“Around the block would mean about fifteen miles extra,” said Dora, who knew all about country “blocks.”

“I don’t know the roads, so I’ll keep to the one we came on,” answered Dick.  “All ready?  Then off we go,” he added, and started on low speed, which he soon changed to second and then high.  “This is something like!” he cried as he settled back with his hands on the wheel.

“Keep your eyes on the road, and not on Dora,” cautioned Tom.

“Say another word and I’ll drag you from Nellie and make you run the car,” retorted Dick, and then Tom shut up promptly.

Mile after mile was covered, and Dick proved that he could run the big automobile fully as well as the regular driver.  The moon was shining brightly, so that it was very pleasant.  The party sang songs and enjoyed themselves immensely.

They were still two miles from Ashton when they came to a turn in the road.  Here there were a number of trees, and it was much darker than it had been.  Dick slowed up a trifle and peered ahead.

Suddenly the front lamps of the machine shone down on something in the roadway that sent back a strange sparkle of light.  Dick bent forward and uttered an exclamation of dismay.  He turned off the power and jammed on both brakes.

“What’s the matter?” cried Sam and Tom in a breath, and the girls gave a scream of fear.

Bang! came a report from under the car.

One of the tires had burst.

CHAPTER XV

AN AUTOMOBILING ADVENTURE

“What did you run over?” asked Sam.

“Look for yourself,” returned his big brother.  “This is an outrage!  I wish I could catch the party responsible for it,” he added bitterly.

Dick had stopped the touring car in the midst of a quantity of broken glass bottles.  The glass covered the road from side to side, and had evidently been put there on purpose.

“Say, do you think that chauffeur had anything to do with this?” demanded Tom.

“Hardly,” answered Dick.  “If his story about the fire was not true he’d know he’d be found out.”

“Maybe it was done by some country fellow who is running an auto repair shop,” suggested Sam.  “I’ve heard of such things being done—­when business was dull.”

“Well, we’ll have to fix the tire, that is all there is to it,” said the oldest Rover.  “Might as well get out while we are doing it,” he added to the girls.

“Lucky you stopped when you did,” said Tom as he walked around the machine.  “If you hadn’t we might have had all four tires busted.”

“What a contemptible trick to play,” said Dora as she alighted,

“Can you mend the tire?” asked Nellie as she, too, got out, followed by her sister.

“Oh, yes, we can mend it—­or rather put on another,” said Dick.  “But we’ll examine all the tires first,” he added, taking off a lamp for that purpose.