CHAPTER IV

STALLING THE RED "SMATTACH"


"That's the very thing!" muttered Tom Reade at last.

"It can't get us into any scrape with the law, can it?" queried
Dave Darrin, with almost unwonted caution.

"I don't see how it can," smiled Dick Prescott. "I'm no lawyer,
but I can't see how our trick, the way we intend to play it, can
be called a breach of the law."

"Let's not lose any time with the game," urged Reade. "Let's
get in and do it before Dodge and Bayliss come back. I wonder
where they are, anyway?"

"I don't care where they are," said Dave, "as long as they keep
away from here until we're through with what we intend to do."

From its place in the runabout car Tom drew forth a wheel-jack.
This he and Dave fitted under an axle, raising the wheel half
aft inch off the ground. Dick rapidly remove the tire from that
front wheel.

By the time he had finished Tom ran with the jack around to the
other front wheel, removing the tire from it also.

As the red runabout carried no extra tires the little car was