The Motor Boys on the Pacific | Page 8

track on your face instead of sitting
here," responded Bob. "No, it's one on the aluminum car. She's out of
the race," he added as he gave a quick glance back. A few minutes later
there was another noise-- a crashing sound-- and the motor boys, by a
quick glance, saw that the rearmost car in the race had, by injudicious
steering, been sent through a frail fence which surrounded the track.
The radiator was broken and, though no one was hurt the car was put
out of business. That left but four cars-- Noddy's green one, the yellow,
the red one of the motor boys', and a purple affair. They were speeding
along in that order, and, a few seconds later something went wrong
with one of the cylinders of the purple machine, leaving but three
contestants. Then the yellow car shot ahead of the red one containing
the motor boys.
By this time one circuit of the track had been completed, and a start
made on the second lap.
"Think we're catching up?" asked Bob, as Jerry cautiously fed the
engine a little more gasolene.
"Well, we're holding our own," was the answer of the steersman, "and I
think we're catching up to the yellow car again. If we pass that I'm not

so sure but what we can come in a close second to Noddy."
"I don't want to come in second," spoke up Ned. "I want to beat him."
"So do I," replied Jerry, "but it's not going to be so easy. Our car's
doing well, but we can't expect wonders of it."
"The race isn't over until you're at the finish tape," said Tom Jennings.
"Keep on, boys, I'd like to see that Nixon chap beaten. He thinks he
owns the earth."
For two miles there was no change in the position of the cars. Then
slowly, very slowly, Jerry saw that his red machine was overtaking the
yellow car. Inch by inch it crept up, the steersman of the rival car doing
his best but failing to get more speed out of the engine.
"Too bad we have to pass you!" cried Jerry, as he careened past the
yellow machine.
"That's all right," sung out the steersman good-naturedly. "Beat that
other one, if you can."
"We're going to try!" yelled Ned, above the noise of the exploding
cylinders.
They were on a straight stretch then and, as Noddy looked back and
saw the red car closer to him than it had been before, he put on more
speed. His green auto shot forward but Jerry still had something in
reserve, and he let his machine out another notch.
"He's got to slow up for the turn!" cried Ned. "Maybe we can pass
him!"
"Yes, but we've got to slacken up too, if we don't want a spill," replied
Bob.
"That's so," admitted Ned.
Noddy did slow up, but not much, and his car skidded worse than at

any time yet. It looked as if it was going over, and a cry from the
spectators showed that they, too, anticipated this disaster. But, with a
sharp wrench of the steering wheel, Noddy brought the car back toward
the center of the track.
Jerry swung around the turn at reduced speed, and, because of the
chains, his machine did not skid more than a few inches.
"Good thing you have those chains on," commented Tom. "They may
come in handy at the finish."
"That's what I put them there for," answered Jerry.
For another mile there was little change in the relative position of the
cars of Noddy and the motor boys. Jerry thought he had cut the bully's
lead somewhat, but he still felt that he was far from having a good
chance to win the race. Still, he was not going to give up.
"Two laps more and it's all over," said Bob, as they began on the final
mile. "Can't you hit it up a bit more, Jerry?"
"I'll try."
Just a degree faster came the explosions of the cylinders of the red car.
But also, still faster, came the reports from Noddy's auto. He was not
going to be beaten if he could help it.
Around the two machines swung, the yellow car having given up and
dropped out. There was a confused shouting from the spectators, and
Bob could distinguish cheers for the red auto.
"We've just got to win!" he cried. "Win, Jerry! Win!"
Try as he did, by "nursing" the engine, Jerry could not gain an inch on
Noddy's car. The red machine was fifty feet behind the green one, both
going at top speed. Only an accident, it seemed, could make the motor
boys win.
As they swung into the last lap Ned cried:

"Noddy isn't going to slow down for