"As straight as I can," answered Dick. "I don't want to run any more chances than I have to, and there's no telling what the other fellows may do when they find that Mr. Cameron has deserted them." "Would they telegraph in to the lawyers?" asked Paul. "Very likely they would." "Then they may be waiting for us when we arrive," said Dick. "We'll have to be careful." "I agree with you," spoke Mr. Cameron. "Once they know I have gone over to the other side--the right side--they will do their best to discredit me. They may even cause my arrest on some trumped-up charge, to prevent me from going into court and giving my evidence to save Mr. Wardell's fortune." "Then we'll be careful that they don't get you," said Dick, with a laugh. "I'll have some more coffee, Paul." They were putting away the breakfast things, playfully scattering the wooden plates over the sand, when Innis, who had gone to the rear of the car, to look at the brake band, that needed a slight adjusting, called out: "I say, Dick, they're after us!" "Who?" "Mr. Cameron's guards. There's a car coming over the desert behind us." They all ran to look, and there, in the distance, could be seen a cloud of dust. "Maybe it's a stage coach," suggested Paul. Dick focussed a pair of field glasses on the cloud. Then he exclaimed: "It's an auto, all right, and it must be after us, though I can't make out the kind of a car it is. Still, we'll take no chances. Come on, fellows, let's get a move on!" They tumbled into the _Last Word_ and were soon speeding off over the sand. "Lucky there isn't much more of this," said Paul. "We can't make any time here." "And if we don't run into another sand-bog we'll be lucky," added Innis. "We simply mustn't do that," declared Dick. "You fellows watch out, and so will I. We don't want to be delayed, for they would catch up to us then." "They'll have hard work to get me to go back with them," spoke Mr. Cameron, grimly. "Well, we don't want a fight if we can help it," said our hero. "If we can beat them, so much the better," and he glanced back to where the other auto was coming on in pursuit of the big car. Then Dick turned on more power, and watched the road ahead keenly. He wanted no accidents now. But the auto behind was coming on swiftly. It was a powerful car, and was traveling light, while the _Last Word_ carried a heavy load. "But they sha'n't catch us!" murmured Dick. From behind there sounded a report like that of a gun. "A blow-out!" cried Paul. "No, they're trying to signal us--with revolvers," said Mr. Cameron, with a chuckle. CHAPTER XXXI A BREAKDOWN