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diff --git a/47901-h/47901-h.htm b/47901-h/47901-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..25a8572 --- /dev/null +++ b/47901-h/47901-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,5481 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8" /> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Motor Matt's Air Ship; or, The Rival Inventors, by Stanley R. Matthews. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + +body { + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + + h1,h2,h3 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; +} + +p { + margin-top: .51em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .49em; +} + +hr { + width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; +} + +hr.tb {width: 45%;} +hr.chap {width: 65%} +hr.r5 {width: 5%; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;} + +table { + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; +} + + .tdl {text-align: left;} + .tdr {text-align: right;} + .tdc {text-align: center;} + +.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; +} /* page numbers */ + +.bb {border-bottom: solid 2px;} + +.bt {border-top: solid 2px;} + +.br {border-right: solid 2px;} + +.bbox {border: solid 2px;} + +.center {text-align: center;} + +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + +/* Images */ +.figcenter { + margin: auto; + text-align: center; +} + +img { border: 0; } +.huge { font-size: 200%; } +.large { font-size: 150%; } +.medium { font-size: 125%; } +.chaptitle { text-align: center; } +.sig { text-align: right; margin-right: 1.5em; } + </style> + </head> +<body> +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 47901 ***</div> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<a href="images/coverlarge.jpg"><img src="images/cover.jpg" width="400" height="557" id="coverpage" alt="Motor Matt, as he drove +the air ship steadily +against the wind, kept +close watch of the +captured aeronauts." /></a> +</div> + +<hr class="chap" /> + + + +<h1>MOTOR STORIES</h1> + +<table summary="scaffold"> +<tr> +<td style="width: 50%; padding-right: 1.5em;" class="tdr"> +THRILLING<br /> +ADVENTURE +</td> +<td style="width: 50%; padding-left: 1.5em;" class="tdl"> +MOTOR<br /> +FICTION +</td> +</tr><tr> +<td class="bb bt tdl"> +NO. 9<br /> +APR. 24, 1909. +</td> +<td class="bb bt tdr"> +FIVE<br /> +CENTS +</td> +</tr><tr> +<td class="tdl large"> +MOTOR MATT'S<br /> +AIR SHIP +</td><td class="tdr"> +<i>OR</i> <span class="large">THE RIVAL<br /> +INVENTORS</span> +</td> +</tr><tr> +<td class="tdc"> +<i>Street & Smith,<br /> +Publishers,<br /> +New York.</i> +</td> +</tr></table> +<hr class="chap" /> + + + + +<table summary="scaffold" class="bbox"> +<tr><td colspan="2" class="tdc huge">MOTOR STORIES</td></tr> +<tr><td class="tdr large" style="padding-right: .25em;">THRILLING ADVENTURE</td><td class="tdl large" style="padding-left: .25em;">MOTOR FICTION</td></tr> +</table> + +<p><i>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</i> <span class="smcap">Street & Smith</span>, <i>79-89 Seventh Avenue, New York, N. Y.</i></p> + +<table summary="scaffold" class="bb bt"> +<tr><td style="width: 33%;" class="tdl">No. 9.</td><td style="width: 33%;" class="tdc">NEW YORK, April 24, 1909.</td><td style="width: 33%;" class="tdr">Price Five Cents.</td></tr> +</table> + + +<p class="center huge">MOTOR MATT'S AIR-SHIP;</p> + +<p class="center">OR,</p> + +<p class="center large">The Rival Inventors.</p> + +<hr class="r5" /> +<p class="center">By the author of "MOTOR MATT."</p> +<hr class="r5" /> + + + +<h2><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS">CONTENTS</a></h2> + +<p class="center"> +<a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I. CAPTURING AN AIR-SHIP.</a><br /> +<a href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II. A QUEER "FIND."</a><br /> +<a href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III. THE BALLOON HOUSE.</a><br /> +<a href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV. THE KETTLE CONTINUES TO BOIL.</a><br /> +<a href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V. 2109 HOYNE STREET.</a><br /> +<a href="#CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI. CARL INVESTIGATES.</a><br /> +<a href="#CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII. JERROLD, BRADY'S RIVAL.</a><br /> +<a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII. JERROLD'S GRATITUDE.</a><br /> +<a href="#CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX. ABOARD THE HAWK.</a><br /> +<a href="#CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X. WILLOUGHBY'S SWAMP.