In this fashion they came upon the road at last. Of course, their eyes
immediately turned down its sinuous way to the quarter whence the
excitable popping sounds still continued to come.

The sight that met their eyes amazed them. All of the chums had
naturally expected that they would discover some mischievous school
companions, who, seeing them coming, had hatched up this little game
with the intention of playing a practical joke.

Nothing of the kind. On the contrary, they saw two of the motorcycles
bobbing along in the most erratic manner possible, moving from one side
of the rough road to the other, and mounted on the same were a couple of
roughly dressed men, either tramps, or journeymen on the road looking
for a job.

"Tell me about that, will you!" gasped Jerry.

"Why, the blooming idiots mean to steal our machines!" cried Bluff.

"Oh! what luck that I thought to take my camera with me!" came from
Will.

Frank only made one remark, but it was characteristic of the boy:

"After them, fellows!"

Then began a mad chase. Had the road been half-way decent, the boys
would have had no chance of overtaking the thieves; but those exposed
roots, while not bothersome to the lumbermen, proved extremely so to the
men who were trying to make off with the motorcycles.