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diff --git a/47491-0.txt b/47491-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..62accc9 --- /dev/null +++ b/47491-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4650 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 47491 *** + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this + file which includes the original illustrated book cover. + See 47491-h.htm or 47491-h.zip: + (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/47491/47491-h/47491-h.htm) + or + (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/47491/47491-h.zip) + + + Images of the original pages are available through + Villanova University Digital Library. See + http://digital.library.villanova.edu/Item/vudl:304205 + + +Transcriber's note: + + Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). + + Text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face (=bold=). + + + + + +Motor Stories + +Thrilling Adventure Motor Fiction + +No. 6 Apr. 3, 1909 + +Five Cents + +MOTOR MATT'S RED FLIER + +OR ON THE HIGH GEAR + +by + +STANLEY R. MATTHEWS + + + + + + + +Street & Smith, +Publishers, +New York. + + +[Illustration: _"Leaf dot alone!" yelled Carl, floundering to get to +the girl's aid, "dot pelongs to Moder Matt!"_] + + + + +Motor Stories + +Thrilling Adventure Motor Fiction + +_Issued Weekly. By subscription $2.50 per year. Entered according to +Act of Congress in the year 1909, in the Office of the Librarian of +Congress, Washington, D. C., by_ STREET & SMITH, _79-89 Seventh Avenue, +New York, N. Y._ + +No. 6. NEW YORK, April 3, 1909. Price Five Cents. + +MOTOR MATT'S RED FLIER + +OR, + +ON THE HIGH GEAR. + +By the author of "MOTOR MATT." + + + + +CONTENTS + + + CHAPTER I. STRANDED "UNCLE TOMMERS." + CHAPTER II. THE RED FLIER GETS A LOAD. + CHAPTER III. THE STOLEN RUNABOUT. + CHAPTER IV. THE COAT IN THE RUMBLE. + CHAPTER V. MATT BEGINS A SEARCH. + CHAPTER VI. LOSING THE BOX. + CHAPTER VII. A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE. + CHAPTER VIII. SPIRITED AWAY. + CHAPTER IX. AN UNEXPECTED MEETING. + CHAPTER X. A DARING PLAN. + CHAPTER XI. ON THE ROAD. + CHAPTER XII. A CLOSE CALL. + CHAPTER XIII. CAR AGAINST CAR. + CHAPTER XIV. DOWN THE MOUNTAIN. + CHAPTER XV. MOTOR MATT'S TEN-STRIKE. + CHAPTER XVI. MORE TROUBLE FOR THE "UNCLE TOMMERS." + CHAPTER XVII. CONCLUSION. + A SNOWBALL FIGHT. + SECRETS OF TRICK SHOOTING. + REELFOOT LAKE. + A FLOATING SLUM. + WILD HORSES OF NEVADA. + + + + +CHARACTERS THAT APPEAR IN THIS STORY. + + + =Matt King=, concerning whom there has always been a mystery--a lad + of splendid athletic abilities, and never-failing nerve, who has won + for himself, among the boys of the Western town, the popular name of + "Mile-a-minute Matt." + + =Carl Pretzel=, a cheerful and rollicking German lad, who is led by a + fortunate accident to hook up with Motor Matt in double harness. + + "=Legree=," a member of the stranded "Uncle Tom" Company, about whom + something mysterious seems to hover. + + "=Little Eva=," who turns out to be other than appearances would seem + to indicate. + + "=Eliza=," } + "=Uncle Tom=," } other members of the unlucky road combination + "=Topsy=," } helped by Motor Matt. + + =Brisco=, } a brace of reckless adventurers with whom Matt and his + =Spangler=, } Dutch pard have a particularly exciting inning. + + =O'Grady=, an inn-keeper. + + =Lem Nugent=, the owner of the stolen runabout. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +STRANDED "UNCLE TOMMERS." + + +"Help! Some ob yo' folks ahead, dar! Unc' Tawm's in de ruvver! He +drapped de box, an' went in afteh hit head first lak er frawg. He's +drowndin', he sholey is! By golly! Legree! Eliza! Come back hyeh dis +minyit! Unc' Tawm's drowndin'!" + +Topsy was making a terrific commotion. While she screeched for help she +ran circles on the river-bank, tossing her hands wildly. If she had put +some of her aimless energy into helping Uncle Tom, the kinky-headed +old negro in the water would have been a whole lot better off. He was +floundering and thrashing and making a good deal of noise himself. + +"Hit's ovah mah haid!" he spluttered. "Ah's done got de crampus en +mah lef' laig an' Ah's monsus bad off! Bl-r-r-r! Dat's twicet Ah's +gawn down, en de nex' time Ah's gwine down tuh stay. Doan' put yo'se'f +out none--doan' scramble so ha'd yo' lose yo' bref. Hit's only a coon +whut's drowndin', so take yo' time gittin' hyeh an'----" + +Uncle Tom swallowed a bucket of water, more or less, just then, and his +language was submerged. + +"Mercy sakes!" cried Eliza breathlessly, hurrying back through the +brush, closely tagged by Little Eva and Legree. "Do something, +somebody! Oh, I wish we had a rope. Hang onto the box, Uncle Tom," she +added encouragingly; "we'll get you out!" + +"Oh, biscuits!" scoffed Little Eva. "Stop t'rowin' yerself around like +dat an' try ter float. De way yous handles yerself, Uncle Tom, gives me +a pain. Can't y' swim?" + +Legree was carrying a blacksnake whip. + +"Here," he yelled, posting himself on the edge of the bank and reaching +out to throw the whip-lash toward the old negro, "grab hold of that and +I'll snake you ashore too quick for any use." + +Uncle Tom was beyond talking, but he shook the water from his eyes, saw +the whip and grabbed it. Thereupon Legree laid back on the handle and +pulled. Uncle Tom was brought upright, his feet on the river-bed. The +water came just above his knees, and he waded ashore. + +"Well, de old geezer!" exploded Little Eva. "Say, give me a pair o' +high-heeled shoes an' I'll walk acrost dat roarin' torrent widou' never +wettin' me kicks. How much water does it take ter drown yous, Uncle +Tom? Oh, sister, what a jolt." + +Little Eva began to laugh. + +"Dat's right," gurgled Uncle Tom, splashing around on one foot to get +the water out of his ear, "laff, laff an' show yo' ignunce. Dat didun' +git away f'um me, nohow," and he threw a small tin box on the ground in +front of Legree. + +Eliza stooped and picked up the box. + +"You take care of that, Eliza," said Legree. "Uncle Tom must have been +careless. What were you and Topsy walking along by the river for?" he +added, turning to the old negro. + +"We reckons we mout hook er fish," explained Topsy, pointing to the +ground where a stick with a fish-line attached to its end had been +dropped. + +"Ah'm gettin' pow'ful hongry," complained Uncle Tom, "en Ah doan' see +how we-all's gwine tuh eat if we doan' ketch er fish er kill er possum, +er somepin lak dat. Mah goodness, but Ah'm holla cleah down tuh mah +shoes. If a piece ob bresh hadun' switched dat box out'n mah han', Ah +wouldn't hab got en de ruvver. Anybody dat wants tuh kin tote dat 'ar +box. Ah done had enough ob it." + +"Cheer up, Uncle Tom," said Eliza. "When we get to the next town we'll +have something to eat." + +"Huccome yo' allow dat, Miss 'Liza? Whah we git de money, huh?" + +"I've got a ring," answered Eliza, with a little break in her voice, +"and I'll pawn it." + +"No, you don't, Eliza," said Legree. "I've got a watch, and I'll pawn +that." + +"Wisht I had somet'in' t' soak," said Little Eva. "Brisco's head +wouldn't be a bad t'ing, eh? Say, mebby I couldn't hand dat mutt a +couple o' good ones if he was handy!" + +Legree brought his hand around and boxed the boy's ears--for "Little +Eva," in this case, was a boy of nine. + +"Stow it," growled Legree, who happened to be the boy's father. "You +can talk a lot without saying much, kid. Come on, everybody," he added. +"The quicker we get to Fairview the quicker we eat. You and Topsy keep +in the road, Uncle Tom, and don't lag behind." + +"How's Ah gwine tuh git dried off?" fretted Uncle Tom. "De rheumatix +is li'ble tuh come pesterin' erroun' if Ah ain't mouty keerful wif +mahse'f." + +"Walk fast, Uncle Tom," said Legree, starting back toward the road. + +"Ah kain't walk fast," said the old man; "hit's all Ah kin do tuh walk +at all, kase Ah's mighty nigh tuckered. Dishyer walkin'-match is monsus +tough on er ole man, sho' as yo's bawn. Ain't dey no wagons in dis +country? Whaffur dey got er road if dey ain't got no wagons? Ah'd give +a mulyun dollahs if Ah had it fo' a mu-el en a wagon." + +Topsy pushed close to Uncle Tom's side, grabbed his wet sleeve and +helped him along. In a few minutes they broke away from the river-bank +into the road. + +Little Eva didn't seem to mind walking. He pranced along with a pocket +full of stones, and every once in a while he stopped to make a throw at +a road-runner or a chipmunk. + +Trees and brush lined the road on each side, growing so thickly that +it was impossible to see very far into the timber. Eliza and Legree, +talking over the difficulties in which they found themselves and trying +to plan some way for surmounting them, were pretty well in advance, +while Uncle Tom and Topsy were pretty well in the rear. Little Eva +was dodging around in between, now and then shying at something with a +stone. + +The strange little party had not proceeded far before the boy heard +a noise in the brush. Heedless of what he might find in such a wild +country, he jumped into the thicket. And then he jumped out again, +yelling like a Comanche. + +"Run!" he piped frenziedly, tearing along the road. "Dere's somet'ing +chasin' me an' it's as big as a house an' has a mout' like a church +door. Sprint! Sprint fer yer lives!" + +The other four gave their immediate attention to Little Eva, and then +changed it to something that rolled out of the undergrowth directly +behind them. + +"A bear!" yelled Legree. "Hunt a tree, kid! Everybody climb a tree!" + +This is exactly what everybody proceeded to do. Little Eva shinned up a +sapling, Legree gave Eliza a boost into a scrub oak, and then started +for a neighboring pine himself, and Uncle Tom displayed a tremendous +amount of reserve force, considering his age and his recent experience. + +"Ah knows dis trip is gwine tuh be de deaf ob me," he fluttered, +getting astride a limb and hugging the trunk of the tree with both +arms. "Mah goodness!" he chattered, craning his neck to get a good look +at the cause of the disturbance. "Go 'way f'um hyeh, you! We-all doan' +want no truck wif you." + +The bear was a grizzly--not a large grizzly, but plenty large enough. +There were lots of bigger bears in that part of Arizona, but this was +the biggest one Fate had to run in among those unlucky "Uncle Tommers." + +Having gained a position about half-way up and down the line of treed +actors, the bear sat down in the road and proceeded to enjoy the +situation. + +"Are you all right?" sang out Legree from the top of the pine: "is +everybody all right?" + +"If bein' hung up like dis is wot yous call all right, dad," answered +Little Eva, "den it's a lead pipe dat we's all t' de good. But, say, I +ain't feelin' real comfertable in me mind." + +"Shoo dat animile away, Mistah Legree," begged Topsy. "Hit ain't right +tuh make us stay hyeh lak dis when we's all tiah'd out." + +"Go right up to de beah, Legree," suggested Uncle Tom, "en tie dat whip +erroun' his neck an' strangle de life outen him. Beah meat is mighty +nigh as good as possum, an' we kin git fo' er five dollahs fo' de pelt." + +"Oh, dear!" murmured Eliza. "I do wish he'd go away. I guess he's +thinking more about making a meal off of us than letting us make one +from him." + +"Dey trabbles in paihs," called Uncle Tom in trembling tones, by way of +enlivening the situation. "Hit's lak snakes, en wherebber yo' finds one +yo' sholey is gwine tuh fin' anudder." + +"Ah hears de odder!" screamed Topsy. "He's champin' down de road lak er +singed cat. Heah him! Oh, mah golly! We's all as good as daid--we's all +gwine tuh be et up." + +Strange noises were coming from along the back track, coming rapidly +and growing louder and louder. + +"Dat odder one's bigger 'n a efelunt!" palpitated Uncle Tom, climbing +a couple of limbs higher. "All Ah hopes is dat he ain't big enough tuh +reach up en take me outen de tree. Ah's a gone niggah, Ah feels hit en +mah bones." + +The bear heard the approaching noise, and it seemed to puzzle him. He +sniffed the air, shook his head forebodingly, and then dropped down on +all fours and ambled into the brush. + +The next moment, to the astonishment of the four actors, a sparkling +red automobile rushed into sight, coming from the direction of Ash Fork +and headed toward Fairview. + +A youth in leather cap and jacket was in the driver's seat; beside him +was a young German in a "loud" suit and a red vest. + +"Pretzel!" yelled Little Eva; "I'm a jay if it ain't Pretzel!" + +"Saved!" cried Eliza. + +The big red touring-car came to a halt in about the same place where +the bear had recently held the fort. + +The faces of the two boys in the car were pictures of amazement as they +stared at the odd assortment of actors hanging in the trees. + +"Vell, py shinks," exclaimed the Dutch boy, "dis vas a jeerful pitzness +und no mistake. It iss der fairst time I efer knowed it bossiple to +pick actor-peoples oudt oof der drees. Vat you t'ink oof dot, Motor +Matt?" + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +THE RED FLIER GETS A LOAD. + + +Motor Matt didn't know what to think. The queerest lot of people +he ever saw were dropping out of the trees and hurrying toward the +automobile. + +First, there was a young woman of seventeen or eighteen, wearing a +dust-coat and gauntlets. There was a look of intense relief on her +pretty face. + +Following her came a tall, slimly built man, whose clothes suggested +the ruffian, but whose face was anything but vicious. He carried a +blacksnake whip. + +A boy trailed after the man. He wasn't a handsome boy, by any means, +but his eyes were bright and sharp and he had a clever look. + +From the other way along the road came an old darky in tattered, soggy +clothes. A young negro girl hurried along beside him. + +"Well," breathed Motor Matt, "if this ain't a brain-twister I don't +want a cent. Who are they, Carl? One of them seems to know you." + +"Sure I knows him," spoke up the boy. "Got wise t' Carl Pretzel in +Denver. 'Pretzel an' Pringle, Musical Marvels.' W'ere's Pringle, Dutch?" + +"Don't say someding aboudt him," answered Carl. "I haf scratched him +off my visiding-list, yah, you bed you. Pringle iss some pad eggs, und +ve don'd ged along mit each odder. Matt, dis vas Liddle Efa, who blays +mit a Ungle Dom's Capin Gompany. Ven he geds his leedle curly-viggies +on, he looks fine--schust like some girls, yes. Who iss der odder +peobles, Efa?" + +"Dis is me fader, Dutch," answered the boy; "he's de guy wot licks +Uncle Tom in de show. De loidy is Eliza, an' say, she's got 'em all +skinned w'en it comes t' jumpin' acrost de river on cakes of ice. Dat's +Uncle Tom, scramblin' into de auto wit'out waitin' f'r an invite, an' +de goil is Topsy." + +"Young man," said Legree, stepping forward and addressing Motor Matt, +"we're what's left of Brisco's Uncle Tom's Cabin Company. Brisco took +all the funds and left us in the lurch at Brockville, the station west +of Ash Fork. The constable took our tent, and properties, and even the +bloodhounds. We were left with the clothes we stood in, and that's +all. Marks, and St. Clair, and the rest, made a raise and rode back to +Denver in the train. They didn't have enough to help us out, and so +we've started to walk as far as Flagstaff. When we get there, we're +going to get up some sort of an entertainment and see if we can't pull +down enough hard cash to see us through to Denver. Brisco owes all of +us money. Barrin' the kid, here, he beat each one of us out of more'n a +hundred dollars. But we're goin' to get him; you see if we don't." + +A grim look came to Legree's face. + +"Veil," said Carl, "be jeerful und don'd vorry. I haf der same kindt +oof pad luck, den I met oop mit Modor Matt und der luck dook a shange. +Meppy yours vill dake a shange, too." + +"We're going to Albuquerque," spoke up Matt, "and if you don't mind +being crowded we can give you a lift as far as Flagstaff." + +A long breath of satisfaction broke from Uncle Tom. + +"Dat's fine," said he. "Dis niggah am sholy tuckered. Why doan' yo'-all +git intuh de wagon? Dat beah am li'ble tuh come snoopin' an' pesterin' +back." + +"Pear?" cried Carl. "Vat you say, huh? Iss dere a pear aroundt here?" + +"Dat's no dream, Dutch," answered the boy. "Wot did yous t'ink it was +chased us up dem trees?" + +"Everythin's been goin' wrong with us ever since we hit Brockville," +said Legree. "A lot more'll happen, too, but I reckon we're done with +the bear. This machine scared the brute away. How'll you have us in the +car, Motor Matt?" + +"Little Eva, as you call him," said Matt, laughing a little as he +looked at the boy, "had better get in front here with Carl. That will +leave four of you for the tonneau. It won't be long until we get to +Fairview, and we'll stop there for dinner." + +"Um-yum," said Topsy; "golly, but dat sounds good! Dinnah! Heah dat, +Unc' Tawn?" + +Uncle Tom smacked his lips and rolled up the whites of his eyes. + +"Doan' say a wo'd, chile," he cautioned. "Dis seems jess lak er dream, +dis ride in de debble-wagon, de dinnah, en all. Yo' speak too loud, +Ah's fearin' Ah's done gwine tuh woke up." + +With his load of stranded actors aboard, all rejoicing in the good +luck that had brought Matt and Carl along with the automobile at that +particular time, the young motorist cranked up, threw in the clutch and +started. Hardly were they under good headway when a sharp cry came from +Eliza. + +"Stop! The box! I dropped it when I got up into that tree." + +Matt stopped the Red Flier. + +"Pox?" cried Carl; "vat iss dot?" + +"Dat's whut got me into de ruvver," said Uncle Tom. "Ah 'lows dat box +is er heap mo' trouble dan hit's worf." + +"If we ever get hold of Brisco," returned Legree, "it'll be that box +that does it for us. Wait here a minute, Motor Matt, and I'll go back +and get it. I think I know right where it is." + +Legree got out of the car, went back along the road, and vanished among +the bushes. + +"Is der money in der pox?" asked Carl. + +"We don't know what's in it," answered Eliza. + +"Dot's keveer. How vill dot pox helup you ged holt oof Prisco?" + +"Brisco always kept it by him," went on Eliza, "so we know he thinks +it's valuable. He told Legree, once, he wouldn't lose the box for ten +thousand dollars." + +"How did you come to get hold of it?" inquired Matt. + +"That's the queer part of it. Brisco left the Brockville hotel during +the night----" + +"An' I picked it up by de door, next mornin'," chimed in the boy. +"Brisco must have dropped it when he made dat getaway. It was blacker +dan a stack o' black cats, dat night, an' he wasn't able t' use his +lamps." + +"When Marks, and Harris, and St. Clair, and the rest of the company +left Brockville," continued Eliza, "they told us to keep the box and +not give it up until Brisco paid over what he owed. We lost our wages +and everything else we had except the clothes on our backs." + +"Dot's me," spoke up Carl; "I vas fixed der same vat you are. Den, +pympy, Modor Matt come along mit himseluf, shpoke some jeerful vorts +mit me, dook me for a bard, und luck made a shange. Meppy dot iss how +it vill be mit you." + +"Seems lak he was a long time findin' dat dere box," said Uncle Tom. +"Ah's honin' fo' dat hotel in Fairview, an' fo' dat dinnah, an' fo' to +dry dese clothes. Mistah Legree is a monstus long time, an' no mistake." + +"Stay here, all of you," said Matt, getting out of the car. "I'll go +back and see if I can help find the box. If it's so important, it won't +do to leave it behind." + +"I'll go 'long wit' yous," chirped the boy. + +Before he could get out of the car, the sharp, incisive note of a +revolver echoed from the bushes at the trail-side, close to the place +where Legree had vanished into them. + +Eliza stifled a scream. + +"Mah goodness!" fluttered Topsy. "Somebody's done gone tuh shootin'!" + +"It wasn't dad, dat's a cinch!" cried the boy. "He didn't have no gun!" + +"Stay there!" called Matt to the boy, as he whirled and hurried on. +"Stand ready to crank up the machine, Carl," he added, "in case we +have to start in a hurry." Matt had dropped into the troubles of these +forlorn "Uncle Tommers" with bewildering suddenness. He hadn't had the +remotest notion that there was going to be any violence, or shooting, +and the report of the revolver had sent a thrill of alarm through him. + +Had Brisco been tracking the unfortunate actors, and had he attempted +to make way with the tin box just as Legree was about to secure it? + +As Matt drew closer to the thicket, he heard sharp and angry voices. +One voice he recognized as belonging to Legree, and the other struck a +strangely familiar note in his ear. He had heard that voice somewhere +before--but where? + +There were only two voices taking part in the talk, but the man who +had intercepted Legree was armed. Matt knew it would stand him in hand +to be cautious, so, instead of turning directly from the road into the +brush, he darted for the timber some distance beyond the scene of the +altercation. Then, making his way back warily, he pushed through the +bushes. + +He made very little noise--so little that his approach was not heard +by either of the two men. Legree, however, was standing in such a +position that he could not help seeing Matt. He was facing the other +man, and the latter had his back to the young motorist. + +There was something familiar about that back, but even yet Matt could +not recall who the man was. + +The fellow was roughly dressed. In his right hand he was holding a +revolver, pointing it squarely at Legree, and in his left hand he was +holding a small tin box. + +"If ye think ye can fool Hank Brisco," the man with the weapon was +saying, "ye're far wide o' yer trail. He's got a ottermobill, now, what +kin shoot through the kentry like a cannon-ball, an' I reckon thar'll +be some Cain raised on this part o' the range afore many moons. You +take my advice an' hike out o' here without tryin' ter make Hank any +trouble, er----" + +Just at that moment Motor Matt's opportunity came. Flinging himself +forward suddenly, he grabbed the revolver out of the ruffian's hand. + +"Bully for you, Matt!" cried Legree. + +The next instant Legree's blacksnake whip had curled itself about the +ruffian's left wrist, girdling the skin like a loop of fire. + +The man roared out an oath. The pain must have been intense, for his +fingers curled away from the box and he caught his wrist with his other +hand. + +Matt stared. When the ruffian had turned and rushed into the woods, +cursing and vowing vengeance, Matt continued to stare. + +"Ever seen that man before, Matt?" asked Legree, surprised at the boy's +manner. + +"I should say so!" exclaimed Matt. "Let's get back to the car. You've +got back the box, but we haven't seen the last of this--not by a long +shot." + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +THE STOLEN RUNABOUT. + + +Shouts of relief went up from those in the Red Flier at sight of Matt +and Legree sprinting down the road, Legree with the box and Matt with +the revolver. + +"Hoop-a-la!" jubilated Carl; "be jeerful, eferypody. Here dey come +alretty, und mit more as dey vent to ged!" + +"Fo' de lan' sake!" chattered Topsy; "Ah sholy expected some one had +done been kilt." + +"Git