The three chums, with the aid of Mr. Kinsey, and such of the gathered farm lads as volunteered, had been busy the last half-hour rigging up the tackle to pull the big car from the creek. A stout post had been set up to give a fixed purchase, for Dick found that the tackle and fall was of a good type, with one fixed and one movable pulley--the former with two, and the latter with three wheels. This gave great power, and it would be needed, for the car was deep in the mud, and there was quite a slope to negotiate to the road. "If she hadn't settled so deep in the mud, I could get her out under her own power," said Dick, as he and Innis fixed about the axle of the car a loose rope, into which could be fastened the hook of the movable pulley. The fixed pulley would be made fast to the post, the boys, after some discussion, having decided that this was the best plan to follow. The ropes were adjusted, the pulleys were looked after to make sure that they would not foul, and then all that remained was to wait for the horses to come. Quite a crowd had gathered by this time, a number of boys and men, as well as some women and girls, having been drawn from their houses by the report of the stalled auto. "What about those papers, Dick?" asked Innis, as they finished making fast the auxiliary rope, and rowed to shore to await the return of Paul. "They're in the auto." "Do you think they're safe there?" "Sure. Safer than if I had 'em in my pocket, where they'd fall out into this muddy creek. Then they would be gone forever." "Have you the doors locked?" "Surest thing you know. See anything of Paul?" "Yes, there he comes, with four horses instead of two, and I'm blessed if he isn't riding one of the nags." "Sure. What else did you expect? Paul is learning how to take life easy. He'll live longer that way." "But why four horses? I thought two would be enough?" "So they might, but I guess Paul doesn't believe in taking chances. Four will be sure to pull us out of the ruck, and two mightn't." "To say nothing of the fact that the farmer saw a chance to hold you up for a double price." "Oh, that's all right," said the young millionaire. "I don't mind paying for actual work, and it will be a blessing to get started again." As usual, when a crowd gathers about anything that is going on, there was plenty of advice offered. One man insisted that Dick had the pulleys arranged wrong, and another held that the auto should have been pulled out backwards instead of by the front. "But I don't want to go backwards," said Dick. "I'm going on ahead. I want to get on the other side of the bridge. I had trouble enough trying to cross the stream. I might as well finish up, now that I'm at it." "You'll only get stuck deeper in the mud!" declared this pessimist. "I guess the horses can get us out," said Dick. "I'll take a chance, anyhow."