The Rover Boys in Business | Page 4

given this
order before supper."
"I did," and Tom grinned at his younger brother. "I took it for granted
that you would make the trip." And thus speaking, Tom leaped into the
driver's seat of the new touring car. Then Sam took his place beside his
brother, and in a moment more the car was gliding out of the garage,
and down the curving, gravel path leading to the highway running from
Ashton past Brill College to Hope Seminary.

As Tom had predicted, it was a clear night, with the full moon just
showing over the distant hills. Swinging into the highway, Tom
increased the speed and was soon running at twenty-five to thirty miles
an hour.
"Don't run too fast," cautioned Sam. "Remember this road has several
dangerous curves in it, and remember, too, a good many of the
countrymen around here don't carry lights when they drive."
"Oh, I'll be careful," returned Tom, lightly. "But about the lights, I
think some of the countrymen ought to be fined for driving in the
darkness as they do. I think----"
"Hark! what sort of a noise is that?" interrupted the younger Rover.
Both boys strained their ears. A shrill honk of a horn had been followed
by a heavy rumble, and now, around a curve of the road, shot the beams
from a single headlight perched on a heavy auto-truck. This huge truck
was coming along at great speed, and it passed the Rovers with a loud
roar, and a scattering of dust and small stones in all directions.
"Great Scott!" gasped Sam, after he had recovered from his amazement.
"Did you ever see such an auto-truck as that, and running at such
speed?"
"Certainly some truck," was Tom's comment. "That must have weighed
four or five tons. I wonder if it came over the Paxton River bridge?"
"If it did, it must have given the bridge an awful shaking up. That
bridge isn't any too strong. It shakes fearfully every time we go over it.
Better run slow, Tom, when we get there."
"I will." And then Tom put on speed once more and the automobile
forged ahead as before.
A short run up-hill brought them to the point where the road ran down
to the Paxton River. In the bright moonlight the boys could see the
stream flowing like a sheet of silver down between the bushes and trees.

A minute more, and they came in sight of the bridge.
"Stop!" said Sam. "I may be mistaken, but that bridge looks shifted to
me."
"So it does," returned Tom, and brought the automobile to a standstill.
Both boys leaped out and walked forward.
To inspect the bridge in the bright moonlight was easy, and in less than
a minute the boys made a startling discovery, which was to the effect
that the opposite end of the structure had been thrown from its supports
and was in danger of falling at any instant.
"This is mighty bad," was Sam's comment. "Why, Tom, this is
positively dangerous. If anybody should come along here----"
"Hark!" Tom put up his hand, and both boys listened. From the top of
the hill they had left but a moment before, came the sounds of an
approaching automobile. An instant later the rays of the headlights shot
into view, almost blinding them.
"We must stop them!" came from both boys simultaneously. But
scarcely had the words left their lips, when they saw that such a course
might be impossible. The strange automobile was coming down the hill
at a furious rate. Now, as the driver saw the Rovers' machine, he
sounded his horn shrilly.
"He'll have a smash-up as sure as fate!" yelled Sam, and put up his
hand in warning. Tom did likewise, and also yelled at the top of his
lungs.
But it was too late. The occupant of the strange automobile-- for the
machine carried but a single person-- tried to come to a stop. The
brakes groaned and squeaked, and the car swept slightly to one side,
thus avoiding the Rovers' machine. Then, with power thrown off and
the hand-brake set, it rolled out on the bridge. There was a snap,
followed by a tremendous crash, and the next instant machine and
driver disappeared with a splash into the swiftly-flowing river.

CHAPTER II
TO THE RESCUE
The accident at the bridge had occurred so suddenly that, for the instant,
neither Rover boy knew what to do. They saw that the farther end of
the bridge had given way completely. Just where the end rested in the
water they beheld several small objects floating about, one of them
evidently a cap, and another a small wooden box. But the automobile
with its driver was nowhere to be seen.
"My gracious! That fellow will surely be