Page:Hugh Pendexter--Tiberius Smith.djvu/256

 exceeding union hours that Tib Smith and a Campbell might zip along on the decayed results. Then I remembered we had been fracturing the scenery for more than an hour without once veering to the north, and I sought to dig my companion out of his joyous reverie by pointing at the sun.

"‘Of course it can't always last,' he sighed. 'We'll turn about soon.'

"As he surrendered something spluttered villanously, and he stopped the car so suddenly that I was snatched to my feet and found myself gracefully hanging head-down over the cow-catcher.

"‘Tire busted?' I cried; for all I knew about motor-cars you could brusqulybrusquely [sic] thrust into the bandaged eye of an invalid and cause no hurt.

"He grumbled something about a disconnected wire and the contact-box and hopped out to burrow lovingly under the car and to tickle the mechanism.

"‘Two things I never understood,' his muffled voice panted. 'One is a woman and the other is an auto. Gimme the wrench.'

"‘Maybe these folks behind can help us,' I suggested, innocently, as my eye caught sight of a clump of men afoot just surmounting a rise.

"And, great Scott! If you could have only heard him give a series of farewell taps with the wrench and could have seen him shoot from under that