The Broncho Rider Boys with Funston at Vera Cruz | Page 5

antics and glided smoothly along.
As by a miracle it had run completely over the space from which the rail had been loosed and landed upon the good track, down which it now sped.
So unexpected was the change from ties to track that Adrian and Billie were unable for a few moments to understand what had happened. Then Billie rushed to the door and seized the hand brake.
"Grab hold and help stop this car," he yelled to Adrian, "or there is no knowing where we'll land."
Adrian hastened to obey, but the wrench that had been given the car when the engine broke loose had put the brake out of commission and the car sped on.
The three Mexican guards now appeared on the platform and gazed wildly up the track where they could see the fight going on between the bandits and their companions.
"What shall we do, Se?or?" asked one of them.
"Search me," from Billie. "How long is this grade?"
"It is down hill all the way to Pitahaya."
"How far is that?"
"Ten kilometers from Pachuca."
"That must be about three miles farther," said Adrian.
"Correct," from Billie, "but unless it's a mighty steep up-grade the other side of Pita-what's-its-name, we're going so fast we'll not stop till we've run away past it."
"Well, what of it? We can coast back, can't we?"
The car gave a lurch to one side that almost threw the boys off the platform.
"We're certainly going some," called Adrian. "Hang on!"
And hang on they did until they dashed past the little station of Pitahaya and after several minutes began to slow down.
"This is a little better," Adrian finally remarked as the car showed some sign of coming to a stop.
"Yes, indeed," from Billie. "I suppose we'll come to a dead stop soon. Do you think she'll start back on her own hook, or shall we have to start her?"
"We'll soon see," and see they did, for a couple of minutes later the car came to a stop.
For some minutes the five occupants of the car waited to see if it would start back down the grade. When it did not they got off to decide what could be done.
"It's a mighty steep hill," Billie ventured. "Looks as though the five of us ought to start it. Let's try."
The five put their shoulders against the car and pushed with all their might, but it refused to budge.
"If we only had a crowbar," said Adrian, "we could start it in a jiffy. Suppose some of you look in the car. There might be one there."
The three Mexicans jumped to obey.
Directly they appeared in the doorway with a large claw-bar in their hands.
"Will this do?" asked one.
"Sure! Throw it off," said Billie, "and I'll soon start the old caboose."
Picking up the bar, Billie inserted the claw under one of the wheels while Adrian stood with his hand on the car rail ready to spring aboard.
At the first attempt the claw slipped and nothing happened, but at the second attempt the wheels yielded a little.
"This time she'll go," Billie called. "All aboard!"
Adrian sprang onto the car as Billie bore down upon the bar and the wheels began to revolve.
"Never mind the bar," cried Adrian as he saw that Billie was raising the implement to throw it onto the platform. "Jump aboard!"
Billie started to obey, but the advice came too late. As he dropped the bar it struck one end of a tie, flopped over and hit him on the shin.
"Wow!" he yelled, grabbing his ankle with both hands.
"Never mind your leg," shouted Adrian. "Jump on or you'll be left."
Billie tried to obey, but the car was now under headway and although he sprinted his best, he was soon left behind.
Adrian started to jump off the car, but seeing his intention Billie called to him not to do it.
"I'll get there some time," he called. "Just tell them I'm coming," and he stood in the middle of the track looking ruefully after the rapidly disappearing car.
After some moments he picked up the claw-bar and threw it spitefully into the ditch beside the track, as much as to say, "Lay there! You're the cause of all the trouble." Then he started slowly after the car.
In the meantime Adrian was flying as fast back toward Pachuca as he had been flying away from it only a few minutes before. It could not have been more than ten minutes altogether since the wreck of the engine and Adrian figured that if the grade were steep enough the car might gain momentum enough to carry it back to the scene of the trouble; but he had little hope that it would.
When he shot through Pitahaya on his return trip, however, he saw that the car was going at a terrific rate of speed.
"What do you think?" he asked one of the Mexicans.