</a><br /> +<a href="#CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI. A FOE IN THE AIR.</a><br /> +<a href="#CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII. BRADY CHANGES HIS PLANS.</a><br /> +<a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII. INTO THE SWAMP.</a><br /> +<a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV. A DESPERATE CHANCE.</a><br /> +<a href="#CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV. A DARING ESCAPE.</a><br /> +<a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI. THE END OF THE MID-AIR TRAIL.</a><br /> +<a href="#THE_BIG_CYPRESS">THE BIG CYPRESS.</a><br /> +</p> +<hr class="chap" /> + + + + +<div class="bbox"> +<h2><a name="CHARACTERS_THAT_APPEAR_IN_THIS_STORY" id="CHARACTERS_THAT_APPEAR_IN_THIS_STORY">CHARACTERS THAT APPEAR IN THIS STORY.</a></h2> + + +<blockquote> + +<p><b>Matt King</b>, 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."</p> + +<p><b>Carl Pretzel</b>, a cheerful and rollicking German lad, who is led by a +fortunate accident to hook up with Motor Matt in double harness.</p> + +<p><b>Hamilton Jerrold</b>, an honest inventor who has devoted his life to +aeronautics, and who has built a successful air-ship called the +Eagle.</p> + +<p><b>Hector Brady</b>, a rival inventor who has stolen his ideas from Hamilton +Jerrold. His air-ship is called the Hawk and is used for +criminal purposes. Brady's attempt to secure Motor Matt's +services as driver of the Hawk brings about the undoing of the +criminal gang.</p> + +<p><b>Whipple, Needham, Grove, Harper and Pete</b>, members of the Brady's +air-ship gang of thieves.</p> + +<p><b>Helen Brady</b>, Hector Brady's daughter, who helps Motor Matt.</p></blockquote> +</div> + + + + +<hr class="chap" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.</a></h2> + +<p class="chaptitle">CAPTURING AN AIR-SHIP.</p> + + +<p>"Py shiminy grickets! Vat do you t'ink oof dot! See +dere vonce, Matt. A palloon, or I vas a lopsder! Und +vat a funny palloon it iss."</p> + +<p>Motor Matt and his Dutch chum, Carl Pretzel, were +sitting by a quiet country roadside, in the shade of some +trees. Drawn up near them was a light touring-car.</p> + +<p>The boys were several miles out of the city of Chicago, +from which place they had started about the middle of +the forenoon, and they had halted in that shady spot between +Hammond and Hegewisch to eat the lunch they +had brought with them. Carl had just finished the last +piece of fried chicken when, happening to look skyward, +he saw something that brought him to his feet with a +jump. As he called to his chum, he pointed with the +"drum-stick," at which he had been nibbling.</p> + +<p>Matt's surprise was nearly as great as Carl's, and he +likewise sprang up and gazed at the air-ship, which was +coming toward them from the north and east, making +smart headway against the wind.</p> + +<p>"Great spark-plugs!" exclaimed Matt. "That's the +first air-ship I ever saw."</p> + +<p>"Vat's der tifference bedween a palloon und a air-ship?" +asked Carl.</p> + +<p>"Well, you can navigate an air-ship with the wind or +against it, while a balloon is at the mercy of every current +that blows. A round gas-bag and a basket is a +balloon, Carl, but when you add a gasolene-motor and +a propeller you have an air-ship."</p> + +<p>"Dot's blain enough. Der air-ship iss sky-hootin' dis +vay to peat four oof a kindt. Say, it looks like a pig +cigar. Vat a funny pitzness! Und you nefer seen vone +pefore, Matt?"</p> + +<p>"I never saw one that would travel successfully. This +one, though, seems to be going in good shape."</p> + +<p>"You haf seen palloons meppy?"</p> + +<p>"More than I can count," said he. "I've been up in +balloons a dozen times. When I was in the Berkshire +Hills they used to have races, and start from Pittsfield. +That's where I began making ascensions."</p> + +<p>Carl dropped his wondering eyes to Matt for a moment.</p> + +<p>"You vas der plamedest feller!" he exclaimed. "You +haf tone more t'ings as any feller I ever see, und you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span> +nefer say nodding ondil it shlips oudt, like vat it toes +now."</p> + +<p>Motor Matt made no answer to this. Just then his +attention was completely absorbed by the air-craft.</p> + +<p>As near as he could judge, the cigar-shaped gas-bag +was more than a hundred feet long. Beneath the bag +was suspended a light framework. Midway of the framework +was an open space, containing a chair in which sat +the man who was handling the motor. Out behind the +driver the framework tapered to a point, and at the end +of this rearmost point was the whirling propeller. The +glittering blades caught the sun in a continuous sparkling +reflection, which made the air-ship appear to be trailed +by a glow of fire.