It was a dreadful thing to do. Choking and sputtering, the ruffian dropped
his revolver and raised both fists to his tortured eyes.

"I'll get you for this!" he cried between great sneezes that threatened to
tear him apart. "You just wait--"

But Betty refused to wait. As soon as the fellow had dropped his weapon
she had started the engine, and now she guided the car past the stuttering
robber and raced off down the road.

Mollie, who had only half understood what was going on but who had caught
enough of it to be considerably alarmed did not stop to ask questions, but
sped off down the road after Betty.

It was half a dozen miles farther on that Betty finally slowed the car and
waited for Mollie and the others to catch up with her. Grace, who had been
gradually recovering from her fright, had not yet recovered enough to ask
any questions. She had been too much concerned in putting miles between
them and the scene of their adventure.

As Mollie came up alongside, Betty drew her first free breath.

Of course Mollie and Amy and Mrs. Irving wanted to hear all about it, and
Betty told them what had happened, her account interrupted by hysterical
laughter.

But when she came to the pepper gun, the girls' expression of utter
bewilderment changed to admiration of Betty's quick thought and quicker
action.