“There she is!” Bug Eye said proudly. “The wonder of the age! What do you think of her?” “Well,” Roy began, looking at “her” dubiously, “I can’t tell just yet. Will it grind coffee?” “Can’t say--never tried her out for that,” Bug Eye replied seriously. Then his face brightened. “But I’ll bet she would, at that! Now I’ll show you how she works. Let’s see--we’ll run her across the yard an’ back for a starter.” “Where do you sit to drive it?” Teddy inquired curiously. “Who, me? I don’t sit no place! That’s the beauty of it--she drives herself! Goes along, cuttin’ the grass, then when she gets to the end of the yard she turns an’ comes back. Wish we had some grass to cut, but you’ll get the general idea. First I gotta prime ’er.” Holding an oil can in his hand, he bent over the motor. “What’s that you have there?” Teddy asked. “Gas. She runs on kerosene the rest of the time. Economical, hey?” He squirted gasoline liberally over the motor, and enough of it evidently reached the petcocks, for in a moment he laid the can aside and busied himself with the numerous levers set in the side of the machine. “Now she’s ready!” he proclaimed, straightening. “Just stand aside, for we don’t want no accidents to happen. When Hortense gets goin’ she just naturally mows down everything within reach.” “That’s our cue to move,” Roy muttered. “All right, Bug Eye, let ’er rip!” The puncher seized the larger flywheel and swung it over. The motor coughed twice, then was silent. Once more he turned the wheel. The machine awoke with a sullen roar. Bug Eye had not thought to put a muffler on it, and the sounds of its resurrection could be heard for at least a mile. Then, slowly, ponderously, it started to move. “Yip-ee! Watch her go! Step on it, Hortense! Show ’em what yo’re made of!” The machine seemed to take Bug Eye at his word. There was a sudden shriek of metal upon metal, and some part of the contraption went sailing into the air. As though Hortense had gotten rid of something that had been bothering her for years, she took a new lease on life with this eruption. Her wheels--all of them--spun rapidly around. The knives underneath whirred and flashed. Like a being with a single, definite purpose in view, she leaped across the yard. “Her reverse is busted!” Bug Eye yelled. “She won’t turn now! Snakes, I can’t stop her! Watch out!” With a metallic bellow, Hortense continued on her wild career. Suddenly, midway on her journey, her front wheels turned and she swung to the left. As she plunged along Teddy gave a cry. Hortense was headed directly for Mrs. Ball’s favorite bed of lilies! CHAPTER VI MR. PETERSON’S FORFEIT