</p> + +<p>Forward of the cockpit, or open space, was the motor. +A rail ran around the cockpit.</p> + +<p>There were two men in the car—the one in the driver's +seat and another in front of him, leaning over the rail. +This second man seemed to be looking at the two boys, +and to be waving his hand and giving directions to the +driver.</p> + +<p>Along the side of the gas-bag Matt was able to read +the name "Hawk," printed in large letters.</p> + +<p>The Hawk was about a hundred feet above the surface +of the earth. A long rope depended from the car, and +twenty or thirty feet of it dragged along the ground as +the car moved.</p> + +<p>"Vat's der rope for, Matt?" inquired Carl.</p> + +<p>"If that was an ordinary balloon," replied Matt, "we'd +call the rope a guide-rope. Usually the guide-rope helps +to save gas and ballast. When you want a balloon to +go up, you know, you throw out sand; when you want +it to come down, you let out gas. That trailing rope +acts as ballast. When the gas expands, and the ship +wants to rise, part of the rope that trails is lifted from +the ground and throws more weight on the car; and +when the gas contracts, and the car shows a tendency +to descend, more of the rope falls on the ground and +takes just that much weight off the car."</p> + +<p>"Dot's as clear as mud!"</p> + +<p>"I can't understand why they've got a drag on the air-ship," +muttered Matt. "I supposed the propeller and the +steering-blades were enough to send such a craft wherever +it was wanted to go."</p> + +<p>As the Hawk came nearer, Matt's trained eyes and +ears convinced him that the driver of the air-ship was +a poor motorist. Evidently he did not understand the +engine he was handling. The air-ship zigzagged erratically +on its course, and the long bag ducked upward +and downward in a most hair-raising manner. On top +of that, Matt could hear one of the cylinders misfiring.</p> + +<p>The Hawk's drag-rope was trailing along the roadway. +First it was on one side of the road, and then on the +other, following the irregular swaying and plunging of +the car.</p> + +<p>"Come on, Carl!" called Matt, turning and running for +the automobile. "If that rope strikes our car it may +damage it. We've got to fend it off."</p> + +<p>"Dose air-ship fellers vas mighdy careless!" answered +Carl, hurrying after his chum. "Dot rope mighdt knock +town fences, und preak vinders, und do plendy more +tamages."</p> + +<p>"There isn't power enough at the other end of it to do +much damage," Matt answered, posting himself at the +rear of the automobile and watching the advancing rope +with sharp eyes.</p> + +<p>By that time the Hawk was almost over the boys' +heads. The rope, of course, was dragging far out behind, +and the trailing part of it bid fair to pass the car +well on the right.</p> + +<p>"Hello, there!" shouted the man at the rail of the +Hawk, leaning far over and making a trumpet out of his +hands.</p> + +<p>He seemed to be excited, for some cause or other.</p> + +<p>"Hello yourseluf, vonce!" called back the Dutch boy. +"Keep a leedle off mit your rope—ve don'd vand it to +make some drouples for us."</p> + +<p>"The air-ship's out of control," the man shouted. "We +can't stop the motor and the ship's running away! Grab +the rope, hitch it to your automobile and tow us back +to South Chicago. We'll give you a hundred dollars for +your trouble. Be quick!"</p> + +<p>"I like his nerf, I don't t'ink!" growled Carl. "He +vants to run off mit us und der pubble, und——"</p> + +<p>"We can tow the air-ship, all right," cried Matt, "providing +we can get the rope fast to the automobile. We'll +have to take a half hitch with the trailing end of the +rope around a tree, and bring the air-ship to a stop."</p> + +<p>Matt started for the rope. As he bent down to lay +hold of it, the car gave a lurch sideways and the rope +was whisked out of his hands and was thrown directly +against Carl's feet.</p> + +<p>Carl grabbed it. At the same moment the air-ship +took an upward leap, on account of the weight which +Carl had taken off the car. This leap flung Carl into +the air. He turned a frog-like somersault, hands and +feet sprawled out, and came down with a thump, flat +on his back.</p> + +<p>"Whoosh!" he yelled, a good deal more startled than +hurt, sitting up on the grass and shaking his fist at the +bobbing craft overhead, "you dit dot on burpose! Vat's +der madder mit you, anyvay? Vat for——"</p> + +<p>Carl forgot his fancied grievance watching Motor +Matt. The latter, making another leap at the rope as it +settled back again after overturning Carl, succeeded in +laying hold of it.