Indeed, unless they soon came upon him, Elmer would begin to worry, lest those reckless blades in the Fairfield car had declined to wait for darkness to come in order to hide their actions, and had already carried their plan into execution. It was therefore with a purpose that Elmer shaded his speed down until they were not moving along much more than twice as fast as a walker would go. "Keep tabs on the road to the left, boys, as we go," he called back. "What for?" demanded Toby, eager to do whatever the leader wished, and yet not able to see for himself. "Notice any signs that might stand for a struggle," Elmer went on. "Good gracious! Elmer, do you think they've jumped Lil Artha already?" demanded Toby; and from the rear Nat called out: "Didn't you say you thought they'd hold over till it got dark enough so he couldn't recognize 'em, Elmer?" "That's right, I did; and I still believe so," replied the leader, confidently. "When I ask you to help me look for any signs of a free-for-all scrap, I don't believe we'll find such a thing; but I'm just insuring the correctness of my ideas." "Oh, that's it, eh?" said Toby; though from the manner in which he uttered the words it could be plainly seen that he failed to fully grasp Elmer's true meaning. But with three pairs of young eyes on the watch, it was not very likely that anything in the nature of marks indicating a scrimmage would escape. A lot of boys engaged in a wrestling match would be apt to leave many traces on the road; for knowing Lil Artha as they did, the three chums felt sure he could not be hauled into that Fairfield auto without a desperate resistance. Once Nat sang out something that sounded as though he had made a discovery; and instantly Elmer gave the signal for a stop. With his heart beating like a trip hammer he dropped his machine and hurried back. "Where is it, Nat?" he asked, eagerly, ready to attempt the reading of such signs as might be found on the dirt of the road. Nat's eyes opened wide. "Where's what?" he asked, as if astonished. "Didn't you sing out that you'd seen something that ought to be investigated?" asked Elmer. "Why, not that I know of," replied Nat, seeming rather confused. "But you did call out something?" went on the other, hardly knowing whether to feel provoked or to laugh. "Sure I did; but it was only to tell you I was feeling as empty as a sugar barrel that's been scraped clean. When do we get a snack, I'd like to know?" Nat replied, rubbing the pit of his stomach as if to indicate its state of emptiness. "Well, if that ain't the worst cheek I ever struck," growled Toby; "to stop us just when my machine had got into its best stride, and was humming most beautifully!" "Oh, come off your perch!" cried Nat. "I didn't stop you--never dreamed of such a thing. It was an accident, that's all."