"Gee, whiz, now what d'ye think of that for a hummer! The old story over again of the traveler on the highway falling among thieves. My stars, Elmer, now who under the sun do you think would be so mean as to run off with your machine!" "I don't know--yet; but I'm going to find out," replied Elmer, setting his teeth in a way he had when greatly aroused. They saw him bend down again, and start to examine the ground near a tree, against which he evidently had leaned the motorcycle at the time he hurried to the rescue of his comrades in distress. "Get next to him, would you, Toby?" remarked Nat, as he watched the mysterious actions of the one who had been robbed. "Why, sure, I can understand what he's doing easy enough," the other declared. "Then for goodness' sake put me wise, won't you please?" cried Nat. "He's examining the tracks left by the chap who got away with his machine while he was working with your old ice wagon!" observed Toby, proudly. "Well, now, I guess that's just what he is doing, sure as you're born. And don't I just hope he gets on to him! How is it, Elmer?" as the scout leader started to move away. Toby and Nat followed as close to his heels as they could, considering that he immediately moved into the woods; and they were compelled to trundle their heavy machines along, no easy task under the best of conditions. "He went this way, all right. I only hope he won't think to smash the thing when he finds we're after him," said Elmer over his shoulder. He was keeping his head bent low, and following the trail with apparent readiness. The lessons he had learned when on that ranch in the Canadian Northwest were undoubtedly coming in "pat" just now; though really the trail was so very plain that even a novice might have followed it. "Who d'ye thing could have done it, Toby?" asked Nat, as he pushed his motorcycle through the scrub with a desperate intention not to be left behind. "Well, Elmer hasn't said a thing yet; but all the same I can give a pretty good guess," returned the other. "Go on and do it, then, for I'm all in the dark and up a stump. Put me wise, Toby." "Huh, reckon you forget mighty soon!" grunted the other, who was struggling manfully to rush his heavy wheel along and did not have any spare breath, to tell the truth. "Oh, slush, now I'm on!" cried Toby. "You mean them Fairfield chaps that came out here to break up Lil Artha's great winning streak?" "Sure!" Toby grunted again, beginning to conserve his breath when possible. "They flagged us, and saw a chance to put us on the blink!" exclaimed Nat who, like Lil Artha, was more or less addicted to present-day slang, though otherwise he was known to be a clean fellow, with no serious faults. "That's it!" snapped Toby, gritting his teeth as though even the thought made him furious.