</p> + +<p>He had the rope by the end, so that when he picked +it up none of the weight was taken from the ship, and +Carl's disastrous exploit was not repeated.</p> + +<p>"Wrap it around a tree!" yelled the man at the air-ship's +rail; "take a half-hitch around a tree!"</p> + +<p>The man might just as well have saved his breath. +That had been Motor Matt's plan, all along, and even as +the aeronaut was shouting his instructions Matt was +jumping for the nearest tree.</p> + +<p>The young motorist had little time to make the rope +fast. The whirling propeller was driving the Hawk onward +against the wind at a fair rate of speed. Had +there been no opposing wind, Matt would not have had +time enough for the work ahead of him.</p> + +<p>"Come on, Carl!" he shouted.</p> + +<p>The Dutch boy stopped watching and made haste to +lend a hand.</p> + +<p>Matt was already at the trunk of the tree, but the +rope had traveled onward so rapidly that he had less +than a yard of it in his hands to work with.</p> + +<p>Throwing himself on the opposite side of the tree, +Matt laid back on the end of the rope. At that moment +Carl reached his side, dropped near him and likewise +took a grip on the free end of the drag.</p> + +<p>"It's der fairst time," panted Carl, "dot I efer heluped<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span> +make some captures mit an air-ship. Shinks! Look at +dot, vonce!"</p> + +<p>The driving propeller had forced the Hawk to the +end of its leash. The boys, with only a half wrap of +the rope around the trunk, felt the quick pull, but easily +controlled it. The pull was steady, but, inch by inch, +they worked more and more of the rope around the +trunk until there was enough to make a knot.</p> + +<p>"Dot's der dicket!" exulted Carl, scrambling erect. +"Ve've got her tied like a pird mit vone foot. Now +how ve going to ged her hitched ondo der car?"</p> + +<p>"We'll have to find out what's the matter with the +motor, up there," answered Matt, "and see if the power +can't be shut off."</p> + +<p>As he spoke, he got to his feet and walked down the +road to a point directly under the air-ship.</p> + + + +<hr class="chap" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.</a></h2> + +<p class="chaptitle">A QUEER "FIND."</p> + + +<p>Both passengers in the air-ship were now leaning over +the rail of the suspended car.</p> + +<p>"Hitch us on to your automobile," shouted the one +who had been doing the driving, "and tow us back to +South Chicago."</p> + +<p>The offhand way in which the man spoke proved that +he was lacking on the practicable side of his nature.</p> + +<p>"That's a whole lot easier said than done," Matt called +back. "It was only by a happenchance that we got your +drag-rope tied to the tree. If you've got an anchor-rope +up there, throw it down and we'll make it fast to the +car before we cast off the other."</p> + +<p>"That's the only long rope we've got," answered the +man.</p> + +<p>"Well," went on Matt, "you ought to be able to see +what sort of a job we're up against. Your motor is +pulling hard on the rope, and the moment we take the +rope from the tree it will be jerked out of our hands. +Don't you know how to run a gas-engine?"</p> + +<p>"I know how to start a gas-engine," was the amazing +response, "but I don't know how to stop it."</p> + +<p>"Py shiminy grickets!" whooped Carl, "you vas a nice +pair to shtart off mit a gasolene-air-ship. You vas in +luck nod to make some landings on Chupiter, Mars or +to hit a comic."</p> + +<p>Matt likewise thought it was an odd situation, but believed +it would be well to get the two helpless aeronauts +down on terra firma before asking for an explanation of +their predicament.</p> + +<p>"Do either of you know what the gasolene-tank is?" +he asked.</p> + +<p>The heads disappeared within the car for a moment, +then one reappeared over the railing.</p> + +<p>"Yes, we've found that, all right," said the man.</p> + +<p>"And the carburettor—do you know where to look for +that?"</p> + +<p>"Is that the thing that makes the spark?"</p> + +<p>Carl let off a howl of derision.</p> + +<p>"Ach, du lieber, vat a ignorance! Der carpuretter +makes der gas, dot makes der exblosions in der cylinter, +dot moofs der biston dot makes der bropellor go 'roundt. +I know dot meinseluf, efen dough I vasn't so pright like +Modor Matt."</p> + +<p>"There's a pipe leading from the gasolene-tank to the +carburettor," continued Matt, "and there's a valve which +should be worked by a lever. Close that valve and you'll +shut off the supply of gasolene. When you do that, the +motor will stop, and we can work down here to better +advantage."