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Page 6
Porky and Beany and Asa, sitting on the stone wall at the side of
the barn, watched and admired.
"That's what I'm goin' to be"' whispered Porky.
"Sure!" agreed Beany. "Wonder how long it will take us to get
that high?"
"Dunno," said Porky. "I outgrew two pairs of pants last year!"
"Here's the Colonel," said Asa as a big car was driven up and an
officer stepped down.
"Wait! Wait!" said Asa, swallowing rapidly. "Let him get through
talking first. You see, he has charge of all the country
patrols, and 'course he wants to give them orders. Gee, how the
spies must hate him!"
As though in answer, a long, low racing car rolled smoothly and
silently up, and stopped in the road just opposite where the boys
sat on the stone wall. On the little rise where stood the low,
rambling farmhouse, the Colonel, with only a glance at the
strangers, turned his back as though refusing to be interrupted,
and went on with his orders.
In the car, one of the men half rose, leveled a revolver full at
the Colonel's broad back, and fired. But almost before he could
take his flashing aim, an unearthly screech volleyed from the
Potter twins, and from Beany's good left hand a cobble whizzed
through the air, and struck the assassin's shoulder. It destroyed
his aim. The bullet went wild, and before he could recover, the
Colonel had whirled. With a muttered curse the would-be intruder
fired full at the boys, dropped to the bottom of the machine, and
the car shot forward will in incredible speed.
Leaping from the veranda with the agility of a boy, the Colonel
barked out a volley of sharp orders. Men came swarming from
their quarters. A man hurried to the telephone. Horsemen dashed
madly up the road. A slim, capable-looking racer slid from the
garage, and the Colonel and a couple of aides came down where the
boys still stood grouped beside the stone wall. Beany held a
flattened bullet in his hand. It had struck beside him.
CHAPTER III
ON THE TRAIL
"If it hadn't been for you and your rock, young man, I would have
been a dead man probably," said the Colonel solemnly. "I wish we
had the car number."
"I got it," said Porky, easily. "They will change it, I suppose,
but it is New York 237,814. And there's a patch on the right
front tire, and the mud guard on that side has been bent and
straightened, and the glass in the wind shield has a crack in one
corner, and the staple on the tool box is broken."
"Oh, you know the car!" said the Colonel, eagerly. "Tell me that
number again." He wrote rapidly, and called to his orderly.
"Telephone that to Syracuse after you call Fayetteville," he
said, and again turned to the boys, but almost before he could
speak again, he was called to the 'phone himself. When he came
out, he frowned.
"The car passed through the village about ten minutes ago," he
said. "They were going fast, and headed over toward East
Syracuse by way of the wide waters. I have sent the alarm out,
and as soon as I finish with you boys, I will go myself. Now
tell me in a word just why you boys came over."
Porky and Beany told him painstakingly.
"That's all right," said the Colonel. "You did right to come for
a permit. You see, my men are going to police the fairgrounds,
and on account of the large amount of government property
scattered around over there we will have to be very strict. The
day the fair opens, come to my tent, and I will give you a badge
that will allow you to go wherever you like without question."
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