Bert Wilson at the Wheel

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  BERT WILSON AT THE WHEEL

  THE BERT WILSON SERIES

  BY J. W. DUFFIELD

  An excellent series of stories for boys, full of outdoor life andadventures, athletic sports, etc. Wholesome, clean and instructive.

  1. BERT WILSON AT THE WHEEL. 2. BERT WILSON'S FADEAWAY BALL. 3. BERT WILSON WIRELESS OPERATOR. 4. BERT WILSON MARATHON WINNER.

  _Others in preparation._

  12mo. cloth with four illustrations in each, by H. G. Richards.

  Price each, 60 cents.

  He wrenched the steering wheel around, and headed itdirectly up the track.--(_See page 168_)]

  BERT WILSON at the Wheel

  BY J. W. DUFFIELD

  AUTHOR OF "BERT WILSON'S FADEAWAY BALL," "BERT WILSON WIRELESS OPERATOR," "BERT WILSON MARATHON WINNER."

 

  NEW YORK SULLY AND KLEINTEICH 1913

  COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY SULLY AND KLEINTEICH

  All rights reserved.

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER PAGE I. THE "RED SCOUT" 1 II. THE FLYING AUTO 8 III. THE COPPERHEAD 19 IV. THE CHALLENGE 30 V. THE HOBOES AND THE BEES 39 VI. SHORTY GOES TO THE ANT 50 VII. THE ANTS GO MILKING 61 VIII. THE GIPSY CARAVAN 76 IX. HOW THE "RED SCOUT" CLIMBED DOBB'S HILL 94 X. QUICK WORK 111 XI. THE FOUR-LEGGED RECRUIT 118 XII. THE YOUNGSTERS' GREAT DAY 127 XIII. DAVE'S TIGER STORY 148 XIV. WITH DEATH BEHIND 160 XV. MOUNTAIN SCOUTING 176 XVI. BY A HAIR'S-BREADTH 186 XVII. BIDDY HARRIGAN REMEMBERS 199 XVIII. THE RACE 206

  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

  He wrenched the steering wheel around and headed it directly up the track, _see page 168_ _Frontispiece_

  PAGE Three men of the roughest order were dancing distractedly around 46

  Then he swung the "Red Scout" squarely across the road, _see page 89_ 90

  Across the line it flew like a rocket, _see page 217_ 218

  Bert Wilson at the Wheel

  CHAPTER I

  THE "RED SCOUT"

  "What dandy luck."

  "It's too good to be true."

  "Who'd ever thought we'd have the luck to get it?"

  "It can't be true. I shan't believe it till it gets here."

  "Anyway, it _is_ true, and won't we have the niftiest time ever?"

  "Well, you might as well sit down, Bob. Running around like a hen withher head cut off won't make it come any sooner."

  "Aw, how's a fellow to sit still when a thing like that's on the way? Iwonder how long we'll have to wait. What can be keeping him?"

  A score of voices, talking singly, two together, all together, woke thewoodland echoes, silent through the long winter and tardy spring, goneat last. Summer had come and with it the annual encampment of a score ormore of manly, healthy youngsters, overflowing with animal spirits andvitality. For several years past, substantially the same group under thesupervision of a Mr. Hollis, a gentleman of sterling character andconsiderable means, had gone into camp together for two or three weeksof the heated season. Brimming over with life, the boys always made thecamp a lively place; but this summer a new and enveloping excitementseemed to have taken possession of everyone, and now all were plungedinto a discussion of the cause of the hullabaloo, the voices risinghigher and higher as each one sought to make himself heard above therest.

  Turning a bend in the road that brought the camp into view, Mr. Hollis,as he witnessed the excited gestures of the boys, and heard the volume ofsound caused by every enthusiast trying to talk at once, instinctivelyquickened his pace, for it almost seemed as though a serious altercationwere in progress; but as he came near enough to distinguish words andheard--"Six cylinders," "Forty-eight horsepower," "Chrome nickel steel,""Wheel base one hundred and twelve inches," "Diamond tires," "Autometer,""Safety treads," "Grip treads"--he realized that nothing more serious wasgoing on than a discussion of the relative merits of automobiles andtheir fittings. No wonder there was gesturing and loud talking. What boywould not rise to the topmost heights of enthusiasm at the thought of anautomobile in which he was to have a personal interest? Such a delighthad come to the camp, and since the announcement in the morning that onaccount of the long trips that the summer's plans would make necessary,the boys would be allowed an automobile for their own exclusive use,nothing else had been thought or talked about; and each eager boy wasimpatiently awaiting the return of Mr. Hollis to learn the make and allother details of that most wonderful car.