right in de kyah," urged Uncle Tom, "so we kin git erway f'om +dis hyeh place. Beahs, en robbahs, en oddah spontaneous excitements +is monstus tryin' to er niggah wif er empty stummick. Ah doan' lak +shootin' nohow." + +"Was dat some guy t'rowin' a bullet at yous, dad?" inquired Little Eva. +"How close did he come t' ringin' de bell?" + +"How many were there?" cried Eliza; "are they following us?" + +Matt jumped into his seat, and Legree scrambled for the tonneau. + +"Take this, Legree," called Matt, and dropped the revolver over the +back of the seat. + +Carl, who had been posted at the front of the machine, had already +"turned over" the engine. As she took the spark Carl crawled to his +place beside Matt, and the Red Flier glided away. + +The young motorist was silent for a while, listening as Legree told +how he had gone searching for the box and found it in the hands of +a scoundrel whom he had never seen before. The Unknown had fired a +revolver, but it had been more to intimidate Legree and keep him at +a distance, for the bullet had not come anywhere near him. Legree +finished with an account of how Matt had come up behind the ruffian and +had saved the day. + +"Dot's der vay Modor Matt does pitzness," said the admiring Carl. "You +bed my life he vas some virlvinds ven he leds himseluf oudt." + +"The name of the man who ran off and left your company stranded was +Hank Brisco, was it?" asked Matt. + +"That was his name, Matt," replied Legree. "But who was that +tough-looking citizen that had me cornered, there in the thicket?" + +"I'll have to tell you something that happened to Carl and me, a few +days ago, in order for you to understand that part of it," answered +Matt. "This touring-car belongs to Mr. James Q. Tomlinson, a wholesale +jeweler who lives in Denver. He and his driver, Gregory, have been +touring the Southwest in it. A gang of thieves, among whom was a fellow +called Hank, and another called Spangler, robbed Mr. Tomlinson on the +trail, several miles west of Ash Fork. Carl and I got mixed up in the +trouble, and we had some exciting times racing the Red Flier against a +high-powered runabout that the thieves stole from a wealthy cattleman +named Lem Nugent. + +"Mr. Tomlinson recovered his stolen property and went on to Albuquerque +with his driver, Gregory, hiring me to take the touring-car from Ash +Fork to Albuquerque. That's how we happened to come along in time to +help you out, Mr. Legree." + +"If this man, Tomlinson, got back his stolen property," asked Legree, +"what became of the thieves?" + +"Two of them, Hank and Spangler, got away with the cattleman's car. The +stolen runabout can go like a blue streak, and is lighter and faster +than the Red Flier. Now, the man that tried to get the tin box, back +there in the thicket, was none other than Spangler; and the other +villain, who was called by the name of 'Hank,' was the fellow who left +you in the lurch at Brockville." + +"Shiminy grickets, how t'ings vill turn oudt mit demselufs, vonce und +again!" clamored Carl. "Domlinson vould like more as he can dell to haf +dose fellers ketched, and Nuchent vants pooty pad dot he geds his car +pack some more. He vill gif fife huntert tollars to any vone vat vill +findt der car, und he vill gif fife huntert more for Hank, und der same +for Spangler." Carl leaned toward Matt with his eyes almost popping +from his head. "Bard," he asked, "can ve scoop it in?" + +"I'd like to get back that runabout for Mr. Nugent," said Matt, "but I +don't know as we ought to take the time to go fooling along on our way +to Albuquerque." + +"Vell, Misder Domlinson say dot dere vasn't any hurry." + +"He also said," continued Matt, "that he wouldn't trust this car with +everybody. If we should get to tearing around after Hank and Spangler, +and damage the Flier, we would find ourselves in a hole." + +"You hadn't better bother trying to take us to Flagstaff, then," put +in Legree, "for as long as we've got this tin box Brisco is going to +keep on trying to get hold of it. If he chases us with that stolen +runabout, which you say is a faster car than the Red Flier, you're +goin' to run some risks with this machine." + +"If we work it right," said Matt, "I guess we can get you people to +Flagstaff without being bothered much by Hank and Spangler. It's queer, +though, to have it turn out that those two scoundrels are mixed up in +these troubles of yours." + +"Ah's done had trouble enough," wailed Uncle Tom, "en Ah doan' know +how Ah could stand any mo'. Ah's er pretty ole niggah tuh go traipsin' +erroun' afteh robbahs, en drappin' intuh rivvers, an' climbin' trees +tuh sabe my hide from beahs. All de same, Ah 'lows some ob dat money +fo' ketchin' dat 'ar Brisco would come mouty handy. But Mistah Legree, +yo' listen hyeh. If Brisco sets sich er pow'ful store by dat 'ar box, +mebby he'd buy hit offen de lot ob us, payin' us whut he owes jess tuh +git holt ob hit. Why not, sah, entah intuh prognostications wif him wif +de view ob settlin' ouah compunctions in er pleasin' manner?" + +A shadow of a grin wreathed itself around Legree's lips. + +"Well, Uncle Tom," he answered, "it's hard to prognosticate with a chap +who's so hard to find as Brisco is." + +"Vere vas Hank vile Spangler vas looking for der pox, Matt?" asked Carl. + +"That's a conundrum, Carl." + +"Und vere vas der runaboudt?" + +"Another conundrum." + +"Vell, ditn't Spangler ride to der blace vere he come for der din pox +in der runaboudt?" + +"I didn't see anything of the machine, but I was afraid it was +somewhere around--which is the reason I was in such a hurry to make a +fresh start for Fairview." + +"Ve don'd vas shased py der runaboudt, anyvay, und dot means dot it +vasn't some blace around vere Spangler vas." + +"Chee!" came from Little Eva, as he pointed ahead. "Dere's de burg wot +we're headin' fer. I'm a jay if it don't look almost big enough fer two +'r t'ree people t' live in." + +From the rising ground on which the Red Flier and its passengers found +themselves, at that moment, Fairview could be fairly viewed. Perhaps +there were twenty-five or thirty houses in the place, the main street +being bordered by half a dozen stores. + +"Doan' yo' go an' tell me dar ain't no hotel," faltered Uncle Tom. + +"No matter how small a town is, Uncle Tom," returned Eliza, "travelers +can always find a place to stay. Our hardest work will be, I think, to +discover some one who will lend money on our jewelry." + +"I'll furnish the jewelry, Eliza," said Legree. "This watch of mine is +worth enough, I think, to furnish us with food and lodging while Motor +Matt gives us a lift to Flagstaff." + +"If you're out of cash," spoke up Matt, in his usual generous style, +"I'll foot the bills. Some time, when you get on Easy Street, you can +pay me back." + +Uncle Tom's anxiety over the prospect fell from him like a wet blanket. + +"Yo's a gemman, Mistah Motah Matt," he declared, "yo' is what Ah calls +a puffick gemman. Ah'm mos'ly independent in dese money mattahs--dis +is de fust time since Ah can remembah dat Ah habn't had all ob two +dollars in mah clo's--so hit is mouty spognoocious tuh mah pride, sah, +to be fo'ced tuh accept a loan. Still, sah, Ah brings mahse'f to hit +bekase yo' is so willin' an' so spendacious. In retu'n fo' dat, Mistah +Motah Matt, Ah becomes on de spot yo' official mascot. Yassuh. Ah takes +yo' luck en mah own han's, an' evah time what yo' do anyt'ing, Ah +agrees tuh make yo' a winnah." + +"Much obliged, Uncle Tom," laughed Matt. + +"Go on wif yo'!" cried Topsy. "Why didun' yo' mascot dat 'ar company so +dat Brisco couldn't do lak what he done? Mascot! Yah, yah, yah!" + +"Laff," returned Uncle Tom tartly, "laff an' show yo' ignunce! What yo' +unnerstan' about luckosophy an' mascots? Yo' mouty triflin' an' tryin', +dat's what yo' is. Wait twell yo' see what Ah does fo' Motah Matt." + +During this talk, the Red Flier had glided down a long slope into the +little town. It did not take long to traverse the main street, and as +they jogged onward all eyes looked carefully for a hotel. + +Finally they saw a sign with a picture of something that looked like a +four-leaved clover. Under the picture were the printed words, "Shamrock +House." + +"Dat 'ar fo'-leaved clovah means luck," averred Uncle Tom. + +"It's supposed to be a shamrock, Uncle Tom," said Eliza, "and not a +clover-leaf." + +"Ah knows dat," went on Uncle Tom, "but hit sho' means luck. Ah done +got de feelin'." + +Motor Matt and Carl Pretzel "got the feeling," too, for around at one +side of the hotel they saw another automobile. There was no one around +the car. Carl nearly dropped off his seat. + +"Vas I plind mit meinseluf," he whispered, "or iss it der real t'ing +vat I see? Matt, dere iss der shtolen runaboudt, mit nopody aroundt! +Fife huntert tollars saying it righdt oudt loud, 'Come, oh, come, +somepody und pick me oop!'" + +Matt was astounded; yet there was not the least doubt about the +runabout being the same car that had been stolen. + +"Is that the automobile Brisco ran away with?" demanded Legree, leaping +energetically out of the tonneau. "That's the one!" declared Matt. + +"Then come with me, Matt, you and Carl," said Legree, starting for the +hotel door. "Keep behind, though. I'm armed, now, and can meet Brisco +in his own way if he shows fight." + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +THE COAT IN THE RUMBLE. + + +Matt, while following Legree toward the front of the hotel, was doing +some quick thinking to account for this surprising discovery of the +runabout. + +Very likely Brisco and Spangler were planning to recover the tin box. +It must have been these plans that had brought them eastward from the +vicinity of Ash Fork. + +Spangler had been dropped on the road to intercept the stranded players +and get the box, while Brisco had come recklessly into Fairview. +Possibly Brisco had been compelled to come into town after gasoline and +oil. + +"Ah doan' want tuh be erroun' if dar's goin' tuh be any shootin'," +palpitated Uncle Tom, rolling out of the tonneau with more haste than +grace. "Ah used tuh be a reg'lar fire-eatah, en mah youngah days, but +Ah dun kinder got ovah hit. Topsy, yo' an' Miss 'Liza come right along +wif me, dis instinct. We'll go off whah dar's er safe place fo' me tuh +do mah mascottin' fo' Motah Matt." + +Eliza and Topsy hurriedly descended from the car. Little Eva was +already on the ground, but instead of going around the hotel with +Eliza, Topsy, and Uncle Tom, he strolled over to the runabout. In their +excitement, the others did not miss the boy. + +There were two windows in the hotel office--one in the front wall, a +dozen feet from the door, and one just around the corner in the side +wall. The window in the side wall overlooked the runabout. + +Matt, doing some quick figuring, jumped at the conclusion that Brisco, +taken by surprise by Legree, would make a bolt through one of the +windows, both of which were open. + +Close to the front window an eave-spout entered a rain-water barrel. +Matt did not believe Brisco, if he tried to escape by a window, would +come out at the front, but at the side, where he would be nearer +the runabout. With this idea in mind, Matt placed Carl behind the +water-barrel, while he went around the corner. + +Through the window on that side the young motorist stole a cautious +look. + +Two men were leaning over a counter in the office. One was plainly an +Irishman, and the proprietor of the place, and the other was as plainly +Hank Brisco. Matt knew Brisco too well to be mistaken in him. Neither +Brisco nor the Irish proprietor had heard the approach of the Red +Flier, nor the entrance of Legree into the office. + +With a grim smile on his face, and the revolver in his hand, Legree was +leaning against the wall, just inside the door, waiting for Brisco to +turn around. + +"Begorry," the proprietor was saying, "fifty cints a gallon f'r th' +gasoline is all I'm afther chargin' yez. Oi know av robbers around here +who'd be chargin' yez a dollar a gallon, but that's not the way wid +Terence O'Grady. Fifty cints is th' most Oi'll take from yez. Fifteen +gallons at fifty cints is sivin-fifty; then wan dollar f'r oil makes +eight-fifty. Eight-fifty from tin laves wan an a half, an' there yez +are. Will yez shtay f'r dinner? Faith, we've as foine a male t'day as +yez iver put tooth in, an' a dollar is all ut will cost yez." + +"I reckon I'll stay, O'Grady," replied Brisco, picking his change off +the counter and sliding it into his pocket. + +Then he turned, and met the leveled weapon of Legree. Brisco's +astonishment was ludicrous to behold. And O'Grady was fully as startled. + +"Phat th' blazes d'yez mean by thot?" and O'Grady jumped over the +counter and stood glaring at Legree. + +"I'll explain," said Legree, with a coolness that filled Matt with +admiration, "but while I'm talking, O'Grady, don't get between the +point of this weapon and that man, there." + +"Is ut a hould-up?" demanded O'Grady. + +"Not at all. The man behind you knows me, and he knows that he owes me +a hundred and twenty dollars." + +"I don't know anything of the kind," replied Brisco, every whit as cool +as Legree. "You've made a mistake, my man; and, besides, even if I did +owe you money, you're trying to collect it in the wrong way." + +"Roight yez are!" put in O'Grady. "Shtick thot pisthol in yer pocket +an' go off wid yez. This is a dacint, rayspectible hotel, an' guns +ain't allowed in th' place at all, at all. Av yez don't hike, begorry, +Oi'll call in th' town marshal." + +"Call the marshal," said Legree; "he's the man I'd like to have here. +That fellow who just bought gasoline and oil at this place is one of +the gang who robbed Tomlinson, the Denver jeweler, over west of Ash +Fork, and stole the automobile belonging to Nugent, the cattleman----" + +Brisco began to laugh. + +"What do you think of that, O'Grady?" he cried. "Why, that car you just +helped me fill with gasoline is Tomlinson's car! I'm taking it east for +him. Who this man is, or what game he's trying to play, is more than I +know." + +Brisco was edging around toward the side window. + +"Look out, Mr. Legree!" called Matt, through the opening. "He's trying +to get where he can drop out here." + +Matt's words caused Brisco and O'Grady to swerve their glances in his +direction. A glint darted into Brisco's eyes at sight of Matt. Hank +Brisco had good reason to remember the young motorist. + +"This looks like a put-up job, O'Grady," said Brisco, still keeping the +whip-hand of himself. + +"Well, begob," cried O'Grady, "no pack av blackguards can come into +th' Shamrock Hotel an' shtir up throuble f'r me customers. Clear out +av here," he added, brandishing his fists, "or Oi'll be afther gittin' +busy wid me hands." + +"Is that man the one who helped rob Tomlinson, Matt?" asked Legree, +nodding his head toward Brisco. + +"He's the one," answered Matt. "I'd know him anywhere. Don't let +him----" + +Just at that moment, O'Grady, wofully deceived, but thinking he was +doing exactly what was right, kicked a chair at Legree. + +The chair struck Legree's shins with a force that hurled him back +against the wall. + +"Now, then," roared O'Grady to Brisco, "make a run av it! Oi'll take +care av this boonch av meddlers!" + +With that, he hurled himself upon Legree and the two began to struggle, +falling over the chair and dropping heavily on the floor. + +They were directly across the doorway, and Brisco sprang for the front +window and pushed himself through it. + +"Shtop a leedle!" whooped Carl, dodging around the rain-water barrel; +"you don'd got avay so easy as dot, und---- Himmelblitzen!" + +Brisco had grabbed the barrel. That happened to be the dry season and +the barrel was empty. Giving it a whirl, he threw it against the Dutch +boy with a force that took him off his feet. + +Thrashing his arms wildly, Carl laid himself down on the rolling barrel +and went caroming off toward the road. + +Meantime, Matt, seeing that Brisco was making for the window guarded by +Carl, had rushed around to the front of the hotel. He reached the scene +of the scrimmage just in time to be grabbed by O'Grady. + +The racket in the office had brought O'Grady's Chinese cook from the +kitchen; and, while the Chinaman continued the tussle with Legree, the +proprietor of the hotel had rushed out to see what more he could do for +the man who had paid him so well for gasoline and oil. + +"Oi've got yez, yez meddlin' omadhoun!" shouted O'Grady. "Oi'll tach +yez t' come interferin' wid dacint people!" + +With that he flung his arms around Motor Matt and hung to him with all +his strength. + +"Hang onto him, O'Grady!" cried Brisco, dashing for the runabout. + +"Niver yez fret!" panted the Irishman reassuringly; "good-by t' yez. +Next toime yez come we'll give yez betther treatment; there won't be so +many hoodlums around t'----" + +"Let go!" shouted Matt. Then, suddenly freeing his hands, he struck the +deluded Irishman a quick blow. + +O'Grady's hands relaxed for an instant. That instant gave Motor Matt +his opportunity, and he tore himself free. + +About the same moment, Legree, hatless, angry, and chagrined, came +running out of the office. + +"Where's Brisco?" he demanded. + +Just then the question was answered by Brisco himself. The runabout, +leaping around the corner of the hotel, shot toward the road, a mocking +laugh from Brisco trailing out behind. + +"Not this time, Legree!" called Brisco, over his shoulder. "Look out +for me, from now on--you and Motor Matt!" + +The runabout was headed westward. In the rumble behind, lying partly +over the rumble-seat, was a dust-coat. It undoubtedly belonged to +Brisco, and he must have thrown it aside while attending to the +automobile, a few minutes before. + +While Motor Matt and Legree stood staring at the receding car, the coat +lifted a little and a hand was waved. + +"Great Scott!" cried Matt; "it's that boy." + +Legree, far from showing any consternation, leaned against the wall of +the building and laughed softly. + +Matt was amazed. + +"What's the matter with you, Legree?" he demanded. + +"I'm just enjoying a situation that has a bad outlook for Brisco," was +Legree's queer answer. + +"It has a bad outlook for the boy, too," said Matt. + +"Don't worry about Little Eva. I know him better than you do, and he'll +take care of himself." + +At this moment the Chinaman came out of the hotel office and handed the +revolver to O'Grady. + +"Oi've had about all Oi want av this rough-house!" shouted O'Grady, +his temper badly warped by the disturbance and the blow Matt had dealt +him. "Yez will shtay roight here, bedad, until Oi can have th' Chink go +afther th' town marshal. Go f'r Jennings, Ping," he added, flourishing +the weapon in the faces of Matt and Legree, "an hustle. We'll make this +slab-soided roosther laugh on t'other soide av his face befure we're +done wid him." + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +MATT BEGINS A SEARCH. + + +Carl, having untangled himself from the barrel, brushed off his clothes +and rubbed his sore spots, came bristling up to O'Grady. + +"You vas grazy," he cried, "so grazy as I don'd know. Oof you hatn't +fooled mit us, t'ings vould haf peen tifferent. Ve lose vone t'ousant +tollars py vat you do! Yah, so helup me! Pud avay der gun und ged +reasonaple." + +"Huccome dat 'ar resolver change han's lak what Ah see?" inquired Uncle +Tom, stepping gingerly around the corner of the hotel. "Didun' Ah do yo +no good, mascottin' fo' yo', Motah Matt?" + +Eliza and Topsy followed Uncle Tom, peering about them excitedly and +evidently expecting to find Brisco a prisoner. + +"Something went crossways, Uncle Tom," said Matt. "Brisco got away, and +he took the stolen car with him. Mr. O'Grady, here, the proprietor of +the hotel, didn't understand the case and helped the wrong side." + +By that time O'Grady was himself beginning to think that he had made +a mistake. The sight of the big red touring-car, and of the odd +assortment of passengers who had arrived in it, afforded him food +for thought. So he was thinking, lowering the revolver meanwhile and +grabbing Ping, the Chinaman, by the queue to keep him from going after +the marshal. + +"Where did th' lot av yez come from?" O'Grady finally inquired. + +"Ash Fork," replied Legree. + +"Them colored folks come wid yez?" + +"Yes." + +"Well, mebby Oi did make a bobble, Oi dunno. Tell me something more +about ut." + +Briefly as he could, Legree told of the robbery of Mr. Tomlinson and +of the stealing of the cattleman's car, then wound up the recital by +describing how Brisco had run off and left his theatrical company, and +how Motor Matt had picked up those who were tramping along the road and +was giving them a lift as far as Flagstaff. + +O'Grady seemed to take more stock in Motor Matt than in any of the +others. He watched the boy out of the tails of his eyes while listening +to Legree. + +"Faith," said he, "yez are a har-r-d hitter, me lad. Oi'm feelin' th' +rap yez give me this minyit, an' me jaw'll be lame f'r a wake; but sure +Oi desarved ut av so be Oi'm raysponsible f'r th' mon gittin' away. A +good custhomer he was, an' Oi make ut a rule t' trate good custhomers +wid ivery consideration. Oi supplied him wid gasoline out av me private +barrel, an' sint th' Chinee f'r oil which Oi let him have at double th' +proice Oi paid f'r ut. By th' same token, Oi felt loike tratin' th' +mon white, d'yez see? Now, av yez won't say annythin' more about th' +fracas, sure Oi won't, an' we'll let bygones be bygones. Was yez all +thinkin' av takin' dinner at th' Shamrock?" + +"Dat 'ar was de notion we had, boss," spoke up Uncle Tom eagerly. + +"Then, begorry, Oi'll make yez a special rate av sivin dollars f'r th' +six av yez." + +"I'll give you three," said Matt. + +"T'ree ut is," was the prompt rejoinder. "Th' ladies can go t' th' +parlor, an' th' gintlemen will foind a wash-bench by th' kitchen dure. +Hurry up wid th' meal, Ping," the proprietor added to the Chinaman. + +O'Grady handed the revolver to Legree, excused himself and went into +the hotel. + +"It don't take him long to forget the trouble he made us," remarked +Legree, with a wink. "He's wise, too, in being willing to overlook the +matter if we are." + +Motor Matt couldn't understand Legree. He didn't appear to be worried +in the least about the boy; on the contrary, he seemed pleased with the +situation. + +"Where's the kid?" inquired Eliza. + +"He went away with Brisco," replied Legree. + +Startled exclamations came from Eliza, Uncle Tom, and Topsy. + +"Don't fret about him," went on Legree, with a calm confidence that was +too deep for Matt, "for he'll come back. I'll have to stay here and +wait for him, of course, and if Matt feels as though he has to pull out +for Flagstaff before the kid gets here, why, we'll have to come along +the best we can." + +"The boy's in danger," said Matt, "and I'm not going to leave Fairview +until I try to do something for him." + +"Don't go to any trouble, Matt," returned Legree, "for I tell you again +the kid's able to look out for himself. This work of his may result in +the capture of Brisco and the recovery of the stolen car. After we eat, +I'm going to find a cot, lie down, and take a snooze. I've got that +coming to me, I think, considering what I've been