"Maybe," assented the farmer, and the big car went on. They had nearly reached the end of the fine, level road, and were congratulating themselves on soon getting to a fair-sized town where they intended to put up for the night, when Paul, looking ahead, exclaimed: "There it is. Just our luck!" "What?" inquired Dick from the back of the car, for Innis was steering. "Bill Simpson's house--it's blocking the whole road, and it looks as if the men had given up work for the day, for they're getting a red lantern ready to display. We can't get past, Dick." "Pshaw!" exclaimed the young millionaire. "We'll have to turn around and go back, I guess. Lose a lot of time, too. Drive up, and let's see what it looks like." CHAPTER XV PUZZLED "Looks bad enough." "Yes, the more so as you come closer." "I don't see any way but to go back." "That's right. Lucky we've got room to turn." Thus Paul and Innis exchanged remarks and criticisms as they approached the house which, being moved from one site to another, now blocked the entire road. "There's no chance of getting past, without running the risk of getting fast in the ditch," decided Dick, as he got out of the car and took a careful survey. "I guess we're stuck, boys." "Funny they're quitting work so soon," observed Paul, looking at his watch. "Why, it's only four o'clock, and they're getting ready to leave, and hanging out a red light." "We've got to do it," said one of the workmen. "Our windlass busted just now, and we can't do anything until it's fixed. No way of moving the shebang." "You could if you had enough horses," said Dick. "Why can't you hitch two or three teams directly on the pulling rope, and yank the house a little further along--or even back--that would give us room to pass." "It can't be done, young feller," said the man. "Why not?" "Because we ain't got the horses to do it. There'd be four teams needed, at the very most, to snake this house ahead or back, without a windlass to give us leverage. That's what we need--leverage." "You've got ropes and pulleys; haven't you?" asked Dick. "Sure we have." "Can you attach them to the back of the house as well as on the front?" "Sure we can. But what good is that going to do? There ain't enough horses that we can get now to snake the old building out of the way. We'll have to wait until morning, and then we can get a blacksmith to mend the windlass." "Yes, and in the meantime I'm stuck here!" exclaimed Dick. "Well, that is too bad, but you can turn around and go back to the other main road." "That's eight miles or more, and I won't get to Fullerton until long after dark, even if I break the speed limits." "Well, what can we do?" appealed the man, while his fellows prepared to go to their several homes.