The red tail light was growing more bright every moment. It could be seen that the other auto was losing speed. There was the sound of another tire giving way, and then the screech as brakes were quickly applied. "We've got 'em!" yelled Dick. "Luck's with us to-night, all right!" The other car was in full glare of the search-lamps of Dick's car now. Three figures were seen to leap out and make for the woods on one side of the highway. "Mr. Cameron! Mr. Cameron!" yelled Dick. "Are you all right?" There was no answer. A moment later the big car shot up alongside the stalled one. The boys leaped out, and a glance inside the auto they had pursued showed them the figure of the engineer huddled up on the floor of the tonneau. "Are you all right? Have they harmed you?" asked Dick, opening one of the side doors. A murmur was the only answer he got. "They've gagged him!" cried Paul. A moment later the boys had the rag from the mouth of their friend, and had cut the cords that bound him. They helped him to his feet, and one of them brought him a drink of water from the big car. "How are you?" asked Dick, anxiously. "All--right--now," was the hesitating answer. "A little--knocked out, but still in the ring. You came just in time, boys." "How is that?" inquired Dick. "Ten minutes later they would have been at the railroad station, and had me aboard a train. Then they'd have taken me into the unknown again, and you'd never have gotten me until it was too late. You were just in time." Chapter XXXIV THE FORTUNE SAVED Little time was lost in transferring Mr. Cameron to Dick's big car. The young engineer was soon himself again, the slight feeling of illness, caused by the chloroform, passing off. "Those blowouts came just in time to let us get you," remarked Dick, as he looked at the stalled car. "Yes," agreed Mr. Cameron. "They ran so fast they overheated the shoes. I didn't think you could catch us." "Oh, the _Last Word_ can go some when she has to," said Dick, proudly. "I never called on her for as much speed as this before though. What did they do to you?" "Nothing much, after they took me by surprise, and bundled me into their car. Then they gagged me, as I found out when I recovered my senses, and they trussed me up pretty well with the ropes. I could hear them talking, though." "Were they some of Uncle Ezra's gang?" asked Dick. "Yes, they were taking the place of my two former guards, Sam and Bill. I guess they had their orders to hide me away somewhere so you boys couldn't find me until it was too late. But what are you going to do now?" "Get something to eat, and then head for San Francisco as fast as the car will take us," said Dick. "We won't waste another minute. No telling what trick they may try next."