through to-day. Let's +hunt up that wash-bench and get ready for dinner." + +Matt was in a quandary. He knew, by his own experience, that Brisco was +a desperate man, and Legree's firm conviction that the boy would keep +out of trouble looked like the craziest kind of misjudgment. + +Following the dinner, to which they all did ample justice, Uncle Tom +curled up on a door-step in the sun, Legree found a hammock in the +shade, and Eliza and Topsy disappeared inside the hotel. Matt led Carl +off to the Red Flier. + +"It's a queer layout, Carl," said Matt, nodding his head in the +direction of the hotel. "Hasn't it struck you that way?" + +"Vell," returned Carl, running his fingers reflectively through his mat +of tow-colored hair, "I vas making some reflections on der soobjeck. +Leedle Efa don't seem to cut mooch ice mit Legree, hey? Or meppy he cut +a whole lot dot ve don'd know aboudt." + +"You knew the boy in Denver?" went on Matt. + +"Yah, aber I forged vat his name vas, or vat he dit. Und I ditn't know +vedder he hat a fader." + +"Well, I don't think we ought to go on to Flagstaff until we find out +something as to what becomes of the boy." + +"Me, neider; aber how ve find oudt, hey?" + +"We'll take the Flier and see if we can't track the runabout." + +"Und oof ve come too close py der runaboudt, den vat?" + +"We'll take some old bottles along. If the runabout shows up and tries +to chase us, we'll make a run of it and smash the bottles in the road +behind us." + +Carl chuckled. That was an expedient to which Motor Matt had already +had recourse--and with brilliant success. + +"Pully! I vill go findt der pottles, Matt, vile you ged der macheen +retty." + +Carl went off toward a junk-pile back of the wood-shed. By the time +Matt had made the Red Flier ready, Carl was back with an armful of +bottles. + +"Ve vas on der high gear dis drip, you bed you," observed Carl, dumping +the bottles into the tonneau. "I like dose oxcidements, yah, so. It vas +goot for der nerfs und makes a fellow jeerful like nodding." + +As they got into the car, ready for the start, Eliza came hurrying out +of the hotel. She carried the box in her hand and made straight for the +automobile. + +"Where are you going, Matt?" she asked breathlessly. + +"We're not intending to run off and leave you," Matt laughed. "We want +to see if we can't find out something about Little Eva, as you call +him. It don't seem right to let the boy be carried off like this and +not try to do something to help him." + +"He's a queer kid," said Eliza thoughtfully. "He and Legree were only +with the company about two months, and they both had a queer way about +them, sometimes. But if Legree isn't worried I don't know why we ought +to be." + +"I don't know, either," said Matt, "but I am, all the same. Carl and +I are going to see if we can't follow the trail of the runabout for a +ways. I don't think we'll be gone more than an hour or two." + +"May I go along?" + +"Why, yes, if you want to; but hadn't you better leave that box here?" + +"Legree told me to keep it by me all the time," answered the girl. + +"Probably he didn't intend for you to take it out into the hills. Well, +never mind. If it's so mighty valuable I guess Legree would be taking +care of it himself. Jump in, Eliza." + +The girl climbed into the tonneau, and Carl closed the door. Matt +started at low speed, getting into the road at the same place where +Brisco had driven the runabout. The trail of the broad wheels was well +defined in the dust, and led along the course followed by the Red Flier +in coming into town. + +"Prisco vent oudt like ve come in," said Carl. "I'm vonderin' in my +mindt oof he vent pack py Ash Fork?" + +"Give it up, Carl," answered Matt. "I don't know where he went. There's +a whole lot about this business that's the rankest kind of guesswork." + +"Sure! Liddle Efa vas foolish mit himseluf for gedding indo der car; +und he vas foolish some more for shtaying der car in ven he mighdt +chump it off. Aber meppy he hat his reasons, hey?" + +"He must have had a reason for doing such a reckless thing, but he +don't know Brisco so well as we do." + +"He ought to, Matt," spoke up Eliza; "he was with the company for two +months." + +"At that time," Matt answered, "Brisco had the best part of his +character uppermost. Carl and I have seen the worst side of him, and +he's the biggest scoundrel out of jail." + +"Vorse as dot!" averred Carl. + +The tracks of the car led up the slope, out of the valley that +contained the town, and on along the Ash Fork road. + +Matt held the Flier down to an easy pace. For several miles the little +party had a pleasant ride, without any excitement whatever. But there +was plenty of excitement in store, and when it arrived it came suddenly. + +A turn in the wooded road brought those in the car abruptly into a +long, straightaway stretch. The instant they were able to look along +the trail beyond the turn, a thrill shot through the nerves of all of +them. + +Three mounted men were coming toward the car at a tearing clip. +Evidently they had heard the pounding of the motor and had put their +horses to top speed. + +"Prisco!" shouted Carl; "und dere iss Spangler, too. Durn aroundt, +Matt! Durn aroundt so kevick as der nation vill let you! Shiminy +grickets, aber dis vas sutten!" + +Motor Matt had recognized two of the riders as Brisco and Spangler, +even before Carl had given his frightened yell. + +Where had Brisco exchanged his seat in the runabout to the saddle of +the horse? And why had he changed, and where had he left the car? + +All this darted through the young motorist's mind as he halted the +Flier, reversed, and began backing to make the turn. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +LOSING THE BOX. + + +Matt had not dreamed of being pursued by horsemen. The Red Flier +would have no difficulty in running away from anything on hoofs, and +certainly she could leave these three riders behind providing she could +turn and get under headway before being overhauled. + +Brisco, Spangler, and the other man were dangerously close before Matt +got the Red Flier turned the other way. Just back from the bend there +was a grassy hill, along the foot of which the road ran smoothly. It +was an excellent place for speed, and Matt jumped from first to second, +and from second to third with masterful quickness, considering the fact +that he had to be careful about stripping the gear. + +As the car leaped away, like a spirited horse under the spur, Brisco +was alongside the tonneau. A scream from Eliza called the attention of +both boys. Matt, of course, was busy with his driving and could not +turn to see what was the matter. Carl, however, got on his knees in his +seat, face to the rear. What he saw brought an angry shout from his +lips. + +Brisco, leaning from his saddle, was reaching over the side of the +tonneau. He had caught hold of the tin box, and Eliza, hanging to it +with both hands, was struggling to keep him from securing it. + +"Leaf dot alone!" yelled Carl, floundering to get to the girl's aid; +"dot pelongs to Modor Matt!" + +Carl was excited, but it wasn't excitement alone that caused him to +say the box belonged to Matt. He knew Brisco was after a box he had +once owned himself, and Carl had a hazy idea that if he said the box +belonged to Matt it might be left alone. + +The gathering speed of the car carried it away from Brisco; and, as +Brisco's one hand was stronger than the girl's two, the box remained +with him. + +Carl got into the tonneau, head over heels and with a crash like the +breaking of a dozen windows--for he fell into the heap of useless +bottles. When he picked himself up, the three riders, with jeering +laughs, had pointed their horses the other way. + +"It's gone, Matt!" cried the girl wildly; "the box is gone! Brisco +snatched it out of my hands!" + +"Vat a luck it iss!" growled Carl, holding one hand to his face, +where it had been cut by a piece of glass. "I got pack here so kevick +as I couldt, Miss Eliza, aber dot Prisco feller was kevicker as me. +Donnervetter! Matt, ve come oudt to look for dot poy und ve lose der +pox! Dot vill be some nice t'ings to dell Legree." + +"Oh," cried the girl, half-crying; "I shouldn't have come! Even if it +was all right for me to come I ought to have left the box at the hotel. +Now we'll never be able to get our money from Brisco!" + +Matt slowed down the car and took a look rearward. The three men were +out of sight beyond the turn. + +"Don't worry about it, Eliza," said Matt. "If any one is to blame, +I'm the one. There's something queer about that tin box. If it's so +valuable, why didn't Legree take care of it himself? Why did he trust +it to you?" + +"Before I had it," returned the girl, "Uncle Tom was carrying it. He +lost it in the river, and had to jump in after it." + +"More carelessness on Legree's part! Uncle Tom, as I figure it, is +about the most irresponsible member of your party, and yet Legree +allowed him to carry a box which, Brisco had said, was worth ten +thousand dollars. It don't look reasonable to me." + +"Dot's vat it don'd!" exclaimed Carl. "Aber Prisco vanted dot pox pooty +pad to go afder it like vat he dit. Meppy it vas vort' a lod to him, +und nodding to Legree and der rest oof der parn-shtormers." + +"Just because it _was_ valuable to Brisco is the very reason I should +have been more careful with it," went on the girl. "We might have made +him pay us what he owed us, and then we could all have gone back to +Denver. Now--now----" + +The girl began to cry. + +"Say," wheedled Carl, "I vouldn't do dot. You don'd helup nodding novay +oof you cry. Don'd fret aboudt der olt pox. Matt und me vill gif you +der money to go py Tenver. Jeer oop a liddle." + +"Take my word for it, Eliza," said Matt, as the girl lifted her head +and got better control of her feelings, "that box isn't worth a whole +lot or Legree wouldn't have taken chances with it like he did. I'm +sorry Brisco got away with it, of course, and I'm going to hurry back +to Fairview and do something I ought to have done before--and that is, +find an officer and put him on Brisco's track." + +"Dot von't amoundt to nodding, Matt," said Carl, climbing back into +the front seat. "Prisco vill ged off der horse und indo der runaboudt +und der officer mighdt as vell dry to ketch some shtreaks oof greased +lighdning." + +"It may be, Carl," speculated Matt, "that the runabout has broken down. +I don't believe Brisco and Spangler would be able to fix the machine if +anything very serious got the matter with it. Perhaps they had to leave +the car and take to horses." + +"Vat's deir game, anyvay? Dot's vat I vant to know. Oof deir game vas +to ged der pox, den it vas all ofer, und ve don'd haf nodding to do +mit Brisco und Spangler some more. Py shinks! Dot knocks us oudt oof a +t'ousand tollars, Matt." + +"All Legree was keeping the box for," quavered the girl, "was so that +Brisco would follow us and try to get it. That would give us a chance +to make Brisco pay what he owed us." + +"Legree ought to have hung onto the box himself," insisted Matt. + +"Prisco iss too schlick for Legree," asserted Carl. + +"I wish I understood what Brisco and Legree are up to," muttered Matt. +"There's more to this than appears on the surface." + +"Yah, I bed you," agreed Carl, wagging his head. "Oof I knew as mooch +as I vould like, den I vould tell you all aboudt it, vich I don'd. Den +dere iss Efa. His monkey-doodle pitzness makes der t'ing vorse." + +A quarter of an hour later the Red Flier drew up in its old berth +alongside the hotel. Eliza got out and ran hurriedly to tell Legree +what had happened to the tin box. + +"I'm sorry for Eliza," said Matt, climbing slowly over the brakes as +he got out of the car. "She's a nice girl, and it's too bad she has +to feel all cut up over the way the box was taken from her. I've got +a notion that Legree is fooling them all--and you and me into the +bargain, Carl." + +"How you t'ink so, Matt?" asked Carl, opening his eyes wide. + +"I don't know how he's doing it, or why he's doing it, but it's just a +hunch I've got." + +"How long ve going to shtay here?" + +"I don't want to pull out until we learn something more about this +business. There are parts of it that have a crooked look to me." + +At that moment Legree issued from the hotel. He did not act at all +excited, although he must certainly have learned from Eliza what had +happened. + +"Eliza's been telling me what a time you've had," said he. "The +principal thing is that Brisco has left the car and got onto a horse. +I was surprised to hear that. I can't imagine why a rascal, who's as +badly wanted as he is, should leave a swift automobile and take to +horseback." + +"I should think, Mr. Legree," remarked Matt, "that you would be more +interested in the loss of that box than in anything else." + +"Not at all. In fact, I haven't thought so much of that box since the +lot of us left Ash Fork. It was a good thing to hang onto, but it +wasn't so terribly important. I've told Eliza not to feel bad over what +happened. I'd feel worse myself if the kid hadn't got away in that +runabout, like he did." + +All that Legree said merely made the whole situation darker for Matt. +And for Carl, too. The Dutch boy stood blinking at Legree, and running +his fingers through the tangle of tow he called his hair. + +"You were keeping the box in the hope that Brisco would came after it +and give you a chance at him, weren't you?" demanded Matt. + +"Yes," answered Legree. + +"Well, now that Brisco has got the box you can't expect him to come +after it." + +"Hardly," and Legree gave a short laugh. Noting the perplexity of the +two boys, he went on: "You miss one point, Matt, in sizing up this +situation. We're not done with Brisco--not by a long chalk. It isn't +the box, but what was in it, that Brisco is anxious to get." + +"Wasn't there anything in the box?" queried Matt. + +"No, and there hasn't been since we left Ash Fork. I opened the box on +the q. t. in that town and took out what it contained. That object is +in my possession. I intend to stay in this town, Matt, until Brisco is +captured. I don't care anything about Spangler; Brisco is the man I +want. If you've got time, you can stay and help me; and you can keep +all you get for recovering the runabout for yourself." + +"What will you get for your work?" + +"Why, I'll send Brisco over the road. _The contents of that box will do +it!_" + +Matt and Carl were dumfounded. The situation was clearing a little, but +not much. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE. + + +"Do you know this cattleman in Ash Fork who had the runabout stolen +from him?" asked Legree. + +"I know him by sight," answered Matt; "I'm not acquainted with him." + +"Are you sure that he will pay five hundred dollars for the recovery of +his automobile?" + +"He said he would, and he's able to do it. And he offers to pay five +hundred dollars apiece for the capture of Brisco and Spangler." + +"Then there's a chance for you to make fifteen hundred. I'd advise you +to stay here and do it." + +Matt leaned against the car and went into a brown study. + +Mr. Tomlinson had not required him to get to Albuquerque in a hurry. He +could take a reasonable amount of time for the trip. But Mr. Tomlinson +_did_ expect the car to be brought safely to its destination. Would +Matt in any way endanger the car by staying a short time in Fairview? +That was the question that bothered him. + +"I t'ink, Matt," said Carl, "dot I could use some oof dot fifdeen +huntert. Vy nod shtay und dry dem a virl?" + +"If I stay, Legree," observed Matt, "I won't be called on to use the +Red Flier for chasing Brisco and Spangler, will I? The car doesn't +belong to me and I can't take any chances with it." + +"You can do as you please about that, Matt. I'm after Brisco. If you +get Spangler and the runabout, you'll have to do it in your own way. +Spangler and Brisco, though, seem to be working together, just now, so +my work ought to help you." + +"Why not get an officer here and----" + +"Do you want to divide with an officer what the cattleman is willing to +pay?" + +"You know a lot that you're not telling me, Legree," said Matt quietly. + +"Well," grinned Legree, "when it comes to that, I know a lot that I'm +not telling anybody--just now. You've heard more from me than any one +else--excepting the kid." + +"I think I'll lay over here until to-morrow," said Matt. + +"Hoop-a-la!" exulted Carl. "Be jeerful, everypody. I t'ink, Matt," he +added, "dot I vill infest my haluf oof dot fifdeen huntert tollars in +gofermend ponds, und----" + +"Don't invest it till you get it, Carl," interposed Matt dryly. "Pull +off your coat, now, and we'll wash up the car and fill the tanks." + +For two hours the boys were more than busy. While in Motor Matt's +hands, the machine was always as carefully groomed as a race-horse. Not +only that, but after the day's run he made it a point to go over the +machinery with a wrench and pliers, tightening up everything that had +worked loose and making sure that every part was in complete working +order. + +The water-tank was filled. Ten gallons of gasoline were needed for the +gasoline reservoir, but before he bought any from O'Grady, Matt tested +it carefully with a hydrometer. Finding it nearly the same grade as +he had been using, he funneled it into the tank, not only straining +it through wire gauze but through thin chamois skin as well. The oil +supply was also replenished. + +When the boys were through, the Red Flier was as spick and span as +when it had come from the shop. Not only that, but it was fit to take +the road at a moment's notice and make a record run. + +To Matt's regret, there was no place in town where the car could be +housed for the night. There were two or three old barns, but they were +so foul and unclean that he would not take the machine into them. He +preferred to leave it outdoors all night, sleeping in the tonneau and +guarding against tampering. + +When supper was announced, Carl watched the car while Matt ate; and +when Matt had finished, Carl went in for his own meal. + +Uncle Tom, feeling much better now that his physical necessities +had been relieved, walked out to the car with Matt when he left the +dining-room. + +There was something on the old negro's mind. He seemed flustered and +backward about getting at it. Finally he broached the astonishing +proposition, leading up to it by degrees. + +"Ah's done let out ob er job by de scan'lous actions ob dat 'ar Brisco, +Marse Matt," said he moodily. + +"Hard luck, Uncle Tom," answered Matt sympathetically. "Where do you +live when you're at home?" + +"Ah's one ob dem 'ar rolling stones, en Ah ain't had no home sense Ah +was knee-high tuh a possum, no, suh. Fo' de las' few houahs, Marse +Matt, Ah's been kind ob cogitatin' en mah haid an' I 'bout come tuh +de conclusion dat yo' outlook in life is juberous, yassuh. Yo's a +puffick gemman, but yo' take so many chances dat yo' prospecks am sholy +juberous." + +"How can I help that, Uncle Tom?" asked Matt, enjoying immensely the +old darky's vagaries. + +"Ah knows how dat kin be fixed, sah," went on Uncle Tom. "What yo' has +got tuh hab is a official mascot, sah, tuh be wif yo' all de time an' +wuk off de hoodoo. Ah 'lows, sah, dat I could fill dat job. How much +yo' willin' tuh pay fo' an official mascot by de monf?" + +That was too much for Motor Matt. Laying back in the tonneau he laughed +till he shook. + +"Doan' laff, Marse Matt," begged the old fraud; "hit's a mouty +complexus bizness. Tu'n hit ober in yo' mind, sah, en if yo' t'ink Ah'm +wuth mah bo'd an' keep, jess considah Ah'm engaged." + +"Why, Uncle Tom," said Matt, "I haven't much more than enough to board +and keep myself, so I guess my prospects will have to continue to be +'juberous.'" + +"Doan' say dat, sah; t'ink it ober. Ah'll hold mahse'f open fo' de +engagemunt." + +Uncle Tom stumped back into the house, and Matt kicked off his shoes +and snuggled down under a blanket which O'Grady had furnished him. + +Half an hour later, Carl came out with a blanket of his own. + +"What are you going to do, Carl?" asked Matt, rousing up and peering at +his friend through the gloom. + +"Dis iss some games vot two can blay ad, my poy," chuckled Carl. "I +vill shleep py der machine mit you." + +"Go on!" scoffed Matt. "What's the use of denying yourself a good bed +when you can just as well have one?" + +"Vell, I dredder shtay mit you. Don'd say nodding, pecause it vasn't +any use. My mindt iss made oop, yah, you bed you." + +"All right, then," said Matt. "Curl up on the steering-wheel and enjoy +yourself." + +The front seat, of course, was divided into two sections, so it was +impossible for Carl to stretch himself out in it; however, he wrapped +his blanket around him and crowded down between the seat and the dash, +head and shoulders over the foot-board on one side, and his feet +tangled up in the foot-pedals and levers on the other. + +Just as Matt was getting to sleep a wild _honk, honk!_ brought him up +like a shot out of a gun. + +"What's that?" called Matt. + +"Dot vas my feets," explained Carl coolly. "I hit dem against dot +rupper pag vat makes a noise. Oof der car vas vider, den I vouldn't +be too long for der blace vat I am. Meppy I puy somet'ing else don +gofermend ponds mit dot money. Meppy, yah--so----" and Carl's words +drifted off into a snore. + +Matt settled down again, and this time nothing disturbed him. + +Carl had some bad dreams that night. He thought his feet were caught +in a giant clothes-wringer, and that a locomotive was hitched to his +head. Some one would run him through the wringer, flattening him out up +to the knees, and then the locomotive would back up and pull him out +again. When his dreams had tired him out with that set of incidents, +they shut him up in a little tin box, and three men on horseback +played football with him; other experiences, too numerous to mention, +followed, and at the wind-up Carl thought he dropped several miles +through the air and smashed through a skylight. Starting up with a +groan, he rubbed his eyes and looked around. + +It was morning. Carl was sitting up on the ground, chilled and +chattering. + +At first he thought that skylight episode was not a dream, and he +looked up to see the place he had come through. Instead of seeing +anything so unsubstantial, his eyes encountered the face of Legree. + +"You sleep like a log, Carl!" exclaimed Legree. "Where's Motor Matt? +What's become of the automobile?" + +Then, in a flash, Carl's hazy mind connected with the tangible things +surrounding him when he went to sleep. + +"Vy," he cried, struggling to his feet and staring around, "I vas in +der car mit Modor Matt! I vent to shleep in it mit him." + +"I know you did; but where are Matt and the car now?" + +Carl rubbed his eyes again, and then took a more careful look about him. + +He was standing in the very place where the car had stood. But there +was no sign of the car! And no sign of Motor Matt! + +The blanket Carl had taken into the Red Flier with him was lying +crumpled on the ground, a dozen feet away. + +"Vell, py shinks!" gasped Carl. "I don'd like dot. I don'd like some +shokes vere sooch a monkey-doodle pitzness iss made mit me. Modor Matt +nefer made dot shoke." + +"There's no joke, Carl," answered Legree; "I wish to gracious it _was_ +a joke. The Red Flier left here some time during the night. No one +heard it. No one knew it was gone until I looked out of the window of +my room. You were lying on the ground here, but neither the car nor +Matt were in sight. Do you think Matt would pull out and leave you?" + +"Leaf me? Matt? Vell, he vas my bard, und how you figure oudt dot he do +dot? No, py shinks! Oof he ain'd here he vas dook off, und oof he vas +dook off id vas dot Prisco und Spangler vat dit it!" + +With that, Carl went over to the well and sat down. He was still +confused, but slowly the realization of what had happened was growing +upon him. And as the realization grew, his temper mounted with it. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +SPIRITED AWAY. + + +Carl was not the only one who had been troubled with dreams that +night. Motor Matt floundered through one of the worst nightmares he +had ever had. The whole scheme of the thing was rather vague, but +mighty depressing. He seemed to be engaged in some tremendous struggle, +striking away and countering a thousand or more huge fists that leaped +at him out of the gloom. One by one he put the clenched hands out of +business, and when he had conquered the last of them he opened his eyes +in bewilderment. + +The humming of a motor was in his ears. It was the Red Flier's motor, +he could tell that instinctively. The stars were overhead, the cool, +damp smell of the night was all around, and the glow of the acetylene +lamps was glimmering and dancing in advance. The car was moving briskly +through the silence. + +Matt had a queer, sick feeling at the pit of his stomach. Counting out +the time he raced the limited train on his motor-cycle, collided with +a freight-wagon and was laid up for a fortnight, he had never been +confined to his bed for a week in his life. + +He wondered what ailed him, and his mind was sluggish and slow in +working out the problem. + +He had felt just as he did then once before. That was the time he had +been drugged and taken out of Phoenix to keep him from racing with the +Prescott champion, O'Day. + +Had he been drugged now? If so, why, and by whom? + +By degrees the cool air cleared his befogged brain. He went back over +the chain of events, picking it up where he had dropped it. + +The queer party of stranded actors--the arrival at Fairview--the escape +of Brisco from the hotel--the ride into the hills to look for the +boy--the pursuit by the horsemen and the loss of the tin box--all these +events dragged through Matt's mind. He and Carl had gone to sleep in +the automobile. Why was the car moving? Had Carl, giving rein to some +wild impulse, cranked up the car and started for a night ride? + +Matt stirred. "Carl!" he called, "what are you trying to do?" + +Matt became aware, then, that there was some one beside him in the +tonneau. + +"Carl, hey?" came a jeering voice, as a strong hand reached over and +pushed Matt back in the seat. "Ye got another guess comin'. Thar ain't +no Dutchman along, this trip." + +"Tuned up, has he?" asked a voice from the front seat. + +"Yep; he's got back ter airth, Hank." + +"Surprised?" The man in front laughed hoarsely as he asked the +question. + +"Waal, kinder. He thought his Dutch pard was erlong." + +Matt, while this talk was going forward, realized with a shock that the +two men in the car were Brisco and Spangler. Brisco was in the driver's +seat, and Spangler was in the tonneau. + +With a quick gathering of all his strength, Matt flung himself toward +the door of the tonneau. His first unreasoning impulse was to get away +from his captors. The car must have been going forty miles an hour, and +the roadside was lined with sharp stones. If Matt had succeeded in his +desperate attempt, he could hardly have escaped without serious injury; +but his rash move was nipped in the bud. Spangler, who was in the +tonneau for the purpose, grabbed Matt and hurled him back into the seat. + +"None o' that!" he growled. "Want ter break yer bloomin' neck? Not as I +keer much about yer neck, but Hank an' me hev got diff'rent plans fer +ye." + +Matt was still dizzy and weak. The nausea at his stomach was leaving +him slowly, but it made him feel as limp as a rag and utterly helpless. + +"Did you men run away with this car?" he asked. + +"Looks that-away, don't it?" returned Spangler. + +"Where's Carl?" + +"Didn't hev no time ter bother with the Dutchman, so we left him +behind." + +"Was he hurt?" + +"Hurt? Nary, he wasn't hurt. We ain't opinin' ter hurt anybody this +trip so long as we hev our way. The Dutchman was snoring like a house +afire. All we did was ter lift him out o' the keer an' lay him on the +ground. We give him a smell o' somethin' on a han'kercher, jest ter +make him snooze a leetle harder, that's all." + +"You drugged both of us, then?" + +"That was the easiest way ter keep ye from makin' er noise." + +"Where are you taking me?" + +"Ye'll know afore long." + +It was a rugged road they were traveling, and the Red Flier negotiated +it with many a juggling bump. Mountainous rocks, half-screened by +bushes and trees, glided by, and there were dusky gashes and seams, and +now and then a splash of falling water. + +Rougher and rougher grew the trail, and the reckless driving of Brisco +caused Matt's nerves to thrill with fears for the car. + +"You'll rack the car to pieces if you keep driving like that!" Matt +called sharply. + +"What's it to you?" taunted Brisco. + +"It means a whole lot to me. This car belongs to Mr. Tomlinson, and +I've promised to take it safely to Albuquerque." + +"Be hanged to you and Mr. Tomlinson!" snarled Brisco. "We'll fix this +car before we're done with it. If you ever take it to Albuquerque, +you'll have to scoop up the pieces and tote 'em there in a +lumber-wagon. That's part of what we're going to do to play even with +you and him!" + +Matt's heart skipped a beat, and a cold chill ran through his body. +Could the villains really mean to destroy the Red Flier? + +"You'd better think well about what you do," warned Matt. "If you ruin +this car, Mr. Tomlinson will never let up on you till he puts you where +you belong." + +Spangler brought his hand around in a sweeping blow. Matt dodged the +hand so that the stroke was only a glancing one. + +"Shut up!" he cried savagely. "Ye ain't here ter make any threats, 'r +throw any bluffs." + +At that moment, Brisco brought the car to a stop, putting on the brakes +so suddenly that the wheels locked and slid. + +"I reckon this'll be far enough," said Brisco, turning in his seat. +"Make him get out, Spang." + +"Hear that?" cried Spang. "Open the door and git down." + +"What's this for?" returned Matt, making no move to obey. + +For answer, Spangler, with an oath, seized him by the collar and jerked +him roughly out of the tonneau. + +Matt was unable to make any resistance. As he stood in the road, the +jagged uplifts by which he was surrounded seemed to swim about him in +circles. + +Spangler got back in the car, as Matt staggered to a big boulder and +leaned against it, and Brisco backed the car around until it was headed +along the back course. + +"Wait!" cried Matt, as a thought of what all this might mean to him +took shape in his brain. + +"We're going to wait--and for just about a minute," returned Brisco. + +"Are you going to steal that car?" asked Matt, "just as you stole +Nugent's?" + +"You're too much of a meddler," snapped Brisco. "If you could go along +and mind your own business, you'd be a whole lot better off. You had to +tangle up with Tomlinson, back there at Ash Fork, and you hadn't any +call to butt in. If it hadn't been for you, we'd 'a' won out on that +game and been all to the good. I don't reckon we'd have bothered you at +all, though, if you'd been content to carry out your orders and push on +to Albuquerque. But you couldn't do that; oh, no. You're trying to be +first aid to the weak and down-trodden wherever you run into them, so +you had to mix up with that bunch of stranded actors. + +"When I drove the runabout into Fairview after gasoline and oil, I +dropped Spangler off to lay for the tramps and get that tin box. You +had to butt in, as per usual. I got away from Fairview by the skin +of my teeth, picked up Spang at the place where he was waiting, and +we went on to where our other pard had some horses. We side-tracked +the runabout there, and slid back toward Fairview, intending to push +through the timber--a move we couldn't make in the car. Then"--and +here a swirling oath dropped from Brisco's lips--"we dropped into your +little trap." + +"What trap?" demanded Matt. + +"Oh, no, you don't know a thing about that, do you? You weren't +moseying out there just to give us a chance to lift that tin box, +were you? And you hadn't the least notion it was empty, had you? If +you hadn't turned that trick, my bantam, we wouldn't have turned this +one. We're going to settle with you, all right. This is a part of +the country that isn't traveled once a week, and you're seventy-five +miles from Fairview. By the time you get back to town, we'll have got +what was in that box, and have smashed the Red Flier into a heap of +jack-straws. I know a nice little cliff alongside the road, and when +we're through with the car we'll lash the wheel, open her up and let +her go over the edge! I reckon that'll cook your goose with Tomlinson. +He didn't calculate you were going to use his car transporting a lot +of stranded actors, and mixing up in their affairs on the way to +Albuquerque." + +For a space, Motor Matt's heart stood still. + +"You wouldn't dare do that!" he shouted. + +"Wouldn't I?" and a reckless, mocking laugh came with the words. "From +what you know of me don't you think I would? Hope you'll have a nice, +easy walk to Fairview, Motor Matt! There'll be some surprises in store +for you when you get there. Good-by!" + +Spangler also shouted a jeering farewell. + +The car got in motion, the humming slowly decreased, and the glow of +the tail light winked suddenly into darkness. + +Motor Matt had been abandoned. + +But, worse than that, the two scoundrels who had spirited him away from +Fairview were bent on the wanton destruction of Mr. Tomlinson's car! + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +AN UNEXPECTED MEETING. + + +Motor Matt came nearer being utterly cast down, at that moment, +than ever before in his life. Weak and sick as he was, perhaps his +discouragement was not to be wondered at. Sinking down at the foot of +the boulder against which he had been leaning, he began finding fault +with himself. + +It was all right to pick up the stranded actors and carry them on to +Fairview. That was merely a kindness for which no one could blame +him. But to jump into their troubles, at a time when he was engaged +in work for Mr. Tomlinson and was not, strictly speaking, his own +boss, that gave the affair another look. Now, because of his desire to +help Legree, Eliza, and the rest, there he was, hung up in the hills +seventy-five miles from Fairview, with the Red Flier in Brisco's hands +and pointed for the scrap-heap. + +Mr. Tomlinson would be perfectly justified in laying the destruction of +the car to Matt's own disregard of orders. And it was Mr. Tomlinson who +had selected Matt to take the Red Flier to Albuquerque because he was +satisfied the car would receive better care in his hands than in any +other! + +There was enough in these reflections to make Motor Matt dissatisfied +with himself. But he was not, and never had been, a "quitter." And the +one cry of his soul had always been for Fate to keep him from joining +the ranks of the "quitters." + +As a matter of fact, Motor Matt was a self-reliant American boy, and +there was never the least danger of his going over to the useless crowd +of mistakes and failures. Naturally, he might make a misplay now and +then--running behind just enough to keep him "gingered up" for ultimate +success in the big things. + +While he crouched at the foot of the boulder, the cool air clearing his +brain and the sick feeling leaving him, he fell to planning for turning +the tables against his enemies. + +What was there he could do, afoot and seventy-five miles from town? + +At first, the prospect seemed utterly hopeless; but Matt knew that a +brave heart and a firm will had time and again snatched victory from +seeming defeat. + +He would start for Fairview. Possibly, although the road was not much +traveled, he might have the good luck to encounter some freighter who +would give him a lift. + +Without losing a moment longer, he got up and started off in the +direction taken by Brisco and Spangler. + +He wondered, as he swung along, what Carl would think when he came to +himself and found the car missing--and Matt gone with it. And what +would Legree think? And Eliza? + +But what those in Fairview might think was a minor consideration. The +great point was the recovery of the Red Flier before the car's captors +could wreck the machine. + +Brisco was the only one of the two scoundrels who could run a car, and +even Brisco's knowledge was superficial. An hour's instruction, from +the driver of Nugent's runabout, was all Brisco had had. + +Brisco now had two stolen cars and he could run only one of +them--unless, indeed, the third man he had picked up knew something +about motors. + +Matt, perhaps, had walked a mile through the gloomy hills, when he +heard a noise as of some one in the road ahead. He halted, half-fearing +that Brisco and Spangler were coming back. + +But that could not be, he reasoned. If they had wanted to come back, +they would have used the car--and the noise Matt heard was of footsteps. + +He listened, straining his ears and eyes. Only one man was coming. He +could not see, but hearing alone told him there was but one. + +Backing into the deep shadow of a nest of boulders, he continued to +wait. + +The man, whoever he was, was coming hurriedly. Sometimes he ran, and +occasionally he stumbled. As he drew closer, Matt saw that he was a +small man, and as he came closer still the figure resolved itself into +that of a mere boy. + +"Hello!" called Matt, stepping out into the road again. + +The figure gave a startled jump. + +"Chee!" it cried. "Say, who's dat?" + +Matt's pulses quickened, and a glow of hope ran through him. + +"Hello, kid!" he shouted. "What're you doing here?" + +"I'm a jay if it ain't Motor Matt!" came delightedly from the boy as he +dashed forward. "How's dis f'r a come-off? Say, it sure knocks de wind +out o' me! Where'd yous come from, yerself? Was yous on dat automobile +wid Brisco an' Spang?" + +By then the boy was close enough to grab Matt's hand and give it a +shake. + +"Yes," answered Matt; "I was on the car with them and they let me out +and turned back." + +"How'd de mutts come t' git yous on de mat, hey?" + +Matt explained how he had been spirited away. + +"Well, on de level," breathed the boy, "dat's de rummest move I ever +connected wit'. Raw? Oh, sister!" + +"Now tell me something about yourself," said Matt. "Why did you get +into that car? And where have you been since you left Fairview?" + +"Easy, cull! T'ings is bein' pulled off in such a bunch it's hard t' +straighten dem out. Le's do de ham-restin' act, right here on dis nice +bunch o' rocks, while we chin a little." + +They sat down, side by side. + +"You must have had some reason, Eva, for hiking out with Brisco like +you did, and----" + +"Cut out de 'Eva.' Fergit de styge name. I was on'y dat back o' de tin +lamps, an' no more of 'em fer mine. Call me Josh. Not dat I'm a josher, +understan', 'cause I ain't. An' here's somet'in' else I'm battin' up t' +yous: Dere's a few t'inks rattlin' around in me block dat I can't let +yous in on. Not bekase I ain't willin' meself, but bekase it ain't on +de program. See? + +"First off, Matt, I crowded into dat car becase de idee looked good t' +me. Dat's all yous is t' know about dat f'r now. I rode t' w'ere Brisco +stopped de car an' took on Spang--about de place w'ere dad an' yous had +de set-to on account o' dat box. + +"Den we moved on ag'in, me still under de coat an' wonderin' how long I +could keep shy o' de lamps o' dem two dubs. You can bet yer lid, Matt, +I didn't breathe on'y when necessary. I was de sly boy, all right. +W'en we pulled up ag'in, we was clost t' t'ree horses, all saddled an' +bridled, an' wit' a beer-faced guy on one o' dem. + +"De runabout was backed into de brush, an' Brisco an' Spang got onto +two o' de horses an' all t'ree o' dat strong-arm bunch pulled deir +freight back down de road. It was right den I wished dat I knowed how +t' work dem cranks an' t'ings so'st I could make dat car go w'ere I +wanted. But I didn't know de tail lamp from de carburetter, so I jess +had t' lay low an' wait. + +"W'en dem jays got back, dere was yer Uncle John right under de coat, +same as usual, an' still holdin' his breat'. If one o' de mugs lifted +de coat, I was plannin' to work me pins an' head right into de weeds, +like anot'er bear was on me trail. + +"But dey didn't look under de coat, none of dem. Dey was too mad. Chee! +but dey was r'iled! Blatter, blatter, blatter, dey went, swearin' like +a plumber wot's burned hisself wit' his torch. Say, de air was blue an +smelt like de odder place. If dey'd piped me off den, dey'd have took +me skelp, all right. + +"From de spiel dey was givin' each odder, I hooked onto de infermation +dat dey'd got de box an' dat dere wasn't not'in' in it--w'ich I knowed +all de time. Dey was crowdin' all deir swear-words onto Motor Matt. +Yous had fooled dem, dey said, an' dey was goin' t' saw off even if it +took a leg. + +"Brisco give de mug on de horse his orders to go t' some place w'ere +Brisco an' Spang would go foist an' wait. Wid dat we started up +ag'in--me on de job an' still sayin' me prayers back'ards, for'ards, +an' sideways. I couldn't see where we went, but we was goin' f'r a +hunderd years, seemed like, I was dat worked up t'inkin' I might git +nabbed. Den we stopped, backed t'roo some brush, an' stopped ag'in, dat +time t' stay. + +"I had drawn into me shell, listenin' w'ile Brisco an' Spang was +rammin' around de place w'ere we was. After a w'ile, deir bazoos seemed +t' move off, an' I stuck out me coco an' piped de layout. + +"We was in a well. Anyways dat's how it looked. De well was about +fifteen feet acrost, steep rocks all around an' on'y one place w'ere +dere was a break. De break was choked up wit' brush, an' I'm wise right +off dat we'd backed t'roo it w'en we come into de well. + +"I see anot'er nice little clump of brush off t' de right, an' it +looked so invitin' dat I slipped out from under de coat an' ducked f'r +it. + +"I was in dat clump w'en de odder bloke, who dey called Klegg, blowed +in t'roo de break wid de hosses; an' I was still dere w'en night come +down, an' de t'ree of dem lighted up de runabout an' went away w'id it. + +"Couldn't git in de back seat den, kase Klegg was dere, so dey bumped +off into de night an' left me in de well wit' de t'ree horses. + +"I kinked me thinker all up t'ryin' t' guess whedder I'd better stay +right dere or borry one o' dem horses an' ride some place. Well, I +didn't ride, not knowin' any good place t' ride to. Couldn't even make +a guess which way de town was. + +"I went out t'roo de brush an' moseyed around in de dark till +_chugetty-chug!_ along come dat runabout ag'in an' backed t'roo de +brush into de well. But dere was on'y one man in it, an' it was Klegg. +W'ere was Brisco an' Spang? Dat was wot fretted me. W'ile I was +frettin', along comes dat red tourin'-car. I made out Brisco in front, +an' Spang in de rear--an' dere was some odder mug in de rear wot I +couldn't get next to. De tourin'-car went on past de well. + +"Chee, but I was rattled! Wot was happenin', I says t' meself, an' w'y +was it happenin'? De tourin'-car come back ag'in an' in it was Brisco +an' Spang, but de odder guy had been left somew'ere. De tourin'-car was +backed into de well, w'ere de runabout had gone, an' I started dis way +t' see wot I could find. Say, Matt, I was knocked stiff w'en I found +yous! Great, ain't it, how luck takes a shoot, once in a w'ile? If +dat---- Wot's de matter w'id yous? W'ere yous goin'?" + +Matt had jumped up, grabbed Josh by the arm and was pulling him down +the road. + +"Come on!" said he. "We haven't got any time to lose!" + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +A DARING PLAN. + + +"Say," panted Josh, as he and Matt traveled rapidly along the road, +"put me wise to dis move, can't yous? Wot's in yer block, Matt?" + +"Do you know what Brisco intends to do with the Red Flier?" asked Matt. + +"He's layin' in a supply o' benzine-buggies t' start a garage, 'r +somet'ing, ain't he?" + +"He ran off with that touring-car just to play even with me, Josh. He +says I've meddled with his affairs long enough, and that he's going to +run the Red Flier over a cliff just to pay me back for using the car to +help you people." + +"Wouldn't dat frost yous?" muttered Josh. + +"And he said I was seventy-five miles from Fairview," went on Matt, +"and that by the time I had walked to the town he would have finished +his business there." + +"Brisco has got anodder guess comin'. He ain't so warm. Dad can show +him a t'ing 'r two, an' don't yous fergit dat. Chee! Dat guy's de +limit. But wot's yer game, cull?" + +"You say that both cars are in that 'well,' as you call it?" + +"Dat's w'ere dey was w'en I started for here." + +"Well, I'm going to get the Red Flier away from that outfit!" + +Matt spoke as confidently as though he had merely remarked that he was +going over to the hotel after his dinner. + +"Say, cull," returned the boy, "I like yer nerve, all right, an' I +marks yous up f'r de entry, but how yous goin' t' git under de wire? +Dere's t'ree o' dem guys, an' dey've got a lot o' artillery. How we +goin' t' git away wit' de car if dey don't want us to?" + +"I don't know," replied Matt, "but we've got to do it somehow." + +"Yous is a reg'lar lollypaloozer, Motor Matt, an' I'd back yous t' win +any ole day, but dis looks like too big a load. But yous can count on +me. Dad'll tell yous dat I'm big f'r me age an' no mutt in a getaway, +so jest set yer pace an' I'll push on de reins." + +"How far is it to the place where the automobiles were left?" + +"We're close t' dere now. I'm wonderin' w'y Brisco dropped yous widin +a short walk o' de hang-out--dat is, if he was fixin' t' stay at de +place?" + +"I don't know," answered Matt; "but that's what he did and it's enough +for me. I've got to recover that car, Josh. If I don't, and if anything +happens to it, I'd look nice making my report to Tomlinson, wouldn't I?" + +"If yous hadn't picked up dat bunch o' tramps on de road yous wouldn't +have got into dis fix." + +"I'm not sorry I helped you out, Josh." + +"Sure not. Yous ain't dat kind, Motor Matt. All de same, yous would +have been peggin' along to'rds Albuquerque, nice as yous please, if +it hadn't been for dat crowd o' Uncle Tommers. Dere'll be doin's in +Fairview in de mornin', w'en dad finds out yous ain't w'ere yous ought +t' be." + +"What can your father do?" + +"He can do a lot w'en he gits started. Don't yous never t'ink he's a +slow one, Matt." + +Matt knew that Legree could keep a cool head