</p> + +<p>The head disappeared again and the car rocked and +swayed as the two men scrambled around in it. Their +ignorance, however, increased rather than lessened the +difficulty. The misfiring of the one cylinder ceased and +the motor took up its humming rhythm at an even faster +speed. The fresh impetus of the propeller put a harder +pull on the rope, and the strain bore sudden and unexpected +results.</p> + +<p>With a yell of dismay the driver of the machine leaned +over the rail of the car. He had thrown off his hat and +his coat was unbuttoned.</p> + +<p>"We're making it worse!" he cried. "I wish to thunder +you could come up here and——"</p> + +<p>Just then the drag-rope, which could not have been +properly fastened to the car, let go and dropped earthward +in sinuous coils.</p> + +<p>The man doubled farther over the rail in a futile and +foolish effort to lay hold of it. Something fell from the +pocket of his coat, fluttered through the air and landed +in the top of a tree.</p> + +<p>Matt noted the flight of the fallen object only incidentally, +for the major part of his attention was taken up +with the actions of the car.</p> + +<p>The steering rudder had become elevated, and the air-ship +started at a tremendous clip toward the clouds. The +two aeronauts could be seen rushing around the car like +mad. While the two boys watched, the rudder was +brought down to a level; but something else had gone +wrong, for the machine could not be maneuvered.</p> + +<p>Swiftly the air-ship diminished to a mere speck in the +southern sky, and then vanished altogether.</p> + +<p>Carl turned a blank look at Matt and gave a long +whistle.</p> + +<p>"Dot proofs, Matt," said he, "dot id don'd vas goot +pitzness to monkey mit t'ings you don'd know nodding +aboudt. Oof dose fellers run into a shooding shdar +dere vill be some fine smash oops."</p> + +<p>"Why they ever ventured up in the air-ship, knowing +so little about how to manage it, is a mystery."</p> + +<p>Matt gave his head an ominous shake.</p> + +<p>"Vat vill pecome oof dem?" queried Carl.</p> + +<p>"If they can get the steering rudder to working, they +can drive the air-ship to the ground. Anyhow, the supply +of gasolene will have to give out, in time, and then +they may be able to come down."</p> + +<p>"Dere iss somet'ing crooked aboudt dose fellers. Oddervise, +dey vouldn't be vere dey are."</p> + +<p>"Did you see something drop from the driver's pocket, +Carl?"</p> + +<p>"Nix. Iss dot vat habbened?"</p> + +<p>"Yes. It landed in the top of that tree, over there."</p> + +<p>"Meppy ve ged holt oof der t'ing und find oudt somet'ing +aboudt who dose fellers vas, und for vy dey vent +off for a fly mitoudt knowing how to manach der flyer?"</p> + +<p>Matt proceeded to the foot of the tree in whose +branches the fallen object had alighted. Lifting his gaze +upward, he peered sharply into the foliage.</p> + +<p>"I see it," he announced, pointing.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Und me, too," said Carl. "It vas vite, und round, +like a punch oof bapers rolled oop. How ve ged him +down, hey? Meppy ve t'row some shticks ad him?"</p> + +<p>Suiting his action to the word, Carl picked up clubs +and stones and hurled them upward in an endeavor to +dislodge the object. Finding that these efforts were unsuccessful, +Matt threw off his coat and hat and climbed +the tree.</p> + +<p>The roll of papers was lodged far out in the fork of +a branch. Standing on the branch, he jumped up and +down on it and jarred the roll loose. Carl caught it +deftly as it fell.</p> + +<p>"Hoop-a-la!" he yelled; "here she vas, Matt. Come +down a leedle vile ve look him ofer."</p> + +<p>In a few moments Matt was again on the ground. +The roll, which Carl immediately handed to him, he +found to contain a number of sheets wrapped compactly +in a piece of white paper.</p> + +<p>"I guess we'll open it and not stand on any ceremony," +said Matt.</p> + +<p>"Sure!" exclaimed Carl. "For vy nod?"</p> + +<p>"It's not exactly the right thing to do. They're not our +papers and we haven't any business tampering with documents +that belong to some one else. Under the circumstances, +though, and considering that the whole affair of +the air-ship is a strange one, and that we may be able +to help the two men in some way through the information +the roll may contain, we'll have a look at it."</p> + +<p>Going back to the place where they had eaten their +lunch, the boys sat down and Matt opened the little bundle. +A dozen blue prints of mechanical tracings were +revealed. In the center of the roll was a sealed envelope, +bearing no address or writing of any sort.