Jim! Don't slip on it – just put it on," giggled Julie, the irrepressible.
"Humph!" was all the reply she got at the stale joke.
"Jim, I'll help you," now offered Betty, willingly.
"You gals just sit still, will you?" growled Jim impatiently, as he jumped out into the muddy road.
The wind came tearing down the valley that lay between the mountains, driving shreds of storm-clouds before it. Gusts of rain dashed against Jim's face as he peered and poked about the stubborn engine, but still the obstinate machine refused to budge.
"I can't see a durn thing that's the matter with it!" shouted he, trying to make himself heard above the whistling of the wind.
"Better get back in your car until the worst is over," called back Mrs. Vernon.
So they all waited patiently for the rain to cease, but the storm grew worse, while the clouds seemed to fairly empty themselves right over the stalled cars. Suddenly Jim gave a frightened cry:
"Great Scott, Captain! The river's overflowin' her banks, and this road's gettin' under water!"
"Then we've just got to get out of this fix somehow!" wailed Mrs. Vernon, gazing helplessly around for aid.
"I'll try to work my car close up to the other and see if I can't push you ahead," suggested Jim, starting his engine as he spoke. But this idea failed to render the assistance they looked for.
"I think you need a good hard impact to send you out of that mud. The wheels are stuck," called Julie, who had been considering the plight.
"But how can we get an impact? Jim can't crush in the radiator on his car, you know! And the fender won't do it," said Ruth.
"Let a few of us get some of those stout rails from that fence and shove them under the back of the machine. The rest of the girls can tie a rope to the front and pull. Then when we give a signal, Jim can push with his machine, while Verny throws hers into high – something ought to happen with all that!" suggested Julie.
Anything seemed better than sitting helplessly while seeing the water slowly rising in the roadway. So the plan proposed by Julie was put into operation. Two long rails were shoved, one under each side of the back of the car, with two scouts ready to apply all their youthful muscle up on each rail. Four scouts stood in front holding to a rope, ready to pull. The Captain sat at the wheel ready to speed, and Jim waited in his car behind, ready to drive on.
"Now, when I yell 'go,' every one strain your muscles fit to crack. It's the only way we'll get out of this," ordered Julie.
"Tell us when you're going to say 'go'!" begged Ruth.
"I'll shout 'One, two, three – go' – then go!"
Julie braced herself, took a deep breath, and cried, "All ready – one, two, three – go!"
Four in front pulled with might and main. Mrs. Vernon's engine chugged ready to break. Jim almost pushed the radiator in, and the four scouts pushing on the rails – well, "they were not."
Jim was heard roaring unrestrainedly, while four girls in front were standing and staring as if at an apparition. All the time, the rain fell in a deluge, but Mrs. Vernon jumped out into the mud to see what had happened at the rear. Then she, too, gasped.
Both the rails were completely worm-eaten, but how should girls have known that? They were placed under the car at a dangerous angle for their future use in the fence, and when the good strong muscles of four scouts brought their weight upon the rails to lift the car somewhat, the timber quickly split up and precipitated the four boosters, face downward, in the mud.
"Oh, dear me! This is the last straw!" moaned Mrs. Vernon.
"No – the last rails!" sputtered Julie, trying to laugh.
"Girls – hold your faces up to the rain and it will wash the mud from your eyes!" yelled Judith, who waited on the running board for further developments.
She had hardly spoken when a swift shaft of blinding light and a deafening crack of thunder sent a panic into every one. They were stunned for a moment, and then such a howl as went up from nine lusty throats!
"We're struck!" yelled some.
"Oh, we're killed!" added others, but it took only a second after they had caught their breaths to pile, willy-nilly, into the cars, where they huddled until the fright had subsided.
Shortly after the lightning had struck a large tree further up the road, the rain suddenly stopped and the sun shone out as hot and bright as ever.
"My! I feel like Pollyanna would," sighed Julie. "'I'm glad, glad, glad' we weren't standing under that tree!"
"We can only die once," responded Ruth, sighing as she gazed down at the flooded road.
"Ruth thinks she'd rather die quickly, than by slow degrees in being choked in this mud," laughed Julie, catching Ruth's thought.
Every one laughed and that made them feel more cheerful. Then just back of them came the sound of horses' hoofs and a kindly voice called out, "Well, well, this is some plight you-all are in, eh?"
They turned and beheld a nice old man sitting astride one plow-horse and leading a second.
"Reckon you didn't know this was one of the worst roads in the county when it rains."
Mrs. Vernon explained how it came about that they were there, and the old man said, "Fortunately, I cut across that field in order to reach home. I was late and, as this is meeting night, I have to leave home earlier than usual. Now I can help you pull out, 'cause my team is pretty powerful."
He hitched his horses to the front of the stalled car, and it was soon pulled up on higher ground where Jim could crawl under and see what was wrong with the works.
"We are most grateful to you, sir, for your timely help," said Mrs. Vernon. "How much do we owe you for this great service?"
"I'm glad I could help, madam. I am the parson of the district, hereabouts, and I try to do good by the wayside as I walk this life-road."
"Then, if you will not accept a gift for yourself, you cannot refuse it for your flock. We will give to any needy one in your parish," said Mrs. Vernon, handing him a folded bill.
Being sent along the right road with the minister's directions and blessing, the cars soon reached Rockwood, and from there, followed the usual route to Delgeville. The highway now ended, and a pretty country road took its place as far as Salisbury, where a turnpike road began and continued as far as Middleville. From the latter town onward, the roads were indifferent or bad as far as Gravesville.
There were many interesting experiences for the scouts to write up in their books later on, such as running into a balky herd of cows and being threatened for damages by the farmer; holding their breaths when Mrs. Vernon ran over a lot of broken glass sprinkled across the road – but the tires held and no damage was done; stopping to bargain for a string of fish that a little freckled-face boy had for sale; and last, but not least, just before reaching Gravesville, being warned by a girl of twelve of a masquerading constable, further up the road, who arrested more speeding drivers than any other constable in the county.
When asked why she showed the scouts this partiality, the girl said: "Because I'm going to be a scout myself,
