is speeding along at the rate of a mile a
minute. No matter what he aimed to do he missed his guess, and I gave
him the slip."

"Rod here says you must have jammed his self-starter so it wouldn't work
when he tried it; how about that, Josh?" asked Hanky Panky, who never
would be satisfied until he had learned all the particulars.

"You just bet that was what I did the first thing," the other told him
exultantly; "but I had another card up my sleeve, too. You see they
might hammer that back into shape again, and get a move on; but I fixed
it so they'll not chase after us to-day."

"What did you do, then?" demanded Hanky Panky.

"I had my big knife all ready," said Josh grimly, "and I used it with
all my might and main."

"On the tires, do you mean, Josh?"

"Every one of them is sliced and slashed the worst way you ever saw,"
replied the other. "I never was guilty of doing such a mean thing before
in all my life; but it was absolutely necessary if we meant to shut off
pursuit. You ought to have heard the air sizzling out after I jammed
that big blade through, and ripped it along! Whee! it was mighty
exciting, because I half expected to see one of the men come rushing out
any old