</p> + +<p>"Dere's nodding aboudt der plue prints to helup us +know somet'ing," said Carl. "Oben der enfellup, Matt."</p> + +<p>"No," returned Matt, "we can't do that. That would +be going a little too far."</p> + +<p>"Vell, ve got to do somet'ing oof ve findt oudt who +dose fellers vas."</p> + +<p>"We'll wait, and give them a chance to claim their +property."</p> + +<p>"How dey vas going to glaim it, hey? Dey didtn't +dell us who dey vas, und ve ditn't dell dem our names."</p> + +<p>"We know the air-ship came from South Chicago. I +don't believe there are very many air-ships in that place, +and if we inquire around a little we ought to be able to +find out who owns the Hawk."</p> + +<p>"Righdt you vas! Somevay, Matt, you always know +vat to do ven eferypody else iss guessing. Shall ve ged +indo der car und go pack to der pig city py vay oof +Sout' Chicago?"</p> + +<p>"That's our cue. If we can discover who owns the +Hawk we'll leave these papers there for him."</p> + +<p>Matt rolled up the envelope and the papers and stowed +them safely away in his pocket.</p> + +<p>"I know dere vas some niggers in der vood-pile, all +righdt," averred Carl. "Two fellers vouldn't go off mit +an air-ship dey don'd know how to run oof eferyt'ing vas +like it ought to be."</p> + +<p>"There may be a whole lot of sense in what you say, +Carl," replied Matt, "and then, again, the explanation of +the queer layout may be extremely simple. Don't get to +imagining things, old chap, but coil up that rope and +throw it into the car. We'll carry it back to South Chicago +and leave it at the same place we leave this roll of +blue prints."</p> + +<p>While Carl was coiling up the rope, Matt gave his +attention to the automobile. When Carl arrived and +threw the rope into the tonneau, Matt was busy with +the crank.</p> + +<p>Presently they were in the car and headed back along +the return course.</p> + +<p>Hardly had they got under good headway, however, +when a flurry of dust showed in the road ahead of them. +As the wind blew the dust aside, a horse and buggy with +two men broke into view.</p> + +<p>In accordance with the rules of the road, Matt slowed +down to make sure the horse did not take fright at the +automobile. The horse was going at a run, and the men +seemed to be excited.</p> + +<p>The one who was driving drew rein as the rig came +alongside the car.</p> + +<p>"Say," shouted the men, "did you boys see an air-ship +anywhere in this vicinity?"</p> + +<p>"Yes," answered Matt. "It was going south."</p> + +<p>"Then we're on the right track?"</p> + +<p>"So far as we know; but the air-ship was unmanageable +and——"</p> + +<p>The men in the buggy did not wait to hear any more. +The driver began plying his whip and the horse again +leaped onward.</p> + +<p>"Who were those two men?" yelled Matt, anxious for +a little information.</p> + +<p>"Thieves!" came the answer, as rig and passengers +once more vanished in a cloud of dust.</p> + + + +<hr class="chap" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.</a></h2> + +<p class="chaptitle">THE BALLOON HOUSE.</p> + + +<p>"Yah!" shouted Carl. "Vat I dell you, Matt? I knew +dere vas somet'ing der madder! Dem two fellers vas +t'ieves, und dey haf shtole der air-ship. Py shinks, dey +haf got demselufs indo drouple, und it vas goot enough +for dem. Vat you going to do?"</p> + +<p>Matt had begun turning the machine in the road. +When he had pointed it the other way, he started off at +a swift pace on the trail of the two men in the buggy.</p> + +<p>"We'll try and overhaul those two fellows," answered +Matt, "and tell them what we know. The information +we've picked up may be valuable to them."</p> + +<p>"Dey don't vas endidled to it," averred Carl. "Vy +ditn't dey shtop und ask us somet'ings? Anyvay, how +can dey ketch a flying machine mit a horse und puggy? +You mighdt as vell dry to ketch a sky rocket mit a papy +carriage."</p> + +<p>"The Hawk will have to come down," said Matt, +"and if those men are anywhere near it when it hits the +earth they'll be able to recover the machine and catch the +thieves."</p> + +<p>"Oof der machine hits der eart' so hardt as vat I t'ink, +it von't be vort' nodding, nor der t'ieves neider."</p> + +<p>"There's a chance that the rascals will come down +safely. If those men in the buggy had had their wits +about them, they'd have hitched their rig to the fence +and have jumped into the automobile. We could have +hustled them over the ground four times as fast as they +were going."</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span></p> + +<p>A few moments later the boys reached a place where +the road branched. The horse and buggy were not in +sight along either road.