“We had a race, and this is how I—­that is, we—­won it,” she said with a laugh.

Ed stepped out of his car and walked to where Sid’s silent machine stood.

“Radiator, eh?” he questioned.  “A bad break.”

“That’s what.  Cora collided with me—­but it was partly my fault,” added Sid quickly for jack’s benefit.

“And look at my nice, new mud guard,” spoke Cora.  “See how it hangs down, like a dog’s broken leg.  Isn’t it a shame?  I guess we’ll have to tear it off, so we can run.”

“Let me look at it,” suggested Ed.  “Maybe I can spring it back into place.”

“I never thought of that,”—­remarked Walter.

Ed was searching in his tool-box, and presently drew out some strong string.

“I never go without a bit of cord, a knife and some pins for just such emergencies as these,” he said with a laugh.  “I never know when I may be shipwrecked on a desert island.”

Ed skillfully sprung the guard back, and as one of the rivets was torn out, he lashed the protector into place.  It was only a temporary repair, but it would protect the occupants of the car from a shower of dust or mud.

“There,” said Ed finally.  “I guess that will answer.  The road ahead is pretty muddy.  Too much moisture from a sprinkling-cart, I guess.  I caught some of it.”

Cora turned to see if everything was in readiness for a start, and was surprised to find Mary in close conversation with Ida.  Both girls and Sid were in a group an the other side of the Whirlwind.  And another thing Cora noticed was that the faces of both Ida and Mary were unusually flushed.

“That’s rather odd—­that Mary and Ida should get so chummy,” murmured Cora.  “Sid must have introduced them to each other:” 

A moment later Ida looked over, and seeing Cora watching her, she quickly turned away and walked over to where Ed was locking up his toolbox.  She placed her hand on the seat of his small auto and began talking to him.

“I hear you are going into business,” Cora heard Ida say.

“Well, not exactly business,” replied Ed.  “I’m going to have some interest in the bank at New City.”

“Oh, yes.  I heard about it.”

“Say, Ed, have you all that—­” began Jack, and then he stopped quickly.  He had been on the point of asking Ed if he had with him the twenty thousand dollars in cash and negotiable securities, but he quickly reflected that such a question was not a proper one to ask on a public road.

“Got what?” inquired Ed with a laugh, but at the same time Cora saw him frown slightly at her brother.

“I meant to say, have you any of those fish with you that we caught last time?” asked Jack, laughing rather uneasily.

“Yes, I have them,” replied Ed, which was his way of replying to Jack’s implied question.

“Going over to New City?” asked Sid, coming around from an inspection of the broken radiator.