  Now, as he came into camp, the boys crowded around him and the wood rangwith cheers as he told them that the car would arrive the followingmorning. A volley of questions overwhelmed him: "How large is it?" "Whatspeed?" "What color is it?" "How many of us can ride in it at a time?"Question followed question in quick succession, until Mr. Hollis put hishands over his ears, and, refusing to answer any more, proposed dinneras a means of quelling the noise.

  The boys could scarcely have told of what their dinner consisted thatnight, so great was their excitement. All were glad to turn in early asthe surest way to bring the morning and the longed-for car. A full hourearlier than usual the lights were out and silence settled over thecamp, broken only by nature's mysterious night sounds. A belated rabbithomeward bound, keeping ceaseless vigil with round bright eyes,encouraged by the unusual quiet, crept close to the door of the messtent, and snatching a stray cracker from the grass, scurried joyfullyaway. At the distant menacing "Tu-whit, tu-whoo" of the night owl, thebirds stirred uneasily and nestled closer under cover of the shelteringleaves. The quiet hours crept on till at last morning dawned and gavepromise of a glorious day.

  Frank Edgewood was the first to open sleepy eyes, and seeing a fewclouds not yet dissipated by the early sun, woke the camp with thedismal wail: "Fellows, it's going to rain."

  "Put him out," "Smother him," "Duck him in the brook," came in a chorus;and Frank, taking to his heels, dropped the flap of his tent, with not amoment to spare.

  "Run early and avoid the rush," sang out Tom Henderson.

  "To pass he had such scanty room, The descending grazed his plume,"

  chanted Dick Trent.

  "Let's forgive and forget," said Ben Cooper.

  "Be glad we let you live, Frank," Bob Ward chimed in; and so theculprit, reassured, ventured out to breakfast.

  Again the all-absorbing topic was renewed, two vital questions claimingthem. What should they name their auto? Who would be able to run it? Thefirst was easy enough, for almost from the first they had decided, thecolor permitting, to call it the "Red Scout." The second was not so easy,for Mr. Hollis must be assured, for the sake of the general safety, thatthe driver should be fully capable. If only Bert Wilson were there, thequestion would be answered, for capable Bert in New York had studied themechanism of automobiles and grown very proficient in handling them; butthey were not sure that he would be able to be in camp with them thisyear. Expressions of regret were heard on all sides, for Bert had a verywarm place in their hearts. His splendid qualities had easily made himtheir natural lea
der and his absence was far more keenly felt than thatof any other fellow in the camp would have been.

  Still, Bert not being there, they must choose someone else, so Mr. Holliscalled for volunteers. Several answered, but their qualifications wererather doubtful, until Bob Ward said that he had had a lot of experiencein driving his uncle's machine, and felt very sure he could handle it. Soit was decided that the next day Bob should take them on their firsttrip, which would be in search of a new camp site, the old one provingtoo small for this year's requirements.

  While the question as to who should be chosen to drive the automobilewas being decided, Sam Fielding and Philip Strong, two of the youngerboys, had placed a long plank over a big rock which rested under theshade of a low-branched tree, and thus improvised a capital see-saw.When the question was settled, there was a general movement among theboys, and one of them, thoughtless of consequences, jumped upon Sam'send of the board. This added weight gave the other end a sudden jerkupward, and in a twinkling Philip was tossed into the boughs of thetree, where, his foot catching in a forked branch, he hung suspended,head downward, his jacket falling about and covering his head and face,while he yelled like a Comanche Indian.

  In an instant the entire camp was aroused and Phil was quickly extricatedfrom his uncomfortable position. At the sight of his astonished face, thewhole camp went into paroxysms of mirth, while peal after peal oflaughter made the woods echo again. Even Phil, now "right side up withcare," could not resist the contagion and joined in the merriment.

  It was many minutes before a normal condition of things was re-established,but at last the boys fell to discussing the proposed change of camp.

  "It's a shame that we have to change," said Charlie Adams; "I don'tbelieve we'll have such bully times in the new camp as we have hadhere."

  "Oh, I don't know," said Tom cheerily; "we'll have the dandiest fun,hunting new caves and things."

  "It will at least have the charm of novelty," joined in Dick Trent--Dickwas eighteen and sometimes used words and phrases so ponderous as togive him added dignity in the eyes of the other fellows. "Things will bealtogether different this summer," he went on; "having the auto willmake a great change."

  "Well, we're going to have a great time to-day, anyway," said Bob Ward;"Mr. Hollis says we are to make a flying trip in the new machine, and Iwill have a chance, while the man who brings it is here, to studyhandling the car."

  As Bob finished speaking, a distant but distinct "honk-honk" sent eachboy tearing down the road, where in due time a great, red, glisteningcar came up the turnpike like a gleaming streak of light, and, with agraceful curve to the side of the road, stopped. The car, _their_ car,the "Red Scout" had come!