</p> + +<p>"Vich vay now?" queried Carl.</p> + +<p>"It's all guesswork," answered Matt, "but it's always +a pretty good plan to keep to the right," and, with that, +he drove the car along the right-hand branch.</p> + +<p>After five minutes of fast running, they had not overtaken +the rig and it was still not to be seen anywhere +ahead. The boys knew they had been traveling three or +four times as fast as the two men were going, and that, +if they were on the right track, the men should have been +overtaken long before.</p> + +<p>Disappointedly, Matt halted the car and turned it in +the other direction.</p> + +<p>"No use, Carl," said he. "Those men must have taken +the left-hand fork instead of the right. They're too far +away, now, for us to think of finding them. We'll hike +for South Chicago."</p> + +<p>"Dot's der pest t'ing dot ve can do," returned Carl. +"Ve'll find der owner oof der Hawk und gif him der +trag-rope und der bapers."</p> + +<p>"We won't find him. He must have been one of those +two men in the buggy. Probably we can find where he +lives, though, and turn the rope and the papers over to +some one who will give them to him."</p> + +<p>"Meppy ve pedder take der shtuff to der bolice, hey? +Oof der fellers vas t'ieves, dot enfellup mighdt gif der +bolice a line on dem."</p> + +<p>"There's something in that, too," muttered Matt. +"We'll try to find the owner of the Hawk, though, before +we call on the police."</p> + +<p>An hour later, the boys came into South Chicago along +a turnpike that passed the rolling mills. A man on a +motor-cycle was just coming out of a fenced enclosure +near one of the mills, and Matt halted him for the purpose +of making a few inquiries. From his looks, the +man was of some consequence in the steel rail plant, and +probably was well-informed as to affairs in South Chicago.</p> + +<p>"Do you know of any one around here that has an +air-ship?" asked Matt.</p> + +<p>The question was something of a novelty, and the man +laughed as he rested one foot on the ground and balanced +his motor-cycle upright.</p> + +<p>"I suppose air-ships will be thicker'n hops, one of these +days," said he, "but just now they're about as seldom as +hen's teeth. I understand there are a couple of men here +who are working at air-ships—one of them came to the +mills to see if he couldn't get some aluminum castings. +He's got a balloon house about a quarter of a mile down +the road, on the left. Drop in there and maybe you'll +find the man—and the ship, too."</p> + +<p>Matt thanked the man and followed him slowly as he +sputtered off into town.</p> + +<p>The balloon house, which was plainly visible from the +road, was a long, high shed, and occupied a solitary position +in the midst of a marshy field. The doors in one end +of the shed, arranged in a series and reaching from +ground to roof peak, were open.</p> + +<p>Leaving the automobile at the roadside, the boys +climbed a fence and made their way across the flat +ground to the big house. On reaching the opened doors, +one glance showed them that there was no air-ship in +the shed.</p> + +<p>On the earth floor, along one side of the great room, +were two or three work benches and a litter of wood +and metal scraps. There was also, in the farther end of +the chamber, a number of small tanks, presumably used +for the manufacture of hydrogen gas. As the boys stood +in the doorway, two brawny men showed themselves +from behind these tanks. They wore greasy overclothes +and their sleeves were rolled up.</p> + +<p>"Get out of here!" yelled one of the men. "We don't +allow any reporters around this shebang."</p> + +<p>"We're not reporters," answered Matt, standing his +ground. "Do you keep an air-ship here?"</p> + +<p>"Well, that's what this big shed is for."</p> + +<p>The two men came closer to the boys, one of them +filling and lighting a cob pipe as he approached.</p> + +<p>"Is the name of it the 'Hawk?'" went on Matt.</p> + +<p>"Right again," said the man who had been doing the +talking.</p> + +<p>His eyes were like gimlets, and bored their way into +Matt through narrow slits.</p> + +<p>"Who's the owner of the Hawk?" asked Matt.</p> + +<p>"I'm the owner, and my name's Hector Brady. If +Jerrold has sent you here——"</p> + +<p>"I don't know any one by the name of Jerrold. Who +is he, and why should he send me here?"</p> + +<p>The sharp little eyes continued to study Matt.</p> + +<p>"Before I say anything more," answered Brady, "you'd +better tell me a little about yourself."