at the same time
that he endeavored to get possession of the reins.

"Look out! Don't make a fool of yourself!" cried Jim, sharply.

And he urged the horses on until he had worked them up into such a state
that it required all his strength to hold them.

To have attempted to seize the reins then would simply have been to
capsize the buggy, for the road was so rough that the least deviation
from the beaten track, at the pace the horses were then going, would
have been fatal, and Ralph was obliged to acquiesce in the flight by
remaining perfectly quiet.

On the horses dashed as if bent on the destruction of the carriage.
Behind could be heard the clatter of hoofs, as the pursuers did their
best to overtake the violators of the law, and in the advance was the
carriage, with its deadly load, that the least concussion would liberate
in all its dreadful power.

CHAPTER X.

THE RETURN.

In the excitement of the flight, and the sorrow caused by the thought of
the injury which was being done his friend, in which he was forced,
unwillingly, to take part, Ralph almost entirely forgot the dangerous
load in advance, until an exclamation of triumph from Jim caused him to
look ahead, when he discovered that Bob was no longer in sight.

Ralph was almost certain that they had just passed the road that led to
the new camp, and equally positive that Bob had driven in at that point,
but there was nothing to show that the torpedo-wagon had been driven in
there, and Jim was too much occupied with his efforts to keep in advance
of his pursuers to answer a question, or even to speak.

George's horses, of whom he was so fond that he would never allow them
to be forced to full speed, were urged by both whip and word until they
could no longer trot, but were running madly on, while the light
carriage swayed from one side of the road to the other, until it seemed
certain it would be overturned.

Ralph was powerless to prevent such use of his friend's property, but
he entered his protest against it by saying:

"This matter of using George's team to permit your own to escape is
something on which I have not been consulted, nor have I been permitted
to say anything about it. I think I understand why Hubbard got me away
from the stream before George came down, and I say to you now, as I
shall say to both of your friends, that it is a mean piece of business,
and one which I would do all in my power to prevent if it was possible
f