"I should say so! It was all I could do to drive this old car to keep up with 'em, and this isn't a slow machine, either. Well, if you're going, go ahead. I'll wait here." "And be ready for a quick get-away in case--well, in case anything happens." "Sure, I'll be on the job." The figure in the road stole quietly toward the big touring car. As he came nearer he walked more and more slowly, and getting to within a short distance of the _Last Word_, he remained silent--listening. "'All quiet along the Potomac,'" he quoted. "I guess I'll take a chance." Again he stole forward. In the darkness of the night a hand stole softly out toward one of the side doors of the big car. A pair of evil eyes looked in on the sleeping lads. Then the hand stole down in through the opening in the door, an opening as in a coach, covered with glass, but which glass had been dropped down to let in the air. "I'll see what luck I have," murmured the voice of the man in the dark. Lower stole in the hand in the night. The fingers encountered the flap of a pocket. There was a start of surprise. "By Jove!" whispered the voice. "I have it--first crack out of the box!" The hand withdrew itself, with a bulky envelope, and, hesitating a moment to be sure that none of the sleepers had awakened, the man of darkness put in the same pocket another envelope of the same size as the one removed, and hurried back down the road to the waiting car. "What luck?" his companion asked. "Best in the world. I got it, and switched another bundle of papers in place of those I took. Now speed her, but--but run silently until you get some distance off." "I get you all right. Hop in." And the car sped away in the darkness, while Dick and his chums slept on. CHAPTER XIV A BLOCKED ROAD "Oh! Ah! Um!" "Who said get up?" "Gee-whiz, but I'm tired!" "So is the auto--rubber tired." "Joke! Ha! Ha! Everybody snicker!" The three chums turned over on their bunks in the _Last Word_, and looked one at the other. "Well, if you fellows are going to lie abed all day, I'm not!" exclaimed Paul, he and his two companions having just indulged in the little morning "roundelay" I have used to introduce this chapter. He sprang from the bunk. "'Up, up, Lucy!'" he quoted. "'The sun is up, and I am up too!' First reading lesson. Come on, fellows!" and he pulled the covers from Dick. "It's too comfortable here," said that youth, gazing at the ceiling of the car where the electric light was yet glowing. Reaching out his hand Dick switched it off. "And yet I suppose we might as well get up," he went on. "Innis, you're nearest to it, turn on the stove, will you, and set the coffee to boiling? Then we'll have grub and see what the day will bring forth."