Bert Wilson at the Wheel

Scout" Climbe

th breakfast, but Mr. Hollis insisted that they take their time and eat a hearty meal. However, everything comes to him who waits, and at last they were ready to start. It had been arranged

, and Bert had received Mr

though we might have a little rain before the day is over. I don't like the looks of the sky ove

, I suppose," suggeste

of twenty miles or so each way, and see if you are as s

e auto, and, after adjusting spark and throttle levers, Ber

oar, and he quickly climbed into the driver's seat and threw in the clutch. Without a tremor the big car

hine around and between the bumps in the road, and even one who had never ridden i

seat beside Bert, leaned over and said, "Say, B

hile inspecting the "Red Scout," and said, "Yes, that there contraption may be all right on the level, and there's no getting over the fact

balked at anything yet, and I have a sneaking feeling that it wouldn't even stop at Dobb's hill. However, there is only one way of finding o

re of the machine than of the hill. He had been gradually giving the engine more gas, and now, when they were almost at the foot of the hill, he realized that the moment had come to call forth the supreme effort of the motor. He opened the muffler so as to get rid of all back pressure, and opened the throttle to its widest extent. With a bound and a roar the powerful machine took the hill, and to the boys in the car it seemed as though they had some powerful, willing animal working for the

went so far as to pat the sides of the car, and Bob expressed the general feeling when he said, "Well, I'd

he success of their climb, as even such a car as the "Red Scou

mentum, and long before they reached the bottom Bert had to apply the p

s exciting speed, and at the bottom eased in th

car and its occupants were intrusted, cast more than one dubious and anxious glance in the direction in which the storm might be expected to break. He hoped that they mi

d, and detailed the boys to different stores so th

now how, and whatever else you do, don't come back drunk." This raised a ge

her boys about his love for the machine, it was easy to see that he had

eason that anybody knew of, but someone had called it that once, and the name had stuck. The boys sometimes used it to exercise and perform feats of strength with, so heavy was it. So now, when Tom got it out of the tool box on the runnin

one. I'll bet we could take that hill now even a

er than I thought it could, and I guess you ought to have as much credit as th

o worship mingled with Tom's love for Bert, and no wonder. Ber

ything was safely stored in the tonneau, and the boys had time to wonder how they wer

the tonneau to see that nothing was shaken overboard, w

everybody that they would never be able to get back to camp

rm drops of rain. Bert wished then that they had a top to their car, but unfortu

, Bert; make a run for camp or hu

plied Bert. "I guess we'd better hunt cover right away," as a vivi

y expedition the other day," said Frank, "and I think that if you swi

of a mile they sighted the old barn, and were soon snugly established in it. To be sure, the roof leaked in places, b

on this, talking and listening to the rain, which by this time had increa

a splendid performance, Bob seemed to be inclined to sneer at Bert's handling of the car. He firmly believed that h

on't see that that makes much difference. I'll bet that if I had been running the 'Red Scout' this morning it would have gone up th

ld have run it up the hill backwards so that it would think it

to mutter about "getting the right mixture," and "easing her down to second speed,

know quite a little about automobiles, but usually lacked

he rain letting up for a while, Bert proposed that they have lunch. There was plenty

aving a real bang-up meal? We've got bacon and all the fixings here, and we all know how to cook

ried, "some of you fellows dive into the car and bring out the new frying pan and the Dutch oven we bought

d hot "corn pone" filled the old barn, the boys thanked their lucky s

seated themselves near the fire. Tom dished o

ge of the morning, and when he shouted, "What's the matter with Wilson?"

ere surprised and delighted to find that the sun had struggled through the clouds and

t Bert, and soon they were chugging out of the ol

any progress at all. The rain had converted the road into a quagmire, and although Bert brought the "Red Scout" from third s

the rear wheels simply turned around without propelling it. Bert finally threw out the clutch and the

this machine out. What you need for this road is not so much an automobile as a boat. However, it wouldn't sp

do it? This isn't exactly a flying machine, although it can go pretty fast, a

gnantly, "here you call yourself one of the crowd, and yet you are willing

Jim, sulkily, "but I'd just like to kno

old 'Red Scout' isn't going to leave us in the lurch now after all

lows, run back and bring me all the hay you can carry from that barn, will you? We want to get

f hay. When they reached the car Bert took charge of it, and placed it carefully

hat grass there," he explained, "we will be on firmer ground

Bert, and what are th

et a grip on the ground, and just skid around. If we had a network of chains over the ti

liged for the explanatio

satisfaction, and now climbed into the driver

r increased its revolutions, and when it had reached a good speed Bert gently eased in the clutch. There was a grin

let in the clutch, and each time the machine made a gallant attempt to free itself, but could never quite make it. Finally he reversed, but with

asked, "I confess I'm up a tree just at present.

l to his vaunted experience, "that if we could dig out a path in fr

rt, enthusiastically. "That's just what we'll do. Get that spa

e the boys had a path dug in front of the auto down to hard gravel,

ccess. The "Red Scout" surged forward with a roar, like some imprisoned wild creature suddenly given its liberty. Bert took no chances this time,

aces. Before starting again Bert turned around and said, "Fellows, I

from his comrades. He thought, and with reason, that he had demonstrated his know

heir continued absence. Accordingly, when he got on to the main road, he threw the gears int

e who sat in the big red automobile in the silence of good fellowship an

it seemed to them that there was indeed nothing more desirable in life than to be campers with such leaders as Mr. Hollis,

ce is as good as won already. I'm sure that with this machine and

t 'Gray Ghost' is certainly some racer. From what I have seen of our old 'Red Scout' to-day, however,-but there, I'm not going to say any more ju

lled smoothly into camp, and Mr. Hollis came to meet them with a relieved look on his face. At f

s experiences. After a short rest, supper was prepared, and while they all voted it delicious,

t night, Tom murmured drowsily, "Say, Bert, di

your hat

Scout' about the greatest autom

d off to sleep with a smile on his face, and the im