in a pinch, but, for all +that, he didn't see how he could do anything when he didn't have money +enough even to pay his board-bill. + +"Mr. Tomlinson has a lot of confidence in me," said Matt; "and, if that +car is wrecked, I'll have----" + +"Sh-h-h!" whispered Josh, coming to a wary halt and laying a hand on +Matt's arm. "Look ahead, dere. See dat black splotch on de side o' de +hill by de road?" + +"Yes," answered Matt, straining his eyes in the direction indicated. + +"Dat's de brush dat hides de openin'. Are we bot' goin' t' blow in dere +an' try t' make a run wit' de red car?" + +"We can't do the trick in such a hurricane way as that. We've got to +lay some other plan. I'll go in and look the ground over, Josh, and +maybe I can get hold of an idea." + +"I'll try t' git holt o' one, too, w'ile I'm waitin' fer yous. Don't +make much noise w'ile yous is in de bushes, Matt, or dem terriers'll +pepper yous." + +"I'm going to sneak into the place as quietly as I can. I don't think +they'll hear me." + +Leaving the boy a little way from the dark patch of verdure clinging to +the face of the hill, Matt went on carefully. As he approached closer +to the vague blot it gradually took form under his eyes. + +The wall of the hill seemed to be cracked through from crest to base +and wrenched apart until it formed a narrow opening. Up both sides of +the opening grew the bushes, their branches spreading out and forming a +thick screen. + +On account of the darkness, Matt could not make a very close +examination of the queer fissure, but he saw enough to convince him +that Nature had contrived a secure retreat for Brisco and Spangler. + +The bottom of the opening, Matt judged, was all of ten feet in width. +Dropping down on his hands and knees, he began crawling through the +middle of the break, parting the bush branches from in front of him as +he advanced. + +So wary was he that he made very little noise. + +He had gone perhaps a dozen feet through the brushy tangle, when a glow +of light struck on his eyes. This acted as a sort of beacon, and served +to guide him the rest of the way. A dozen feet more brought him to the +opposite side of the opening and to the edge of the bushes. + +Crouching silently on the ground he proceeded to survey the peculiar +niche in front of him. + +Josh's description, likening the place to a "well," was quite +appropriate. The niche was circular in form and its walls arose steeply +to a height of at least fifty feet. In the shadow of the walls the +place was very dark, but the glowing lamps of an automobile enabled +Matt to see enough to send a chill of disappointment through him. + +There was only one automobile in the niche! + +And that one was the runabout! + +Brisco and Spangler must have emerged and gone off somewhere with the +Red Flier. + +Had they taken it away to destroy it? + +The three horses were not far from the runabout. They were secured to +some bushes, and could be heard pawing and stamping. + +Matt could also hear something else, and that was the snoring of a man +in deep sleep. + +After a moment's hesitation he continued to creep onward, redoubling +his care and vigilance. + +He was upon the man before he was fairly aware of it, one of his +groping hands coming in contact with an outstretched foot. + +The snoring ceased with an explosive grunt and Matt drew back +breathlessly. + +The man did not rouse up. Shifting his position slightly he continued +to snore. + +Making a détour, Matt got around the man--whom he knew was not Brisco +or Spangler, and consequently must be Klegg--and reached the runabout. + +Pausing there, the young motorist let his mind circle about this new +phase of the situation. + +If he couldn't get the Red Flier, why not take the runabout? That would +afford himself and Josh a quick means for making the return trip to +Fairview. Besides, no matter what happened to the Red Flier, there was +something to be gained in getting the runabout away from the thieves. + +Close to the car was a heap of horse-trappings. Matt felt about among +the saddles, bridles and blankets until he had found two coiled riatas. + +Could he, by quick work, get one of the ropes around Klegg's hands +before he was thoroughly awake and able to struggle? Josh would have +been of use in such an attempt, and Matt decided that he could not make +it successfully unless he did have the other to help. He would go back +after Josh, he decided; but first he would look over the runabout and +make sure it was ready for the road. + +Laying the ropes in the front of the car, he arose to his feet, softly +removed the tail lamp from its bracket, and flashed it into the rumble. + +The coat, used so cleverly by the boy, was still there, crumpled on +the floor as though by a man's feet. Passing on to the forward part of +the car, the pencil of light jumped from point to point, Matt's eyes +following critically. + +Everything seemed to be shipshape and in good order. + +A small object on one of the front seats caught the youth's attention. +It was pushed well back into the angle where the back joined the seat, +and Matt picked it up and held it in the glow of light. + +It was a small bottle, and the label bore the written word, +"Chloroform." + +Matt stifled an exclamation. Undoubtedly it had been some of that +bottle's contents which had helped Brisco and Spangler get the better +of him, in Fairview, and run off with the touring-car. + +Then a startling expedient darted through Matt's mind. Turn about was +fair play. With the aid of the drug he could clear a passage for the +runabout, and without resort to any violence. + +Setting the lamp down on the front seat, Matt drew the cork of the +bottle, took a handkerchief from his pocket and proceeded to wet it +with the chloroform. Then, re-corking the bottle and laying it aside, +he went down on his hands and knees and started toward Klegg. + +A lightening of the sky over the steep walls that hemmed in the niche +told of coming day. + +The darkness would be a help to Matt and Josh in getting to the road +and away, and if advantage was to be taken of night Matt knew he would +have to hurry. + +But he was well equipped to carry out his plans now, and lost no time +in getting about them. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +ON THE ROAD. + + +Kneeling beside Klegg, Matt leaned over and held the saturated +handkerchief close to his face. The fumes were strong, and seemed to +strangle him. With a gurgling grunt he shifted his position. + +Matt moved the handkerchief and again held it over his face. This time +Klegg sputtered a little, but did not change his position. Evidently +the narcotic was beginning to have its effect. After a moment, Matt +allowed the handkerchief to drop on Klegg's face. He left it there +for two or three minutes and then threw it aside. Klegg was breathing +heavily and seemed to be completely under the influence of the drug. + +Catching hold of the blanket on which the man was lying, Matt began to +pull it toward the wall of the niche. + +"Chee!" whispered a voice close to Matt's side. "Wot kind of a smell is +dat, cull? Wot yous done to Klegg?" + +"I thought you were going to wait outside, Josh?" answered Matt. + +"Dat's wot I t'ought, but yous was so long in comin' dat I took de +notion t' come in an' look yous up. Wot's de play?" + +"I found a bottle of chloroform in the runabout, and it must have been +out of that same bottle that Brisco took the stuff that put me to +sleep. Thought I'd see how it worked on Klegg." + +"Yous is a jim dandy, Matt!" laughed Josh delightedly. "But w'ere's +Brisco an' Spang?" + +"They're not here, and neither is the touring-car." + +"Tough luck! Yous figgerin' on makin' a getaway wit' de runabout?" + +"Yes. We might use that for a quick run to Fairview and get the sheriff +to hunt up Brisco and Spangler. I'll go with the sheriff and use the +runabout. It's a faster car than the Flier, and we may be able to catch +the two thieves before they wreck Mr. Tomlinson's car." + +"Yous has got a head on yous, Matt, an' no mistake," said the boy +admiringly. "An' yous pulled all dis off yerself! Well, say, if yous +ain't a winner dis heat yous ought t' be. Dat's right--on de level an' +no stringin'. Dad would like t' have a guy like yous t' work wit' all +de time. An' so would Little Eva, de child wonder. But it's gittin' +daylight, Matt, an' if we're goin' t' pull our freight, let's be at it." + +It was already light enough so that they could see without the lamps. +These were extinguished, and then Matt put the tail lamp back in its +place, started the engine and got into the driver's seat. + +On the low gear they moved slowly across the bottom of the niche. + +Josh was still laughing softly to himself. + +"Chee, cull, but I'd like t' be around w'en Brisco an' Spang find dat +Klegg feller!" he chuckled. "Dat would be as good as a circus. Dis is +almost too good t' be true, ain't it?" + +"It will be, Josh," replied Matt, "if I can only get back the Red +Flier." + +"Dem coves'll be careful o' dat odder machine when dey find dis one has +been took away from dem." + +"I know that--providing they find out the runabout is gone before they +destroy the Flier." + +Setting the runabout at the bushes, Matt drove through the undergrowth, +Josh keeping the branches out of his face while he attended to the +steering. + +"On de road ag'in!" jubilated the boy, as they emerged from the mouth +of the opening and turned to the left. + +"All I wish is," answered Matt, "that I knew we were going right." + +"Dere's on'y two ways t' go, cull. One's up to'rds w'ere you was +dropped by Brisco an' Spang, an' t'odder's de way we're headin'. It's a +cinch we're hittin' it off about proper. W'ere d' youse t'ink dem odder +mutts went wid de tourin'-car?" + +"I'm afraid they took it off to carry out their threat and make junk of +it." + +"I hope yous ain't got it right. If dey did dat, it 'u'd put yous in a +bad hole. Yous couldn't make Tomlinson take dis car f'r de odder, could +yous?" + +"Hardly. This car belongs to Nugent, in Ash Fork." + +Something was rattling about the car, and it got onto Matt's nerves. +Halting for a moment, he located the difficulty. The screw-cap of +the gasoline-tank was loose. Taking a wrench out of the tool-box he +tightened the cap, then dropped the wrench in the rumble and returned +to his seat. + +"Yous don't like t' hear anyt'ing rattle, hey?" queried Josh. + +"Makes me nervous," laughed Matt. "Now hold onto your teeth, Josh. I'm +going to let her out!" + +"De quicker we kin go de better. Let's see how fast de ole gal kin +travel." + +They whirled around a turn in the narrow valley. The unexpected was +lying in wait for them, for they came upon Spangler, on foot and +walking toward the niche. + +Josh gave a startled yell. Spangler, dumfounded at sight of the +runabout, charging toward him with Motor Matt and the boy in front, +stood as though rooted to the ground. + +"Down, Josh!" cried Matt, advancing the spark; "get down behind the +dashboard!" + +As Matt spoke he sounded the horn. Spangler climbed out of the way with +more haste than grace, and the runabout dashed past him. + +"Yi-yip-ee!" tuned up the boy, waving his hand mockingly. "D'radder do +dat dan git run down, hey?" + +"Drop!" yelled Matt, and in a tone that made Josh crumple down between +the seat and the dash. + +Bang! + +Matt had expected a bullet, and he was not disappointed. But it went +wide. + +Bang! + +The next one came closer, but still left a safe margin. + +There was no more shooting. Wondering at it, Josh rose up and looked +backward. + +"Now wot d'youse t'ink o' dat!" he cried. "Wot's dat mug doin' dat for?" + +"What's he doing?" asked Matt. + +"W'y he's hustlin' a big stone into de middle o' de road. See 'im work! +Chee! Wot's de meanin' o' dat?" + +The car whipped around another turn, wiping Spangler and his strange +activities out of sight. Josh dropped down on the seat. + +"That's got a bad look," said Matt, coaxing the runabout to a still +faster gait. "We've got to get out of this as quick as we can." + +"Chee!" cried the boy, holding to the seat with both hands, "we're +goin' fast enough. Gid-ap! Wow! wot a spurt! Don't let anyt'ing slip a +cog, cull. If de ole benzine-buggy hit a rock an' stopped, I'd go right +on f'r a couple o' miles afore I landed. Oh, wot a clip! We've got de +Cannonball Limited licked t' a frazzle!" + +Then they took another turn, the rear wheels skidding and Matt deftly +catching the motor up and sending the car onward. The runabout did not +follow the curve of the road, but made an angling turn--a hair-raising +stunt copied after Oldfield, the daredevil racer. + +Josh gave a yell, and came within a hair of being heaved over Matt and +into the road. + +Then, with a muttered exclamation, Matt cut off the power, applied the +brakes and quickly reversed, backing for the side of the road. + +It all happened so quick that it took the boy's breath. + +"Wot's dat fer?" he asked. + +Matt was whirling the wheel and starting the car on the back track. + +"Brisco is heading us off," he answered--"Brisco in the Red Flier!" + +Josh turned to stare along the road. + +Matt was right. + +Brisco, still a long distance off, was whooping it up in their +direction. + +"Wouldn't dat crimp yous?" gasped the boy, awed at the gathering +perils. "Dey've got us f'r fair, Matt! W'y didn't yous keep on an' give +Brisco de go-by?" + +"There wasn't room enough in the road to pass!" flung back Matt. + +"Dat's w'y Spang was rollin' dem stones in de road! He knew dat Brisco +was comin', and dat he'd git us between him an' de rock-pile. Chee! +We're It, dis time, an' no mistake." + +Matt, his face white and set and his gray eyes snapping, was leaning +over the steering-wheel, watching every foot of road as they swept over +it. + +"We've got to pass that rock-pile before it gets too big!" said he +through his teeth. + +"Den w'ere'll we go?" + +"Anywhere, just so we keep away from Brisco. This car is a faster one +than the Red Flier. We can show him our heels at any stage of the game." + +They fairly flew, and rocks rushed past them as though hurled by some +giant hand. + +"There'll be some danger when we get to the place where Spangler is +waiting, Josh," said Matt. "I'll slow down and you can get out, if you +want to." + +"Wot d'youse take me fer?" cried the boy. "I'm wid yous, Matt, win +'r lose. See? Make yer ole play. If Uncle Josh ain't wit' yous at de +finish, den call him a quitter an' mark him off'n yer callin'-list." + +Hurling onward, and skidding around the turns, Matt kept straining his +eyes constantly ahead. + +Their source of peril was now wrapped up in Spangler. If his pile of +boulders did not block the road completely--if there was a chance for +the runabout to get past the stones, or over them, there was still a +fighting chance for escape. + +Half a minute later, as the car reached out for the place where +Spangler had been at work, Matt's heart went down into his boots. + +Spangler was nowhere in sight, but he had worked to good purpose. + +A few big boulders were cunningly placed so as to make the road +impassable. With a despairing cry, Matt brought the runabout to a quick +stop. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + +A CLOSE CALL. + + +"Pile out, Josh, and get busy with those rocks!" yelled Matt. + +It was a forlorn hope, for the pounding of the Red Flier could be heard +around the turn, coming up hand over fist. Long before the way could be +cleared, Brisco would be upon them. + +And what had become of Spangler. Where had he gone? And _why_ had he +gone? + +That was a conundrum, and Matt had no time to give to conundrums just +then. + +Josh, eager to do all he could, was tugging and straining at the rocks. + +"It won't do, Josh!" shouted Matt. "Run for those boulders at the side +of the road and wait for me." + +To think quickly in an emergency was Motor Matt's long suit. Many a +time his cool head had helped him out of a bad difficulty. + +While he was shouting to the boy he was running back to the car. +Snatching the wrench from where he had dropped it in the rumble, +Matt went to work with lightninglike energy on the cap of the +gasoline-reservoir. + +In record time he had the cap off. Bending down he scooped up a handful +of sand from the road and dumped the most of it into the reservoir, +then, as quickly as he had removed the cap, he replaced it, flung the +wrench into the car and jumped for the boulders. + +Hardly was he back of the big stones that clustered along that edge of +the valley, when the Red Flier shoved her nose through a cloud of dust +and came scorching onward. + +Brisco must have been astounded to see the runabout, deserted and at a +halt in the road. The way, of course, was blocked for him as well as +for the runabout, and he halted the Red Flier at a good distance from +the other machine, leaped out and came running to the other car. + +The stones in the road probably gave him a pretty good idea of what +had happened, for he immediately began looking around him as though +expecting to see some one--possibly Matt and Josh. + +"Spang!" he whooped. "Where are you, Spang?" + +"Here!" answered Spangler, appearing suddenly around the bend. + +"What you been doing?" demanded Brisco. + +"The dickens is ter pay, an' no mistake!" stormed Spang. "That young +cub of a Motor Matt found out whar we'd cached the runabout, an' blamed +if he didn't go in an' snake it right out from under Klegg's----" + +"Thunder!" broke in Brisco. "Don't you reckon I _saw_ the whelp? He was +bearing down on me like a hurricane, slamming the runabout through for +all she was worth." + +"He went past here gally-whoopin'," answered Spang, "while I was makin' +fer that hole in the hill. Come mighty nigh runnin' me down at that. +I got out o' the way, faced around an' sent a couple o' bullets arter +him, but the brat's too lucky ter stop any lead----" + +"Depends on who throws the lead," snarled Brisco. + +"I kin throw it with ary man that walks! But I didn't take time ter +throw much. I calculated the runabout would come up ferninst you, Hank, +afore it got out o' the valley, an' that King would have ter turn +around an' chase back this way. So what does I do but begin pilin' +stones whar they'd do the most good. Jest got enough down ter do the +biz, an' went ter see what had happened ter Klegg. Great jumpin' +sand-hills! What d'ye think that infernal kid done ter him?" + +"What?" fumed Brisco. + +"Doped him, by thunder! Doped him out er the same bottle we used last +night! Klegg's up thar in the notch, dead ter the world!" + +"What did you leave the hang-out for?" roared Brisco angrily. "Didn't +I tell you, when I left, to stay there with Klegg? If you'd done as I +said, this wouldn't have happened." + +"I come out ter see if that kid was moseyin' down the valley," was the +sullen rejoinder from Spang. "Ye said I was ter watch out an' make sure +he didn't blunder outer the notch." + +"Well, you made sure, didn't you?" taunted Brisco. "Where'd Legree's +kid spring from? How'd he come to be along with King?" + +"How'd I know? Think I'm a mind-reader?" + +"Deuced funny thing! He was with King, and I'd like to know where he +came from, and how he got here. There's a nigger in the fence, I'll +bet. Where'd those boys go?" + +"I don't know that, nuther." + +"Did they pass you and go up the valley?" + +"Nary, they didn't!" + +"Then they must be hiding around here somewhere! Let's get 'em. If I +lay hands on Motor Matt again he won't get off so easy." + +There was only one place in that vicinity where any one could hide, and +that was among the scattered rocks not far from where the runabout was +standing. + +Brisco and Spangler, making a hasty survey of the surroundings, at once +hit upon the boulders as the place for them to look. + +"They're over thar," cried Spangler, "an' I'll bet money on it." + +As he spoke, he started at a run for the side of the valley, pulling a +revolver as he went. + +"Don't do any shooting," called Brisco, starting after Spangler, "just +grab 'em and hold 'em." + +"We'll tie King in that thar automobile when we run it over the cliff!" +yelped Brisco viciously. "We'll l'arn him ter play his tricks on _us_!" + +Matt and Josh had heard all this conversation. They were not standing +still, either, but were busily finding some place where they could stow +themselves away. + +A fight with the two armed men was to be avoided, if possible. Matt +knew that he and Josh would stand little chance in such a one-sided +combat; and Matt had formed plans which he was eager to be carrying out. + +A little way up the steep hillside there was a ledge, with a recess +back of it. + +Matt's quick eye picked out the spot, and he climbed briskly, hauling +Josh along after him. The boulders shielded them from view while they +were getting to the ledge, and Matt pushed Josh into the recess, and +then rolled into it himself. From this position Matt was able to peer +over the ledge and keep track of the movements of Brisco and Spangler. + +"Are they comin' dis way, cull?" whispered the boy. + +"Yes," answered Matt. + +"Got deir guns ready, eh?" + +"Of course, Josh. Scoundrels like Brisco and Spangler always draw and +shoot if you give 'em half a chance." + +"Dey're hot at de two of us, an' dey'll sure lay out ter do us up." + +"We'll have to fight, if they force it on us." + +"Wot kin we do?" + +"There's a stone on the ledge. If they come too close I'll push it down +on them." + +"Better give dat dere stone a push right off, bekase----" + +"Hist!" cautioned Matt. + +Silence fell between the boys. Matt drew in his head, fearing he +would be seen. He listened intently, however, and could tell by the +scrambling feet below just how near Brisco and Spangler were coming. +When they came too close, Matt was intending to push the stone down on +them. + +"Beats the deuce where those whelps went to!" grumbled the voice of +Brisco. + +"They must be here. Thar wasn't any place else they could go. I wasn't +gone from the road more'n five minits, Hank." + +"They wouldn't have had time to get past you?" + +"Nary, they wouldn't. They're here, I tell ye; they must be." + +"The whole side-hill is under our eyes. If you can see the cubs you can +do better than I can." + +"Seems like there was a shelf up thar a ways. Mebby they're on the +shelf?" + +"Gammon! That shelf isn't wide enough for a chipmunk to sit on." + +"Anyways, I'm goin' up an' take a look." + +Matt got ready to push out and roll the stone off the shelf. Before he +could do that, however, a shout from Brisco halted him. + +"Say, you! There were three horses in the hang-out with Klegg!" + +"What o' that?" answered Spangler. + +"Why, those boys have gone there and are getting the horses." + +"How could they go thar, Hank? They didn't pass me." + +"They might have got there when you didn't see them. While we're +wasting time here, I'll bet something handsome they're getting out +those horses. Come on! Don't lose another second fooling around among +those rocks!" + +"Waal, I don't reckon----" + +"Come on, I say!" roared Brisco. + +The two men were heard scrambling down the slope, getting farther and +farther away. + +Back in the little recess Matt could hear the boy chuckling and talking +to himself. + +"Come on, Josh!" whispered Matt, starting up. "Be careful, though! This +is our day for luck, all right." + +"Well, I guess!" answered the boy, rolling over the ledge. "Chee, but +dey're a pair o' dough-heads. Good t'ing f'r us, too. What next, Matt?" + +"We'll get to the Red Flier, turn it the other way along the trail, and +ride back to Fairview." + +"Oh, Lucy!" giggled Josh. "Fer a kid dat ain't had not'in' t' eat since +yesterday mornin' I'm feelin' some fine! We gits de Red Flier, after +all, an' dem guys is beat, hands down." + +They were proceeding down the hillside while Josh was talking. When +Matt reached the boulders that lined the road, he looked out. + +Brisco and Spangler, hurrying as fast as their legs could carry them, +were just vanishing around the bend. + +"Now for the Red Flier--and Fairview!" said Matt, running out from +among the boulders and laying a direct course for the red car. + +"Dat's de talk, cull!" laughed Josh, hustling along after Matt. + +Certainly it looked as though they were to have everything their own +way, for a while at least--but they were not so lucky as they thought. