The Auto Boys' QuestBraden, James A. (James Andrew)
General
The Auto Boys' Quest
Braden, James A. (James Andrew)
Automobiles -- Juvenile fiction; Young men -- Juvenile fiction
Into the cool, clear brook where the swift current eddied among some
stones, Billy plunged hands and arms elbow deep. He dashed the water
over his face with a half-shiver and ran to the towel left hanging over
night on the steering wheel.
"You fellows going to get up?" he inquired abruptly.
"Yep! Right away!" came the response from Phil, and with a reluctant
sigh he sat up and looked about him. From Dave and Paul came no answer.
"I'm going to get a bucket of water at the creek. I'll be back here in
about a minute, and anybody who's not up is going to get ducked! So
there's fair warning!" announced Mr. Worth. There was a note of
determination in his voice.
Maybe Billy even hoped the two still stretched snugly in their blankets
would fail to take him at his word. He would soon show them whether he
meant what he said or not, he thought. But by the time he reached the
brook Dave rose slowly and stretched himself. Seeing this, young Mr.
Worth lost no time.
Half filling the small bucket, he raced back to camp. The distance was
only a few yards. Two more quick steps and he would have reached the
prostrate Paul; but suddenly as if shot from a gun that young gentleman
leaped to his feet.
"Just saved _yourself_!" laughed Worth, making a move with the bucket as
if he thought a little cold water judiciously applied might be a good
thing anyway.
"Well, you want to remember that I gathered all the stuff for the smudge
last night, and I need my rest," said Jones with a half injured air but
with a sly smile, too.
"Well, that's so! Five minutes' work does quite exhaust some people,"
Billy returned with friendly sarcasm. "If you could possibly wiggle a
little firewood up this way and Phil will get the grub out while Dave
puts the blankets and things away, I'll see if we can't have a light
collation in the shape of breakfast."
Way was already kindling the fire with the remnants of last night's fuel
supply. Paul acted upon instructions with reasonable alacrity and a fine
bed of coals was ready by the time the bacon was in one frying-pan and
several large potatoes, washed, peeled and sliced, were in another.
Coffee and bread and butter completed the menu, and as a fine appetite
is another of the delights of open air living, the call to breakfast
was answered a great deal more promptly than Chef Billy's earlier call
to get up had been.
So was another day begun. So a little later was the Thirty again
measuring off the hard, smooth clay of the road while the bright June
sun and pleasant breezes combined to set off most delightfully every one
of nature's early summer charms.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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