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246 "Looks like it," Barcus admitted. "But so much the better. We'll just naturally take the darn thing off his hands, and I'll bet there isn't another car within fifty miles! We'll be well out of these mountains before he finds anything to chase us with."

But his confidence was demonstrated to be premature by the discovery, which rewarded the first cursory examination, that the car was very thoroughly out of commission.

Two minutes later, however, their earnest inquiries elicited the fact that Mesquite itself boasted two motor-cycles whose owners were not indifferent to a chance to sell them second-hand at a considerable advance on the retail list price of the machines when new.

And thus it was that, within ten minutes from Rose's discovery of that chance-flung warning in the dust, the party was again in rapid motion.

Mr. Barcus was the first to get under way, with Judith Trine occupying the extra seat over the rear wheel. And though Alan was little slower, the staccato chatter of the other motor had diminished to a merely steady drumming in the distance before the second machine began to move.

Now civilization has produced no noises more alarming and irritating than the chant of the steam riveter and the road-song of the motor-cycle.

Disturbed by the departure of the machine bearing