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + +CAR AGAINST CAR. + + +It may be that Matt and Josh made too much racket getting down the +rocks, or that Brisco had a premonition that something was wrong. Be +that as it might, however, yet Brisco and Spangler turned back a minute +after they had gone charging around the bend. + +Motor Matt, at that moment, was bending to the crank of the Red Flier, +and it was Josh who excitedly announced the approach of their two +enemies. + +The boy had done his jubilating too soon, and the sight of Brisco and +Spangler filled him with panic. + +"Oh, chee!" he fluttered. "Dey're after us, Matt, like a couple o' +grizzlies! Wow! Let's duck f'r de rocks agin!" + +"Get into the car!" shouted Matt, giving the crank a whirl. + +One beauty of the Red Flier was the quickness with which the machine +caught up its cycle; and it had been the same with Matt's twin-cylinder +motorcycle. Half a turn of the pedal was enough for the little _Comet_, +and one pull of the crank did the business for the red car's motor. + +While the machine popped its defiance of Brisco and Spangler, Motor +Matt ran around and vaulted into his old familiar place. He felt at +home--much more so than he had when driving the runabout. + +Neither Brisco nor Spangler wasted any time with their revolvers. +Both knew that the runabout was a faster machine than the Red Flier, +and both felt confident that a quick start after the boys and a few +minutes' chase would tell the tale. + +Spangler scrambled into the car. Brisco slipped as he rounded the front +of the runabout to turn over the engine, fell sprawling and hit his +head on the handle of the crank. + +He was not very much hurt, apparently, although from his flow of +language his temper must have been severely injured. Besides, he had +lost ten seconds--no very serious matter, considering the usual speed +of the runabout--but Brisco was anxious for a rapid start and a quick +finish for the chase. + +As he yanked the lever savagely, the popping from up the road sounding +like the rapid discharge of a Gatling gun. Motor Matt had turned the +Red Flier with his customary celerity, and was off on the high gear +with the muffler cut out. + +"By thunder," howled the frantic Spangler, "oncet I ketch that Motor +Matt I'll wring his neck fer him!" + +"I'll help you," answered Brisco vindictively. There was a patch of +skin gone from his forehead and a little dribble of red was flowing +down his cheek. + +"If they wasn't out o' sight," growled Spangler, "I'd pepper 'em." + +"What's the use of peppering them?" scowled Brisco. "We'll climb right +over 'em in less'n five minutes." + +"Do it!" cried Spangler, as they shot ahead recklessly. + +"Do what?" asked Brisco, just missing a boulder by a hair's breadth. + +"Why, climb over 'em," snorted Spangler. "Run 'em down an' shove 'em +inter the rocks! Let's hev a smash, with that young whelp right in the +middle of it. He's made us trouble enough!" + +"Don't be a fool, Spang!" returned Brisco. "If we ran into them we +might smash the runabout. We've got use for this machine--after we +clean up on Legree and this Motor Matt." + +"That's so, too," said Spangler. "We may hev use fer it even if ye +don't clean up on Legree. With another pair o' shoes an' tubes, an' a +place whar we kin keep a supply o' gasoline an' oil, an' them steel +bottles o' compressed air, we could circle all around through this here +Southwestern kentry, takin' our toll wharever we wanted ter pick it up." + +"Sure we could, and we _will_!" + +"I'm glad o' one thing," observed Spangler. + +"What's that?" + +"Why, thar won't be any more glass throwed in the road, same as thar +was during t'other chase we had with that Red Flier. King had a lot in +the red car, if ye remember, an' I dumped it all out." + +"We'll nip 'im this time," said Brisco, through his teeth. + +"We got ter, that's what. If we don't---- Tear an' ages, Hank! Be +keerful!" + +The runabout had been hurled at a curve. There was no lessening of the +speed, and the entire machine slid sideways to the edge of the road, +banging into the rocks with a force that pitched Spangler against the +dashboard. He came within one of going clear over upon the hood. + +"Get back in your seat and hang on!" yelled Brisco. "We haven't +commenced to run yet." + +After that Spangler had no time to talk--he was too busy holding +himself in the car. + +Meanwhile the Red Flier had been streaking it through the hills, Josh +keeping a pair of keen eyes on the back track, and Matt giving his +entire attention to the road ahead. + +"Chee, wot a bump!" cried Josh. + +He had seen the runabout skid across the road, take a welt at the rock +wall and then leap onward like a bullet from a gun. + +"What's the matter?" shouted Matt. + +He had to shout, for the wind of their flight caught the words out of +his teeth and flung them, a mere wisp of sound, far to rearward. + +"Brisco tried t' knock over a hill wit' his hind wheels," yelled Josh, +"an' Spang tried t' turn a handspring over de bonnet. Wow! but dey're +goin some, Matt!" + +"So are we," screamed Matt, "Fifty-eight miles an hour." + +"Ever race dat runabout afore?" + +"Yes." + +"W'ch winned?" + +"The Flier--by a fluke. I scattered glass in the road--the runabout got +into it and went lame." + +"Got any glass along now?" + +"Yes, in the tonneau; but----" + +"None dere now, cull." + +"Then Brisco must have thrown it out. It'll all right, though. This is +going to be our race." + +"We'd better keep our lamps skinned f'r Fairview. It's on'y +seventy-five miles from w'ere we started, an we're goin' so fast we +might run past de place an' never see it." + +Josh felt hilarious. His panic was leaving him and his usual nerve was +coming back. + +"How's the runabout coming?" roared Matt. + +"Gainin'!" whooped the boy. "Oh, sister, how she's comin'! Wisht I had +some glass." + +"She'll never catch us, Josh!" + +"How's dat?" + +"Because I've fixed her so she won't." + +"I hope yous ain't shy in yer calkilations, Matt. Dem blokes'll sure +kill us if we drops into deir hands." + +"Watch her, Josh! Tell me when her speed slackens, or when anything +goes wrong." + +"She ain't slackenin' none yet, an' nuttin' ain't gone wrong." + +"Well, watch and tell me." + +Matt couldn't understand why the runabout wasn't beginning to develop +trouble in the vicinity of the needle-valve. But it would come, sooner +or later. Some of the sand was bound to get through the supply-pipe in +time. + +The valley had widened considerably, and now it began to develop dips +and rises which afforded Matt opportunity for nursing the motor and +preventing overheating. He could cut off the power on the down grades +and give the throbbing cylinders a breathing spell. + +Brisco had no such fine ability or discrimination. He took everything +on the high gear. + +"Still gainin'!" announced Josh. + +"How far are they behind?" + +"A hundred feet. It's a wonder dey don't shake some bullets out o' deir +guns dis way. One of 'em's tootin' his bazoo at us." + +"What does he say? Can you hear?" + +"He says ter stop 'r he'll put a bullet into one o' our tires. Chee! If +he does dat----" + +Matt snatched one hand from the steering-wheel. + +Honk, honk! he answered derisively. + +Sping! + +The warning report was followed by the whistle of a bullet. It did +not come anywhere near the Red Flier, but spatted harmlessly into the +valley wall. + +Josh laughed wildly and waved his hand. The spirit of the race was +surging through his veins and had wiped out all sense of fear. + +"Wow!" he shouted. "Yous ought t' seen dat! Spang has been holdin' on +t' de seat wit' bot' hands, but he let go wit' one t' fire at us. De +runabout jumped sideways an' he lost his pepper-box overboard. Come +clost t' goin' hisself! Say, I wisht he had!" + +The runabout was devouring the distance in remarkable style. It was now +only twenty-five feet behind, and so near that the sand and pebbles +kicked up by the flying rear wheels of the red car struck in the faces +of Brisco and Spangler. + +Spangler lowered his head. Brisco jerked the goggles down over his eyes. + +"Stop!" he roared, "or I'll run into you!" + +Honk, honk! tooted Matt defiantly. + +Brisco swore and gritted his teeth. With his temper at fever heat, what +did he care how he injured the runabout just so he evened his score +with Motor Matt? + +Closer and closer came the runabout. Josh measured the decreasing +distance with his eyes. + +"Ten feet! Five, Matt, _five_! She's up t' us, now--look out!" + +Not knowing what was to happen, Josh curled over the back of the seat +and hung on with both hands. + +There was a slight jar, followed by a sudden slewing on the part of the +runabout, a quick lessening of speed and the whirr of a racing engine. + +"Dey're stoppin'!" shouted the boy; "somet'ing has gone wrong wid de +odder car!" + +"I knew _something_ would happen!" shouted Matt, as he slowed his speed +a little to give the Red Flier a bit of a rest. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + +DOWN THE MOUNTAIN. + + +"Dat engine o' deirs went wrong just at de right time t' save our +bacon, Matt," said Josh. + +Matt tossed a look backward. The runabout was at a stop, and Brisco was +on the ground, tinkering frantically. + +"If he knows what to do," said Matt, "he'll be able to come on again. +But he'll have more trouble; and he'll continue to have trouble until +he takes time to overhaul his fuel-tank." + +"What did yous do?" asked the boy. + +"Mixed a handful of sand with his gasoline." + +"W'en?" + +"While we were hung up in front of those rocks Spangler had laid for +us." + +"Didn't dat geezer see yous?" + +"I got out of the way before Brisco showed up; and Spangler, at the +time, was away looking for the man in the notch." + +"Chee, but you're a wonder! Motor Matt heads de percession an' carries +de banner! Yous t'ought o' all dat while I was hustlin' t' git behind +dem rocks! Did yous t'ink we was goin' t' have a race?" + +"I didn't know but we might. Anyhow, I thought it good policy to fix +the machine so it wouldn't be reliable. What's the news from the rear, +Josh?" + +"Brisco is gittin' back in his seat." + +"Is he coming on?" + +"Dat's wot." + +"Fast as ever?" + +"I don't see no diff'rence in de runnin'." + +"Well, something is sure to go wrong, just as it did before. One grain +of sand clogged the needle-valve, Josh, and there's a thousand more +grains to come down the supply-pipe. Face around a minute. The road +forks here. Which one shall we take? Do you remember coming this way?" + +The boy flopped around in his seat. The Red Flier was rushing toward a +place where the road forked. Both roads were bordered by rocky walls, +and both had the appearance of being equally well traveled--which +wasn't saying much for the travel, at that. + +"I don't remember nuttin'," answered the boy, "bein' scart stiff all de +w'ile I was in de runabout. I'd say go t' de right. Dat's always a good +t'ing t' do." + +"If we had the least notion which way Fairview lay we could shape our +course a little better. But we don't know, so we'll take chances and go +to the right." + +There was a slowing of speed while Matt made the turn. For a long +distance this fork was a straightaway stretch and fairly level. Matt +and Josh were congratulating themselves on the fact that they had made +a fortunate choice, when suddenly they whirled out on a vista that +surprised them. + +At the end of the straightaway stretch, a sudden angle brought the +side of a steep mountain under the boy's eyes. The road could be +seen clinging to the mountain's side, describing horseshoe after +horseshoe--edging its way between dizzy chasms and high cliffs. + +"Wow!" gasped Josh, and collapsed in his seat. "Right here's w'ere we +fall off de eart'." + +Matt took another look behind. The runabout, with the stern, relentless +face of Brisco over the wheel, was surging toward them. + +"Here we go!" called Matt. "Hang on, Josh!" + +"I'm glued! Yous can't shake me!" + +The boy was game, and Matt flung the Red Flier at the mountainside and +down the ribbon of treacherous road. + +There were places where a cliff overhung the trail, and the wheels on +the left almost scraped the rocks, while those on the right barely +tracked on the brink of a gulf. + +The boy's face went white, but his eyes glimmered brightly. He looked +back from time to time and saw the runabout sliding after them. + +A quick fear had rushed to Matt's brain. Oddly enough, it was not a +fear for his own safety, for he knew the Red Flier and knew what he +could do with it; but the runabout! If that trickle of sand cut off the +power and caused the machine to slew ever so slightly, it would go over +the chasm's edge and carry Brisco and Spangler with it! + +The world would have been better off, perhaps, if such a mishap +had come to pass; but Matt did not want it that way. His own +instrumentality in the matter would have been too hideously clear. + +And yet, if something did not happen to the runabout, the machine might +collide with the Red Flier and drive it over the brink. + +Matt knew he must keep ahead. Never had he driven more masterfully than +then. His nerves were steady, his brain alert, and every inch of that +curving, treacherous down grade was covered by his eyes. + +It was more like falling down a hill than riding down. The Red Flier +quivered like a thing of life, seeming to realize what was expected of +it, and responding nobly. + +Far off, over the level plain at the mountain's foot, could be seen the +little cluster of houses that represented Fairview. It glowed in the +morning sun like a toy village on a toy map. + +As the road curved, struck a short straightaway, then curved again, the +town swept vividly into view and again as quickly vanished. + +At the most desperate part of the trail a rock had crumbled from the +wall and rolled to the edge of the chasm. There it lay, almost under +the nose of the rushing car. + +The boy cast a despairing look into Motor Matt's set, determined face. +All he saw was a swift gleam of the gray eyes. + +Crash! + +The car, skilfully guided so that it touched the inward side of the +boulder, forced it from the edge and sent it bounding and smashing +downward into the gulf. + +A sharp breath tore through the boy's lips. Confidence again took +possession of him. After that escape, what difficulty could come up +that Motor Matt was not able to conquer? + +Matt seemed to be made of steel. With one foot on the brake and both +hands on the wheel, he kept rigidly to his work. + +"How're they making it behind, Josh?" he called. + +The boy knelt in his seat and looked back up the steep incline. + +Fortune was riding with Brisco that day. But for that he must have been +hurled from the trail in a dozen places. + +Driving a car was comparatively new work for him, and the chances are +that never before had he been on such a dangerous piece of road. Yet he +was naturally a man of iron nerve, and would not hold back where Motor +Matt led. + +Spangler, from his appearance, was as frightened a man as there ever +was in Arizona. A gray pallor had spread over his face, and his eyes +were fairly popping from his head. Gripping his seat with both hands, +he braced himself with his feet against the forward dip of the car. + +"Dey're slidin' after us, cull," reported the boy. + +"Gaining?" + +"Dat's wot, but not like dey did on de level road." + +"The foot of the mountain is just ahead of us. Can we get there before +they overtake us?" + +"Well, mebby we kin, but I wish de foot o' de mountain was half a mile +nearer dan wot it is." + +Facing about in his seat, Josh looked at the foot of the mountain for +himself. + +They were dropping toward it swiftly. There were no more +curves--nothing but a straight fall, a shoot between bordering rocks +and then a cheerful reach of road over the plain. + +"We're in luck t' git out o' dis widout a broken neck," said Josh. +"Chee, but dat level place looks good t' me." + +"The Flier's a dandy car!" declared Matt. + +"She's got a dandy driver, an' dat's no dream. W'ere'd we been widout +Motor Matt at de steerin'-wheel? Yous is a four-time winner, an' dere's +odders dat'll hear me say it." + +"The runabout will be hot after us as soon as we hit the level ground +again." + +"Dey'll never ketch us, cull. I don't care how hot dey come, wit' yous +handlin' de Flier." + +With a final spurt the red car rushed through the rocks, and, for the +first time since it had taken that up-and-down trail, both ends were on +a level. + +As they glided out onto the plain, Matt cast a look backward. There was +a feeling of relief came over him at sight of the runabout charging +through the rocks at the mountain's foot. + +But, as he looked, and just as the runabout was on the point of +striking level ground, there was a jerk to the left, a crash, and a +sudden stop. + +Brisco pitched forward over the wheel, shot clear past the hood, and +doubled up and rolled along the stony trail. + +Spangler went out on the left side, ricochetting into the air and +turning a couple of grotesque somersaults. Like Brisco, when he +dropped, he lay still. + +A sharp breath escaped Matt's lips. Turning the Red Flier, he started +back until he had come almost upon the silent form of Brisco; then he +brought the Flier to a halt and jumped out. + +"Chee, Moses!" muttered Josh, awed by the abrupt termination of the +chase. "Do yous t'ink dem guys is killed, Matt?" + +"That's what we've got to find out," flung back Matt, hurrying to +Brisco and kneeling down beside him. + +Human enmity seemed a paltry thing to Matt as his hand went groping +over Brisco's breast, feeling for the heart-beats. A thrill of +satisfaction shot through him as he found that Brisco was alive. + +Hurrying on to Spangler, he was immensely relieved to find that worthy +sitting up in the road and drawing a hand over his dazed eyes. + +"What--what happened?" faltered Spangler. + +"Nothing to what's going to happen now, Spangler," answered Matt, and +picked up the second and last revolver which the ruffian had had about +him. + +"There ought to be some ropes in the runabout, Josh," called Matt. "Go +and get them." + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + +MOTOR MATT'S TEN-STRIKE. + + +Josh hustled for the runabout. One of the coiled ropes Matt had put in +the car was hanging over a lamp, and the other had been thrown into the +road. Taking the one off the lamp, the boy hurried back to the place +where Matt was training the revolver on Spangler. + +"Fine bizness!" laughed Josh. "Wot d'yous want me t' do, Matt? Put a +bow-knot on his lunch-hooks?" + +"Stand up, Spangler!" ordered Matt. + +Spangler got lamely to his feet. He was still confused and bewildered. + +"Somethin' hit us," he mumbled. "From the way I was throwed it must hev +been a landslide. Whar's Hank? Is he killed?" + +"Brisco will get along, I guess," said Matt. "Put your hands behind +you, Spangler." + +Just then, for the first time, it began to dawn on Spangler that Matt +was making a prisoner out of him. The ruffian, although practically +uninjured, had been badly shaken up. Nevertheless, he was in condition +to resist, and he leaped backward, swearing. + +"If ye think ye kin rope, down an' tie me," he cried, "jest bekase that +thar machine bucked an' dumped me inter the road, ye got another----" + +"Come this way!" cut in Matt. + +The words, hard and keen, jumped at Spangler like so many knife-points. +Motor Matt meant business, and showed it in every movement. + +Spangler stepped forward. + +"That's far enough," snapped Matt. "Now put those hands behind you." + +With the open end of his own gun staring him in the face, there was +nothing for Spangler to do but to obey. His hands went meekly behind +him. + +"Can you tie a good hard knot, Josh?" asked Matt. + +"T'ink I ain't good f'r nuttin'?" protested the boy. + +Passing behind Spangler, he used the free end of the rope for a few +moments and then stepped back with the rest of the coil in his hands. + +"If he gits dem mitts out o' dat he's a good 'un," announced Josh. +"W'ere d'yous want him, Matt?" + +"In the Red Flier. Step lively, Spangler. We've got to look after +Brisco." + +"Get ap!" clucked Josh, shaking the rope. + +With a black scowl on his face, the baffled Spangler made his way to +the touring-car. + +"Get in on the back seat," went on Matt. + +Spangler obeyed the order. + +"Now, Josh," pursued Matt, "cut the rope and tie a piece of it around +his feet." + +The boy finished the work expeditiously, and when he and Matt drew +away from the Red Flier they left Spangler helpless and fuming in the +tonneau. + +Brisco was still lying where he had fallen, and he was still +unconscious. Matt made a more thorough examination of him. His pulse +was stronger and, so far as Matt could discover, there were no broken +bones. + +"Wot keeps 'im in a trance?" asked the boy. "He's stayin' a long time +in de Land o' Nod for not havin' nuttin' wrong wit' 'im." + +"Pick up his revolver, Josh," returned Matt briskly, "and then sit down +beside him and wait till he gets his wits back. Don't let him get away +from you." + +"Get away from me? Not on yer life, cull. I'd radder take dis mutt into +Fairview dan pull down a t'ousan' in de long green. Dad wants _him_." + +Paying no attention to the boy's rather obscure remark, Matt went to +the runabout. He was expecting to find the machine badly smashed, and +was happily disappointed. + +Both front lamps were broken, and the mud-guard over the right wheel +forward had been ripped away. The guard had fallen between the wheel +and the rock, and undoubtedly had kept the wheel from being dished. The +tire was punctured and the jolt had disabled the motor. For all that, +however, the machine, with a few temporary repairs, could travel on its +own wheels if not under its own power. + +Brisco had not yet corralled his wits. Aided by Josh, Matt dragged the +man off to one side, where he would be out of the way; then, cutting +about six feet of rope from the other riata, he threw it down where +Josh could get at it. + +"When Brisco wakes up, Josh," said Matt, "just hold him steady till we +put that rope on him." + +"Wot yous goin' t' do, Matt?" inquired the wondering Josh. "Yous is +busier dan a monkey wit' his hand in a coconut." + +"We're going to haul the runabout into Fairview," said Matt. "But I've +got to patch her up first." + +Getting into the Red Flier, Matt backed her as close to the disabled +car as he could; then, hitching onto the runabout with the ropes, he +pulled it down onto the level plain. + +With a jack taken from the touring-car he swung the runabout's wheel +off the ground. The mud-guard, having been ripped off, was not in +his way. After locating the puncture and marking it with chalk, he +unscrewed the wing-nuts, pushed out the security-bolt, and then, with +levers, dug out the inner tube. + +Perhaps he was an hour getting the hole patched up, tire back in place +and reinflated. When he was through, the runabout was ready to be +dragged to Fairview. + +"How's Brisco?" asked Matt, putting on his leather coat, which he had +thrown off while working with the runabout. + +"Same as wot he was, cull," replied Josh. "He ain't twitched an +eye-winker." + +"He may be shamming," said Matt, "in the hope of making a bolt for his +liberty. We'll put him in the tonneau. You can ride with him and watch +him every minute. I'll take Spangler in front with me." + +"We're goin' t' take de hull outfit into Fairview?" grinned Josh. + +"That's the idea." + +"A whale of an idee it is, too, an' no stringin'. Reg'lar line-up o' +crooks an' stolen automobiles, wit' Motor Matt in charge o' de bunch. +Wow! It's de biggest come-easy dat I ever mixed up wit'. Mebby dere +won't be rejoicin' w'en we goes pokin' into town wit' all dis load. +Well, I guess yes." + +Between them, Matt and Josh succeeded in carrying Brisco to the +touring-car and getting him into the tonneau. + +Spangler, having been transferred to one of the front seats, had been +chewing the cud of reflection. + +"Looky here, Motor Matt," said he, "ye ain't got no call ter kerry me +ter Fairview. Think o' Klegg, down an' out an' mebby dyin' back thar in +that notch. If anythin' happens ter him ye'll be responsible. Better +turn me loose an' let me go back an' take keer o' him." + +"Don't do so much worrying over Klegg," answered Matt. "I intend to +have him looked after. Just as soon as we get to Fairview I'll have the +sheriff, or some other officer, go to the notch and see that Klegg gets +all the attention he deserves." + +"Waal, even at that, ye ain't got no call ter lug me inter town. I +ain't done a thing. Brisco was the feller that had it in fer you. It's +him ye want ter git even with, an' not me." + +"You didn't have a hand in robbing Mr. Tomlinson, did you?" said Matt +sarcastically. "There are a lot of other things you've done, too, +and I'm going to turn you over to Lem Nugent, the man who owns the +runabout, as soon as we reach Fairview. It won't take long to get +Nugent up from Ash Forks." + +"Yous is a game loser, I don't t'ink," scoffed the boy. "W'ere's yer +nerve, Spangler?" + +"Say," said Spangler, giving his attention to Josh, "where did you butt +inter this game?" + +"I rode out o' Fairview wit' Brisco," grinned Josh. "He give me a ride." + +"Give ye a ride?" echoed Spangler. + +"Sure, on'y he didn't know it. I was under de coat in de back o' de +runabout; an' I was still dere w'en yous mutts went t' dat hole in de +wall. 