The Motor Boys Overland | Page 8

more, much more. I'll tell you, only don't hit me again. I'm sick, please don't strike poor Jim Nestor!"
"No one is going to hurt you," said Ned, in soothing tones, but the old man did not seem to comprehend. Ned felt of the miner's head, and found he had a bad cut on the back. He washed it off with some water and bound his handkerchief around it. This seemed to ease the old man, and he sank into a doze.
"Well, of all the queer adventures, this is about the limit," spoke Ned, to himself.
The boy glanced about the hut. There was nothing to throw any light on the strange happenings. The candle flickered in the draught from the open door, and cast weird shadows. The man breathed like a person in distress. Ned was about to bathe the wounded man's head again, when the sound of the automobile returning was heard.
"What luck?" asked Ned, running to the door. "Did you get him?"
Whereupon Jerry told of the fruitless chase after Jack Pender. The three boys entered the hut, and Ned told his chums what he had done to relieve the miner.
"He's got a bad wound on the head," he went on. "I guess Pender must have hit him. Jack probably came this way, saw the old man in here sick, and unable to help himself, and watched his chance to rob him. There must have been considerable gold-dust in that belt."
Jerry stooped down and gathered a little from the floor.
"There is some mystery here," he said. "I think we had better get a doctor for the old miner. After he gets better he may talk. I'd like to get my hands on Pender for a little while."
"So would I," chorused Ned and Bob.
"The question is, shall we take the old man back in the auto with us, or run back to town and bring out a doctor?" went on Jerry.
"I think we'd better go get a doctor and fetch him here," was Ned's opinion. "It might injure the old man to move him."
This was voted the best plan. They made the unconscious miner as comfortable as possible on the bed of rags, placed the pail of water where he could reach it, and prepared to run back to town. Ned volunteered to stay with the miner until they returned, but Jerry advised against it, as the hut was on a lonely road.
It did not take long to reach Cresville. Dr. Morrison was routed out of bed by the boys, and agreed to return with them in the auto, when the case had been explained to him.
"Just wait until I get dressed," he said, "and pack up some instruments and I'll be with you."
While waiting, Jerry examined the auto to see that there was plenty of water and gasolene in the tanks. He found everything all right.
While Dr. Morrison was making ready to relieve the sufferings of the miner in the hut, Jack Pender, on his motor-cycle, was still speeding on, to get as far away as possible from those in pursuit of him. When he turned from the road and cut across lots he thought very likely that the auto would not follow. But he was taking no chances, and, when he emerged into the highway again, about a mile farther on, he still ran his machine at full speed.
"That was a close call!" he exclaimed. "Who would ever have thought that those boys, the same ones who made all the trouble for Noddy, would be after me! I escaped just in time. I hope I didn't kill the old man, though it was a hard blow I struck him!"
Pender slowed down his machine and listened. No sound of pursuit came to him on the quiet night air. He stopped alongside of the road, under a big oak tree.
"Guess I'll light up and see how I made out," he said to himself. He lighted his acetylene lamp and, standing in the glare of it, drew from his pocket the belt he had stolen from the old miner.
"Feels heavy," he muttered. "Ought to be plenty of gold in it. Well, I need the money if I am to join Noddy. I must read his letter again."
He pulled out a sheet of paper and began glancing over it.
"Dated New York," he said. "He says he's having lots of fun and no end of larks with Bill Berry. I don't care much for Bill, myself. He never was any good around town, and he's a desperate man. Hum! let's see!" He turned to the letter again." 'Come and join me, Jack. We'll go West and have a good time. Bring some money.' Well, I've got the money, all right. Now to start West. I'll ride the motor as far as the depot and