"True, lad, but ye must remember that it was their duty to put the sign up at the beginning of this road, which is on the top of the hill. If the sign had been there we would never have started to come down this way." "Perhaps we missed the sign," put in another cadet. "Of dot is so, ve besser run pack und stop udder carriages from comin' dis vay," broke in Hans Mueller quickly. "Listen to dot!" They all listened, and heard merry cries of laughter and carriage wheels rapidly approaching. "A carriage--with ladies!" gasped Sam. "Come on and stop them!" And away he, dusted up the hill, as well as his short legs would carry him. Hans, Larry, and several others followed. They had barely gained the top of the hill when a large carryall belonging to John Laning appeared. In the carryall were the farmer and his two charming daughters, and, Mrs. Stanhope, who was his sister-in-law, and her daughter Dora. Mrs. Laning was also present, along with several neighbors. "Hi, whoa! stop!" yelled Sam. "Stop!" "Hurrah for Putnam Hall!" cried Grace Laning, waving a tiny flag toward Sam, which made the younger Rover blush. "Glad to be able to congratulate you, Sam!" said Dora Stanhope. "Where are the other members of the football team?" "Just ahead--down by the gully. You mustn't drive down here, for the bridge is down." "Bridge down!" ejaculated John Laning. "Darwell said he was going to mend it this week, but I saw no sign up at the cross-roads." "Neither did we, and we came near to going overboard. As it is, we had a pretty bad smash up!" "Indeed!" came from Mrs. Stanhope, in alarm. "And was anybody hurt?" "Dick was thrown out and knocked unconscious, and Frank Harrington had his chin cut, while the rest of us were pretty well shaken up. Peleg the driver was thrown into some brushwood and that most likely saved his life." Mrs. Stanhope grew pale, for she remembered only too well that fateful ride she had once taken with Josiah Crabtree, which had almost cost both of them their lives. "I will go to the poor boy!" she said, and leaped to the ground, followed by Dora and the two Laning girls. Soon the carryall was led to the side of the road, and the others alighted, to see what damage had been done. CHAPTER III THE MISSING DANGER SIGNAL When Sam came back he found Dick sitting on a rock with his cut plastered up from the out kit taken along to the football match. Frank had likewise been attended to. "I am so glad you are not hurt seriously," said Mrs. Stanhope, as she sat down beside Dick, with Dora close at hand. "All of you have had a very narrow escape." "It is a shame that no danger signal was display," said Dora. "When they are fixing a bridge they usually put a bar across the road with the sign: 'Danger! Road Closed,' on it." "Exactly," put in Peleg. "But I haint seen no sign, an' that I can swear to." "In that case Contractor Darwell will be responsible for this smash up," said John Laning. "Are the horses hurt?"