'Course yous didn't see me. Yous was too mad at Motor Matt t' see +anyt'ing." + +The whole situation rushed over Spangler with demoralizing clearness. +He was able to understand how Josh and Matt, by the exercise of pluck +and brains, had succeeded in balking the plans of Brisco. + +Spangler swore heartily. It seemed to be his only method for easing his +feelings. + +"The worst move we ever made," he muttered savagely, "was takin' Motor +Matt out o' town last night. I didn't want ter do it, but Brisco had +made up his mind, an' that settled it. We ain't got no one ter blame +but ourselves fer what's happened. Go on. The quicker we git ter +Fairview an' hev this thing over with, the better I'll be suited." + +Spangler, resigning himself to the situation, sank back in his seat. + +Matt went around to the rear of the car to make the ropes attaching it +to the runabout more secure. As near as he had been able to discover +there was a level road all the way to Fairview. They were coming into +the town from the north and east, and not along the Ash Fork road, +where there was a hill to be descended in order to reach the valley. + +Having reassured himself about the ropes, Matt returned to the side of +the Red Flier and mounted the running-board. Looking over the side of +the tonneau, he swept his gaze over Brisco's unconscious face. + +"I can't understand what keeps him that way, Josh," said Matt. + +"Mebby he's badly shook up inside," answered the boy. "Wot he needs is +a doctor." + +"Well, he'll have one before long. Stay right beside him and watch him +every minute. If he's playing possum with us, we want to make sure he +don't gain anything by it." + +"I'm right on de job," said Josh. + +Matt climbed into his seat and started on the low gear. There was a +creaking of the ropes as they took the pull, and the runabout started. + +Everything worked smoothly, and Matt, with a load worth fifteen hundred +dollars, set his face toward Fairview. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + +MORE TROUBLE FOR THE "UNCLE TOMMERS." + + +The disappearance of Motor Matt and the Red Flier made Carl Pretzel +not only bewildered but furiously angry. He was angry at Brisco and +bewildered to account for the way he had pulled off his night raid. + +"Oof dot feller inchures a hair oof Modor Matt's headt," wheezed Carl, +shaking his fist in the air, "I vill camp by his drail, py chimineddy! +I vill go on some var-paths! I vill make him be sorry for vat he dit, +yah, so helup me!" + +Leaving Carl to rant and vow vengeance, Legree rushed over to the +railroad-station and sent a message. The message, owing to financial +embarrassment on the part of Legree, had to go collect. + + "LEM NUGENT, Ash Fork. + + "Come at once to Fairview. Important developments regarding your + automobile. MOTOR MATT." + +Legree signed the message with Matt's name because he knew the +cattleman wouldn't know anything about a man named Legree; and he also +felt sure that Motor Matt's name would secure the cattleman's instant +attention. + +On his way back to the hotel he inquired for the sheriff. Fairview was +too small to have a sheriff, but the town had a deputy sheriff. The +deputy, however, was just then attending his father's golden-wedding, +in Flagstaff, the marshal had gone with him, and the town was without +an officer. + +As if this was not sufficiently discouraging, when Legree got back to +the hotel he found a very disquieting state of affairs. + +The Uncle Tommers had been chased out of the hostelry by O'Grady and +Ping Pong, his Chinese cook. They were gathered in a forlorn group in +front, and Carl Pretzel was with them. + +"Mistah O'Grady, sah," Uncle Tom was saying with all the dignity he +could work up, "Ah's de official mascot ob Motah Matt. While Ah's been +stayin' in yo' 'stablishment, Ah's been mascottin' fo' him. He will +come back, yo' ma'k what Ah say. Gib us ouah breakfus en yo' sho gits +yo' money!" + +"Begorry, yez have got into me f'r all yez are goin' to," yelled the +proprietor. "It's a passel av thramps yez are, iv'ry wan av yez! Av th' +marshal was in town, Oi'd have yez all in th' cooler. Get out, befure +Oi sic th' dog on yez! Scatther!" + +"What's the matter here?" demanded Legree, pushing to the front. + +"Py chincher," flared Carl, "dot Irish feller t'inks ve vas vorkin' +some shkin games on him. He vas grazier as a pedpug, und he von't gif +us some preakfast." + +"En we's all hongry es sin," piped Uncle Tom plaintively. "Ah been +mascottin' fo' Motah Matt twell Ah's dat fagged Ah dunno whut Ah's +about, no, sah." + +"I tried to get him to take my ring, Legree," put in Eliza, "but he +won't. He says we're only a lot of dead beats, and never intend to pay +him." + +"Ah tole him," spoke up Topsy, "dat Ah'd wuk in his kitchum fo' de +price ob a breakfus, an' he wouldn' hab it. Ah's honest, dat's whut Ah +is. Ah nebber stole a cent fum anybody en mah life." + +"See here, O'Grady," remarked Legree, "Motor Matt has money and he has +offered to pay our expenses while we're stopping with you. I'll have +money myself in a few days, and then I'll pay you. You're not taking +any chances on this crowd." + +"Faith, an' yez are roight about thot," scowled O'Grady. "Oi'm takin' +no more chances wid yez. Motor Matt! Why, he run aff lasht noight! +Sure, he did! He shneaked away so he wouldn't have t' pay me f'r yer +kape. Oi'm keen enough t' see thot!" + +"Py shinks," whooped Carl, dancing around and waving his fists, "don'd +you say dod some more. I can lick der feller vat says somet'ings +aboudt Modor Matt like dot. Ven he say he pay, he mean vot he say, und +he do it, too. Yah, you bed you! Modor Matt vas my bard, und he don'd +vas leafing a bard in der lurch like vat you say." + +"Av Motor Matt is yer pard," said O'Grady, "bedad but it's sthrange yez +haven't money. Git out, Oi say! Oi'm done wid yez." + +"I tell you," went on Legree, "I'll have money myself in a few days." + +"Yez can't make me belave any cock-an'-bull shtory like thot. Niver +again will Oi take in anny wan widout baggage. Shoo! Clear out befure +Oi git violent." + +In O'Grady's present temper there was no reasoning with him, so Legree +marshaled his comrades and led them off to a neighboring wood-pile, +where they all sat down disconsolately. + +"Ah's been accustomed tuh bettah treatment," mourned Uncle Tom. "Ah's +got de bigges' notion dat evah was tuh put a hoodoo on dat hotel. Ah +could do hit, but Ah restrains mahse'f till Ah gits odahs fum Motah +Matt." + +"Go 'long wif sich talk!" cried Topsy, out of patience. "'Peahs lak yo' +done put dat hoodoo on de rest ob us. Nuffin' ain't gone right sence we +left dat 'ar Brockville place." + +"There'll be some one here from Ash Fork before long, who, maybe, will +help us," said Legree. "Just be as patient as you can, friends, and +we'll hope for the best." + +"All de patience in de worl', Mistah Legree," answered Uncle Tom, +"'doan' fill a pusson's stummick. Mah goodness, Ah didun' know Ah was +so pesterin' hongry." + +"I tell you somet'ing," said Carl, "oof I knowed vich vay Modor Matt +vas, I vould go und findt him. I vas madt as some vet hens ofer dis +pitzness. Here ve vas, hung oop on a vood-pile mit nodding to eat, und +not knowing vere Modor Matt vent mit himseluf. Chonny Hartluck iss +hanging aroundt mit us." + +Leaving his disconsolate friends, Legree went back to the +railroad-station. There he waited for four hours for the local train +from Ash Fork. He was rewarded, however, by seeing a big man get off +the train, stop on the platform, and look around expectantly. + +Legree walked up to the arriving passenger. + +"Mr. Nugent?" he asked. + +"You've hit it," replied the cattleman, staring the stranded actor up +and down with an unfavoring eye. + +"Ah! Well, sir, my name's Legree. I suppose you're looking for Motor +Matt?" + +"Another bull's-eye for you. I came here on a telegram from Motor +Matt saying that there had been important developments concerning my +automobile that was stolen from me near Ash Fork. Where's Motor Matt?" + +"He is unavoidably absent just now," answered Legree, "but I am +confidently expecting him to appear at any moment. To be frank with +you, sir, I sent that telegram and signed Motor Matt's name to it." + +The cattleman became indignant. + +"You're pretty fresh, seems to me!" said he. "What business had you +doing a thing like that?" + +"Because I wanted you here. Your car was in town yesterday. One of the +thieves brought it in for a supply of gasoline and oil. Motor Matt and +I tried to capture the thief, but he got away from us and took the car +with him." + +"Who are you, if you haven't any objection to answerin' a straight +question?" demanded the cattleman. + +"Step into the waiting-room with me for a few moments," replied Legree, +"and I'll explain." + +They went into the waiting-room and were gone possibly five minutes. +When they came out on the platform once more, Nugent seemed to have +developed a vast amount of confidence in Legree. + +"Why didn't you tell Motor Matt what you've told me?" asked the +cattleman. + +"I wasn't telling anybody that, Mr. Nugent," answered Legree, "and +I wouldn't be telling you now if I hadn't wanted to fix things with +O'Grady so that I and my friends can continue to remain at his hotel." + +"I know O'Grady," said Nugent. "Come along with me and I'll fix things +up for you." + +They went to the hotel at once. O'Grady, tilted back against the wall +in front, was smoking a pipe and keeping a sharp eye on the wood-pile. + +Uncle Tom, with a red bandanna over his face, was leaning back against +the wood and was apparently asleep. All the rest were hovering +listlessly about, waiting patiently for something to happen. + +The sight of Lem Nugent, who was known throughout all that part of the +country, wrought a great change in O'Grady. The cattleman and the actor +were approaching together, and seemed to be on cordial terms. + +"O'Grady," said Nugent, after he had exchanged greetings with the +proprietor, "this gentleman is a friend of mine, and his friends are +my friends, understand? Take them all in and give them the best you've +got. And don't bleed me, you shyster. I'll stand the damage, but I +won't be robbed." + +"Whativer yez say goes wid me, Lem," said O'Grady. "Come on, all av +yez," he cried, standing up and motioning toward the wood-pile. "Oi'll +have th' Chink put a male on th' table f'r yez to wanst." + +Uncle Tom may have been asleep, but he heard those welcome words and +was up like a shot. + +"Ah was mascottin fo' dat very t'ing," he admitted, as he ran toward +the hotel. "Layin' back dar wid mah bandannah ober mah face, Ah was +wukin' lak er hiahed man, yassuh. Now, den, yo' Topsy, yo' see what Ah +kin do when Ah lays mahse'f out!" + +Just as they were starting into the hotel, a shout from Carl brought +them all to a halt and an about-face. + +"Hoop-a-la!" yelled Carl, dancing around and throwing his cap in the +air. "Look vonce ad vat's coming! Vat dit I say? Here vas a drain oof +cars, mit Modor Matt pringing dem in. Ach, himmel, I peen so habby as I +can't dell! Modor Matt iss coming!" + +Under the startled eyes of those in front of the hotel two cars could +be seen coming along the road. The Red Flier, with Matt and three +passengers, was in the lead, and towing behind was the runabout. + +"My car, by thunder!" shouted Nugent, starting for the road. + +"And Spangler is with Motor Matt," cried the amazed Legree, "and +Brisco, and the kid! How in blazes do you think that happened?" + +A disgusted look crossed Uncle Tom's face. + +"How yo' t'ink dat happened!" he muttered sarcastically; "en me +a-mascottin' fo' Motah Matt all de time!" + + + + +CHAPTER XVII. + +CONCLUSION. + + +Whether O'Grady really thought Motor Matt had taken French leave during +the night or not, is a question. Certainly he was as surprised to see +Matt traveling into town as were any of the rest of them. + +All those around the hotel flocked to the road. + +"Hello, Matt!" called Nugent, reaching up his hand. "It looks like +you'd been accomplishing something." + +Matt's acquaintance with the cattleman had been of exceedingly brief +duration, and never before had he been hailed by him in that cordial +tone. + +"How are you, Mr. Nugent?" he returned, taking the cattleman's hand. +"How did you happen to come over this way?" + +"Got a telegram from you----" + +"From me?" echoed Matt. + +"I sent it, Matt," put in Legree, "and signed your name to it. When you +disappeared last night I knew something had to be done, and that there +ought to be a man with money to do it. So I sent for Nugent." + +"It's all right, my boy," said Nugent, "and I'm tickled to death +because I came. You're bringing in my car, I see, and the two fellows +that took it away from me. Good! If we don't put 'em through for their +crooked work, my name ain't Nugent." + +"You'll have to send for a doctor for Brisco," said Matt. "He's been +unconscious for two hours, and I don't know whether he's badly hurt or +not. You see----" + +At that moment Brisco proved that he was far from being badly hurt. +With a jump he got out of the tonneau and started at a run toward the +edge of town. Uncle Tom happened to be in his way, and was knocked +heels over head. + +"Dere he goes!" yelled Josh excitedly. "Clear out o' de way so I kin +git a shot at 'im!" + +But Josh was not allowed to carry out his warlike intentions. Legree +took after the escaping ruffian, overhauled him before he had gone far, +grabbed him by the shoulders, and hurled him to the ground. + +O'Grady, rushing to Legree's assistance, lent a willing hand. Brisco +had been a good customer of O'Grady's, but the situation had changed +somewhat since the Uncle Tommers had been staying at the Shamrock Hotel. + +"I reckon, Matt," remarked Lem Nugent dryly, "that the fellow ain't +very badly hurt. How did you happen to get hold of the scoundrels?" + +"They were chasing us," answered Matt. "We were in the Red Flier and +they were in your car. Brisco ran into the rocks, and he and Spangler +were thrown out. Neither of them seemed very much hurt, and Josh and +I captured Spangler before he had fully got back his wits. Brisco +appeared to be all right, but he was unconscious. I had an idea that he +might be shamming. Probably he came to himself just as we got here, and +thought the best thing for him to do would be to make a break." + +"His break didn't help him any," said Legree, as he and O'Grady came +marching back with Brisco between them. "Go up to my room, Josh," +Legree went on, "and get those two plates. You'll find 'em under the +northeast corner of the carpet. Front room, boy." + +"Dat's me," answered Josh, handing Brisco's weapons to his father and +bounding away. + +"I'm going to tell you people something," proceeded Legree, "that will +no doubt surprise you. And I think," he finished grimly, "that Brisco +will be as much surprised as anybody." + +Josh presently returned with a couple of flat, square packages. Leaving +O'Grady to take care of Brisco, Legree took the packages in his hands. + +"A crook by the name of Denver Denny, alias James Trymore," went on +Legree, "escaped from the authorities at Denver and came to this part +of the country. Denver Denny was a clever counterfeiter, and worked +in conjunction with Hank Brisco. At least, following the output of +the 'queer' as it trailed along in the wake of that Uncle Tom's Cabin +Company, I came to that conclusion. + +"Denny owned a set of very fine plates for the manufacture of bogus +five-dollar silver certificates. When he was captured in Denver those +plates were nowhere to be found. I conceived the notion that they +might be in Brisco's possession, and in order to make sure, I became +letter-perfect in the part of Legree, and Josh here got the part of +Little Eva by heart, and we arranged to join Brisco's company of +barn-stormers. + +"We were with them for some time, watching Brisco all the while. Brisco +was not shoving any of the 'queer' while we were with him, and I was +inclined to think that I had made a mistake in connecting him with +Denny's operations. However, Brisco had a little tin box, of which he +was very choice and careful. His solicitude for that box aroused my +curiosity. When Brisco pulled out between two days in Denver, and left +his company stranded, by some freak of chance he dropped the box. Josh +found it. We opened the box in Ash Fork and found these two packages +in it." Legree lifted the two flat parcels so all could see. "I knew +perfectly well that Brisco would come after his box, so I continued to +play the part of a stranded actor, hoping to get my hands on him. + +"Fate was kind to us," and here Legree turned and dropped a friendly +hand on the young motorist's shoulder, "by bringing Motor Matt along. +He came to the front gallantly and helped us. I should have captured +Brisco sooner or later, even without his aid, but he has closed the +affair in hurricane fashion and saved the government lots of trouble." + +Everybody, Uncle Tommers, Matt, Carl, and Brisco and Spangler, were +astounded. Nugent was the solitary exception, for Legree had revealed +his identity to the cattleman in the railroad-station. + +"These are the plates," went on Legree. "Brisco had them in the tin +box." + +"And you are----" began Matt, staring at Legree. + +"A secret service man in the employ of the government." + +A cry of fierce anger escaped Brisco. He made a fierce attempt to get +at Legree, but O'Grady restrained him. + +"Faith," said O'Grady, with cheerful disregard of his past actions, "Oi +knowed yez was a bad egg th' minyit Oi set eyes on yez." + +"Dis," remarked Uncle Tom, with immense pride, "is de best job ob +mascottin' whut Ah's done yit!" + +"Better give up, Brisco!" called Spangler from the touring-car. +"They've got it on us an' we'll have ter take our medicine." + +"Got it on us, yes," stormed Brisco, "but they wouldn't have done it if +it hadn't been for Motor Matt." + +"Not so quick, I'll admit," said Legree amiably, "but I'd have caught +you sooner or later, Brisco. In my report I shall have something to +say to the head of the department about Motor Matt. I'd like to hear, +though, just how he happened to make this haul." + +"Josh helped me," said Matt. + +"Not enough so yous could notice it," returned Josh promptly; "Motor +Matt was de man on de job from start t' finish. Yous take it from +Little Eva, an' no stringin'." + +The boy turned to Matt with a wide grin. + +"Yous is wise t' why I went off wit' Brisco in dat runabout now, ain't +yous? I wanted t' find out w'ere he had 'is hang-out so dad could turn +a trick fer de gov'ment. But yous cut out dad, Matt." + +"Listen, vonce," cried Carl, who had been trying for some time to get +in a few words, "Matt's der pest efer. He prings luck venefer he goes +mit anypody. Yah, dot's righdt. I know, pecause he prought luck mit me." + +Uncle Tom was disposed to butt in with an objection, but the cattleman +had something to say. + +"There's fifteen hundred of my money goes to somebody for all this," +said he. "Who gets it, Matt?" + +"Divide it up between all of us," answered the boy generously. "The +Uncle Tommers need it." + +A shout of delight went up from the actor contingent. + +"You can leave Josh in the division," said Legree, "but cut me out of +it. I'm working for Uncle Sam." + +Just at that moment the Chinaman stepped to the door and announced +dinner. + +"We'll talk all this over while we eat," said Nugent. "Come on, +everybody." + + * * * * * + +Motor Matt and Carl, having lost more time in Fairview than they could +well afford, started for Albuquerque early in the afternoon. + +Eliza, Topsy, and Uncle Tom, now well supplied with money, were to +proceed to Denver by train. + +The secret service man and Josh were to remain in Fairview for a few +days with their prisoners, and then to take them to Denver for trial. + +"Matt," said Carl seriously, as the Red Flier leaped onward toward +Albuquerque, "I vas a lucky feller to hook oop mit you. Vone oof dose +tays, oof you don'd go pack on me, I vill vear tiamonts!" + +"I'll never go back on you, Carl," laughed Matt; "but I'm a little +'juberous' about the diamonds." + + +THE END. + + + + + THE NEXT NUMBER (7) WILL CONTAIN + + MOTOR MATT'S CLUE; + + OR, + + THE PHANTOM AUTO. + + + A Night Mystery--Dick Ferral--La Vita Place--The House of + Wonder--Sercomb--The Phantom Auto Again--Surrounded by Enemies--The + Kettle Begins to Boil--Ordered Away--A New Plan--A Daring + Leap--Desperate Villiany--Tippoo--In the Nick of Time--A Startling + Interruption--The Price of Treachery--The Luck of Dick Ferral. + + + + +MOTOR STORIES + +THRILLING ADVENTURE MOTOR FICTION + +NEW YORK, April 3, 1909. + + +TERMS TO MOTOR STORIES MAIL SUBSCRIBERS. + +(_Postage Free._) + +Single Copies or Back Numbers, 5c. Each. + + 3 months 65c. + 4 months 85c. + 6 months $1.25 + One year 2.50 + 2 copies one year 4.00 + 1 copy two years 4.00 + +=How to Send Money=--By post-office or express money-order, registered +letter, bank check or draft, at our risk. At your own risk if sent by +currency, coin, or postage-stamps in ordinary letter. + +=Receipts=--Receipt of your remittance is acknowledged by proper change +of number on your label. If not correct you have not been properly +credited, and should let us know at once. + + ORMOND G. SMITH, } + GEORGE C. SMITH, } _Proprietors_. + + STREET & SMITH, Publishers, + 79-89 Seventh Avenue, New York City. + + + + +A SNOWBALL FIGHT. + +By HORATIO ALGER, Jr. + + +The snow had fallen to the depth of six inches during the night, +filling in the yards and covering the door-steps, throughout the town +of Conway. Among those who hailed the arrival of the snow with joy was +Frank Taylor, a boy of fourteen, the son of the Widow Taylor, who lived +in a miserable little tenement not far from the mill. Why he was glad +to see the snow will soon appear. + +Early in the morning he shoveled a path to the street, and then putting +his shovel over his shoulder, said to his mother: + +"I'm going over to Squire Ashmead's to see if he doesn't want me to +shovel paths in his yard." + +"He's got a boy of his own," said Mrs. Taylor; "perhaps he will do it." + +Frank laughed. + +"Sam Ashmead is proud and lazy," he said. "You won't catch him +shoveling paths. I think I shall get the job. I want to earn something +so that you need not sit all day sewing. It is too hard for you." + +"I ought to think myself lucky to get employment at all," said the +widow. + +"I wish I could get steady work somewhere," said Frank; "but I've tried +and tried, and it seems impossible." + +"Willing hands will not want work long," said his mother. + +"I hope not, mother. But I must be going, or somebody will get the +start of me." + +While Frank is on his way to Squire Ashmead's, a few words of +explanation may be given. His mother had been a widow for two years. +Her husband had been a man of some education, having at times taught +school, but he had never succeeded in laying up any money, and his +widow was left almost penniless. Frank, who was a stout boy, and a good +boy as well, had earned something by doing odd jobs, but had failed +to obtain permanent employment. The burden of their joint support, +therefore, was thrown upon his mother, who was very industrious with +her needle, but was compelled to labor beyond her strength. All this +troubled Frank, who felt that, as a stout, strong boy, he ought to bear +at least half the expense. + +In due time he reached Squire Ashmead's, and was glad to see that the +snow remained undisturbed. + +He rang the bell, and asked if he might shovel the paths that were +necessary. + +Squire Ashmead was absent in New York, to which city he had gone the +morning previous on business, but his wife agreed to employ Frank. + +He went to work with a will, and soon had a path dug from the front +door to the gate. A path was also required from the back door to the +stable, which was situated in the rear of the house. This was quite a +distance, and as Frank wished to do the work thoroughly, it required +considerable time. + +He was about half through this portion of his task when a snowball +whistled by his ear. + +Looking round quickly, he saw Sam Ashmead standing at the corner of the +house, engaged in making a fresh snowball. + +"Don't fire any more snowballs, Sam Ashmead," said Frank. + +"I shall, if I please," said Sam. + +"I haven't time to fire back now," said Frank. "Wait till I get +through, and we'll have a match if you like." + +"But I don't like," said Sam scornfully. "Do you think I would have a +match with a beggar like you?" + +"I am no beggar, Sam Ashmead," said Frank, "and if I were I don't think +I would beg of you." + +"Oh, you're mighty proud," sneered Sam, "considering that you live in +an old hut not half as good as our stable." + +"Yes, I am poor, and I live in a poor house," said Frank calmly, "but +that isn't a crime that I know of. Some time I shall live in a better +house, I hope." + +So saying, he went back to work, and began shoveling the snow +vigorously. He did not anticipate any further attack from Sam, but in +this he soon found himself mistaken. + +In the course of a minute he felt a pretty hard blow in the center of +his back, and looking round saw Sam Ashmead laughing insolently. + +"How does that feel?" asked Sam. + +"That's the second snowball you've fired at me," said Frank quietly, +but there was a light in his eyes as he spoke. "I advise you not to +fire another if you know what is good for yourself." + +"So you threaten me, do you? Suppose I fire again, what's going to +happen?" demanded Sam, with an unpleasant sneer. + +"I think you will be sorry for it," said Frank. + +Sam hesitated a moment, but only a moment. He was a year older than +Frank, and larger in size. Certainly he ought to be a match for him. +But he did not believe that Frank would have the audacity to touch him, +the son of Squire Ashmead, the richest man in the village. He therefore +deliberately made another snowball, and firing it, struck Frank in the +back of his head. + +Frank no sooner felt the blow than he threw down his shovel, and ran +toward his assailant. + +"Keep off, you beggar!" said Sam. + +"It's too late," said Frank. "I warned you not to fire again." + +Sam placed himself in an attitude of defense, but found himself seized +violently round the middle, and before he fairly knew what was going to +happen he was lying in a snow-bank with Frank standing over him. + +He struggled to his feet mad with rage, and "pitched into" Frank, as +the boys express it, and endeavored to retaliate in kind. But Frank was +watchful and wary, and evading the attack, seized him again when his +strength was half spent, and Sam found himself once more occupying an +involuntary bed in the snow. + +A third struggle resulted in the same way. Sam was furious, but he saw +that Frank was more than a match for him. + +Just then a servant called out from the door: + +"Master Sam, your mother says it's time for you to be going to school." + +To tell the truth, Sam was rather glad of the summons, as it gave him +an excuse for retiring from the contest. + +"I'll be even with you yet," he said, shaking his fist at Frank. "I'll +let my father know how you insulted me, you young beggar!" + +"If anybody has been insulted, I have," said Frank. "You must remember +that you began it." + +Sam scowled vindictively, and brushing the snow from his coat went into +the house. Before Frank finished the path at the back of the house he +was gone to school. + +Mrs. Ashmead sent out fifty cents to Frank for his morning's work, +with which he went home, well satisfied, wishing that he might earn as +much every day. He wondered a little whether Sam would tell his father +what had occurred between them. He did not speak of it to his mother, +for she was nervous, and would be troubled by it, as she received +considerable work to do from the Ashmead family which she might fear +would be taken away. + +On the afternoon of the next day, however, Frank received a note, which +proved to come from Squire Ashmead. It ran as follows: + + "FRANK TAYLOR: Please call at my office to-morrow morning at ten + o'clock. JAMES ASHMEAD." + +This note Frank thought best to show to his mother. + +"What does it mean, Frank? Have you any idea?" she asked. + +Frank thereupon told her the story of his difficulty with Sam. + +"It may be about that," he said. + +"Oh, dear," said the widow. "I'm afraid he's very angry. I hope you +will apologize, Frank." + +"No, mother," said Frank, "I don't see why I should. I only defended +myself from a bully. I should be ashamed to do anything else. I didn't +hurt him, and didn't intend to, but I wanted to teach him that he +couldn't insult me without having to pay for it." + +"I am afraid some harm will come of it," said the widow anxiously. + +"Don't trouble yourself, mother," said Frank soothingly. "If we do only +what's right, God will take care of us." + +Still it was with some anxiety that Frank made his way the next morning +to the office of Squire Ashmead. This gentleman was the agent of a +large manufactory in the town, of which also he was a considerable +owner, so that he received an income of over ten thousand dollars a +year, which made him the most prominent and influential citizen in the +town. + +When Frank entered the office, Squire Ashmead was conversing with a +stranger on business. + +"Sit down," he said, turning to Frank. "I will be at leisure in a +moment." + +"Well," he said, after the stranger had departed, "Sam tells me you and +he have had a little difficulty." + +"Yes, sir," said Frank. "I would like to explain how it occurred." + +"Very well. Go on." + +It will be unnecessary to give the explanation, as it was strictly in +accordance with the facts. + +"Do you blame me for what I did?" asked Frank, at the end. + +"No, I do not," said the squire. "Sam acted like a bully, and was +properly punished. Let that pass. Now let me ask you how you and your +mother are getting along?" + +"Poorly, sir," said Frank. "If I could have steady work, it would be +different, but that I cannot get. It troubles me to see my mother work +so hard all day. I think it is too much for her." + +"How would you like to come into my office?" + +Frank's eyes sparkled. + +"I should think myself very lucky, sir, to get so good a chance." + +"I want some boy whom I can trust, who can grow up to the business, and +after a time relieve me of a portion of my cares. I would take Sam, but +I am sorry to say, though he is my own son, that he would not answer +my purpose. I have heard good accounts of you from your teacher and +the people in the village. I will take you at a salary of six dollars +a week, to be increased from time to time if you will suit me. Can you +come Monday morning?" + +"Yes, sir," said Frank, "and I will do my best to give you +satisfaction." + +"Very well, my lad. Good morning." + +Frank left the office, feeling as if his fortune was made. His mother, +who was awaiting the result of the interview anxiously at home, was +overwhelmed with astonishment at the unexpected good fortune of her +son. Sam was disagreeably surprised, and tried to shake his father's +resolution, but Squire Ashmead was a sensible man, and not to be moved. + +Frank commenced his duties the next Monday. He was so faithful that +he was rapidly advanced, and at twenty-one was receiving twelve +hundred dollars a year. At twenty-five, on the sudden death of Squire +Ashmead, he succeeded to his agency, and now lives with his mother in +the mansion at which he once thought himself lucky to be permitted +to shovel the paths. As for Sam, he squandered the handsome property +received from his father, and died at thirty from the effects of +intemperate habits. + + + + +SECRETS OF TRICK SHOOTING. + + +When a champion rifle shot fires blindfolded at a wedding-ring, or a +penny held between his wife's thumb and finger, or, seated back to +her, shoots, by means of a mirror, at an apple upon her head or on a +fork held in her teeth, the danger of using a bullet is obvious. None, +of course, is needed; the explosion is enough. The apple is already +prepared, having been cut into pieces and stuck together with an +adhesive substance, and a thread with a knot at the end, pulled through +it from the "wings," so that it flies to bits when the gun is fired, is +"how it is done." + +Generally, the more dangerous a feat appears the more carefully is all +danger guarded against. In the "William Tell" act the thread is often +tied to the assistant's foot. When, again, the ash is shot off a cigar +which the assistant is smoking, a piece of wire is pushed by his tongue +through a hollowed passage in the cigar--thus thrusting off the ash at +the moment of firing. + +A favorite but simple trick is the shooting from some distance at an +orange held in a lady's hand. Great applause is invariably forthcoming +when the bullet drops out on her, cutting open the fruit. It is +inserted by hand earlier in the evening. + +Another popular trick is that of snuffing out lighted candles. Half +a dozen are placed in front of a screen in which as many small holes +are bored, one against each candlewick. At the moment of firing, a +confederate behind the screen sharply blows out each candle with a pair +of bellows. This trick was accidentally exposed one evening by a too +zealous assistant. The lady in the gallery pulled the trigger, but the +rifle failed to go off; the candle, however, went out just the same. + +In most instances, where a ball or other object has to be broken on a +living person's head, blank cartridge is used and the effect produced +by other means. A special wig, with a spring concealed in it, worked +by a wire under the clothes, is generally used, the confederate +manipulating the spring simultaneously with the firing of the rifle. As +the ball is of extremely thin glass, a mere touch suffices to shatter +it. + +In these exhibitions some of the rifle "experts" invite gentlemen from +the audience to testify that the weapon is indeed loaded. The cartridge +shown looks very well, but it is a shell of thin wax blackened to +resemble a leaden bullet. It would not hurt a fly. + + + + +REELFOOT LAKE. + + +The physical history of Reelfoot Lake, of night-rider fame, is not +without a certain interest of its own. The lake came into existence as +the result of a series of earthquakes, which began in December, 1811, +and continued until June, 1812. + +Some authorities say that the earthquakes merely heaved up a great +ridge of land across the path of the Reelfoot River, which runs +into the Mississippi, and that this dam caused the water to back up +and broaden out and form a lake; but the favorite account in the +neighborhood is to the effect that the ground sank, springs were opened +up, neighboring creeks diverted from their course, and the overflowing +water of the Mississippi rushed in during the flood season of the +spring of 1812. + +It is said that for an hour and a half the waters of the Mississippi +flowed up-hill while filling up the depression caused by the +earthquakes. Both accounts likely have this much of truth in them that +the entire configuration of the ground was changed by the earthquakes. +Big Lake, west of the Mississippi, in Arkansas, is said to have been +formed in the same way at the same time. + +Reelfoot Lake is sixteen or eighteen miles long, very irregular in +shape, and covers from 35,000 to 40,000 acres of land. It varies in +width from a mile in some places to four or five miles in others. +The northern end is extended by a series of sloughs and bayous into +Kentucky. + +The most distinctive feature of the lake's appearance, the feature +which first impresses and stays longest with the observer's fancy, is a +certain grotesque effect, as if a set of crazy men had been operating +a pile-driver there for the last century, for the trunks, stumps, and +stark branches of dead trees stick out of it everywhere in desolate +parody of some such human handiwork; far below the surface the fish +dart among the boles and branches where the squirrels frolicked a +hundred years ago. + +There are beautiful spots here and there, but the effect, as a +whole, is not beautiful; at its best, when the mist rises and myriad +protruding tree trunks are white and ghostly in the moonlight, it is +weird; the general remembrance is of something uncouth. It is a kind +of sloven lake that has preferred to sit down with its hair uncombed +all day long, but at night it does manage to achieve a touch of wizard +dignity. + + + + +A FLOATING SLUM. + + +Stand beside the imperial custom-house at Canton and let the eye +range down the river toward Hongkong. As far as the sight can reach +lie boats, boats, and again boats. These are no ordinary craft, mere +vessels of transport plying hither and thither, but the countless homes +of myriad Chinese, in which millions of human beings have been born, +have lived, and have died. They are the dwellings of the very poor, who +live in them practically free from rent, taxes, and the other burdens +of the ordinary citizen. + +The Tankia--which means boat-dwellers--as the denizens of these +floating houses are called, form a sort of caste apart from the rest +of the Cantonese. The shore-dwellers regard them as belonging to a +lower social order; and indeed they have many customs, peculiar to +themselves, which mark them as a separate community. How the swarming +masses of them contrive to support existence is a mystery, but their +chief mode of employment is in carrying merchandise and passengers from +place to place. + + + + +WILD HORSES OF NEVADA. + + +Horses are cheap in Nevada. On the government ranges, where they are +protected by game-laws, droves of wild horses exist which in the +aggregate are said to amount to fifteen thousand. Formerly there was a +law in Nevada permitting the shooting of these wild horses for their +hides, but there were hunters who were not particular, and the ranchers +found their domestic horses disappearing if they let them out on the +range. So their shooting was prohibited, and since that time the droves +have grown to be exceedingly troublesome. They can be domesticated, but +they are not needed there, and it costs too much to ship them East. It +seems a pity that, while so many sections could use them to advantage, +the transportation problem makes it impossible to get them at a price +which they are worth. + + + + +_ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT!!_ + +MOTOR STORIES + +_A New Idea in the Way of Five-Cent Weeklies._ + + +Boys everywhere will be delighted to hear that Street & Smith are now +issuing this new five-cent weekly which will be known by the name of +MOTOR STORIES. + +This weekly is entirely different from anything now being published. +It details the astonishing adventures of a young mechanic who owned a +motor cycle. Is there a boy who has not longed to possess one of these +swift little machines that scud about the roads everywhere throughout +the United States? Is there a boy, therefore, who will not be intensely +interested in the adventures of "Motor Matt," as he is familiarly +called by his comrades? + +Boys, you have never read anything half so exciting, half so humorous +and entertaining as the first story listed for publication in this +line, called "=Motor Matt; or, The King of the Wheel=." Its fame is +bound to spread like wildfire, causing the biggest demand for the other +numbers in this line, that was ever heard of in the history of this +class of literature. + +Here are the titles to be issued during the next few weeks. Do not fail +to place an order for them with your newsdealer. + + No. 1. Motor Matt; or, The King of the Wheel. + No. 2. Motor Matt's Daring; or, True to His Friends. + No. 3. Motor Matt's "Century" Run; or, The Governor's Courier. + No. 4. Motor Matt's Race; or, The Last Flight of the _Comet_. + + 32 LARGE SIZE PAGES SPLENDID COLORED COVERS + +PRICE, FIVE CENTS PER COPY + + +AT ALL NEWSDEALERS, OR SENT POSTPAID BY THE PUBLISHERS UPON RECEIPT OF +THE PRICE. + +_STREET & SMITH, Publishers, NEW YORK_ + + + + +_THE BEST OF THEM ALL!!_ + +MOTOR STORIES + +IT IS NEW AND INTENSELY INTERESTING + + +We knew before we published this line that it would have a tremendous +sale and our expectations were more than realized. It is going with a +rush, and the boys who want to read these, the most interesting and +fascinating tales ever written, must speak to their newsdealers about +reserving copies for them. + +=MOTOR MATT= sprang into instant favor with American boy readers and is +bound to occupy a place in their hearts second only to that now held by +Frank Merriwell. + +The reason for this popularity is apparent in every line of these +stories. They are written by an author who has made a life study of +the requirements of the up-to-date American boy as far as literature +is concerned, so it is not surprising that this line has proven a huge +success from the very start. + +Here are the titles now ready and also those to be published. You will +never have a better opportunity to get a generous quantity of reading +of the highest quality, so place your orders now. + + =No. 1.--Motor Matt; or, The King of the Wheel.= + =No. 2.--Motor Matt's Daring; or, True to His Friends.= + =No. 3.--Motor Matt's Century Run; or, The Governor's Courier.= + =No. 4.--Motor Matt's Race; or, The Last Flight of the "Comet."= + +TO BE PUBLISHED ON MARCH 22nd + + =No. 5.--Motor Matt's Mystery; or, Foiling a Secret Plot.= + +TO BE PUBLISHED ON MARCH 29th + + =No. 6.--Motor Matt's Red Flier; or, On the High Gear.= + +TO BE PUBLISHED ON APRIL 5th + + =No. 7.--Motor Matt's Clue; or, The Phantom Auto.= + +TO BE PUBLISHED ON APRIL 12th + + =No. 8.--Motor Matt's Triumph; or, Three Speeds Forward.= + +=Price, Five Cents= + +To be had from newsdealers everywhere, or sent, postpaid, upon receipt +of the price by the publishers + + +_STREET & SMITH, Publishers, NEW YORK_ + + + + + * * * * * * + + + + +Transcriber's note: + +Added table of contents. + +Retained some inconsistent hyphenation (e.g. "motorcycle" vs. +"motor-cycle"). + +Retained some inconsistent spellings in dialect (e.g. "becase" vs. +"bekase"). + +Page 3, added missing comma after ""Vell, py shinks." Added missing +apostrophe after "doan" in "Why doan' yo'-all git." Removed unnecessary +quote after "Matt stopped the Red Flier." + +Page 4, removed unnecessary quote after "Legree was about to secure it?" + +Page 5, changed "as she pointed" to "as he pointed." + +Page 10, "would came after it" looks like a typo but has been retained +in case it is intentional dialect. + +Page 12, replaced ligature in "Phoenix" with "oe." Ligature is retained +in HTML edition. + +Page 14, removed unnecessary quote before "Matt's pulses quickened." + +Page 18, added missing period after "Josh turned to stare along the +road." + +Page 19, changed "Mat" to "Matt" in "Matt was intending to push the +stone." + +Page 20, the sentence "As he yanked the lever savagely, the popping +from up the road sounding like the rapid discharge of a Gatling gun." +seems incorrect, but it is reproduced as originally printed. + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 47491 *** |