</p> + +<p>"I don't know as that's necessary, or——"</p> + +<p>"You'd know how necessary it is if you were inventing +machines and trying to keep your appliances a secret. +I'm not the only man in South Chicago that's perfecting +an air-ship. A fellow named Jerrold has cut into the +same game, and he has some one nosing around here a +good share of the time, trying to get wise to something. +If Jerrold has sent you here——"</p> + +<p>"He hasn't," broke in Matt. "I don't know Jerrold +from Adam."</p> + +<p>"What's your name?"</p> + +<p>"King, Matt King."</p> + +<p>Brady gave a jump.</p> + +<p>"You don't mean to say you're the young Western +phenomenon the Lestrange people have brought to Chicago +to run in that five-day automobile race that's +turned on at the Coliseum to-morrow?"</p> + +<p>"I'm one of their racers," answered Matt. "They have +four more in the race besides me."</p> + +<p>"Well, by thunder!" Brady stood off and regarded +Matt as though he was a natural curiosity. "Why, you're +no more than a kid! They had your picture in the +paper, after that Kansas race, but you're a heap younger +than I thought. I guess you've forgotten more about +gasolene-motors than a whole lot of people ever knew."</p> + +<p>"Oh, it isn't so bad as that. I came here to do you a +good turn, Mr. Brady, and I can't see the sense of raking +up my past history. Your air-ship has been stolen, hasn't +it?"</p> + +<p>"Stolen?" Brady gave another startled jump. "Not +that anybody knows of. Why? What put that in your +head?"</p> + +<p>Matt was "stumped." He looked blankly at Carl and +found that Carl had turned an equally blank look at him.</p> + +<p>"Where is the Hawk now?" queried Matt.</p> + +<p>"She went out on a trial spin with three men in the +car. Expect her back any moment."</p> + +<p>There was a shifty look in Brady's face, and he spoke +in a fashion that aroused Matt's suspicions.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Then the Hawk wasn't stolen and you didn't send +two men with a horse and buggy to look for her?" +queried Matt. "We saw the air-ship, but there were +only a couple of men in the car and the machine was out +of control. We tried to stop the craft by means of the +drag-rope, but the rope broke loose and the Hawk got +away. One of the men on board dropped a roll of papers +out of his coat-pocket and we picked it up."</p> + +<p>Brady looked at the other man. The glances they +exchanged were significant, and both swore softly.</p> + +<p>"Here's a purty kettle o' fish!" growled the fellow +with the pipe. "What dy'ye s'pose has happened, +Brady?"</p> + +<p>Brady muttered something unintelligible, and whirled +to Matt with a scowl.</p> + +<p>"That roll of papers belongs to me," said he. "Just +pass 'em over, King."</p> + +<p>"I don't know whether I ought to give them to you, +Mr. Brady, or to the police," answered Matt, making no +move to take the roll from his pocket.</p> + +<p>"Police!" exclaimed Brady. "What the blazes are you +talking about? The fellow on that car was working for +me, and the papers belong to me."</p> + +<p>"Then you ought to be able to identify the roll," proceeded +Matt, coolly. "What did it contain, Mr. Brady?"</p> + +<p>"Just papers."</p> + +<p>"Typewritten-papers?"</p> + +<p>"Well, yes, some of them were typewritten."</p> + +<p>"How were they tied up? In a piece of yellow paper?"</p> + +<p>"That's it. Hand 'em over. It's queer they got lost +out of the car in that way, but mighty lucky you picked +'em up."</p> + +<p>"I guess you're thinking of the wrong roll," said +Matt, coolly. "The one you've described isn't the one +we found."</p> + +<p>"Whether the description is right or wrong, the papers +are mine, and I'll have 'em!"</p> + +<p>Brady, in sudden temper, hurled himself at Matt. The +other man, taking his cue from Brady, jumped for Carl +and grabbed him by the arm.</p> + +<p>"Hoop-e-la!" tuned up Carl. "Be jeerful, eferypody! +Here's somet-ing vat ve ditn't oxbect!" And, with that, +the Dutch boy began struggling and using his fists.</p> + + + +<hr class="chap" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.</a></h2> + +<p class="chaptitle">THE KETTLE CONTINUES TO BOIL.</p> + + +<p>Both Matt and Carl were well skilled in the art of +self-defense. Matt, perhaps, was a shade more adept in +the use of his fists. Neither of the lads, however, had +been looking for violence, and the sudden attack of +Brady and the other man had taken them by surprise.</p> + +<p>The two men had plenty of muscle, and Brady was +desperately determined to secure the roll of papers. The +very fact that he was using force to accomplish his designs +proved that he was not entitled to the papers. For +that reason, Matt was determined to keep them away +from him at all costs.</p> + +<p>"Hold the Dutchman, Pete!" puffed Brady, hanging +to the collar of Matt's leather coat and trying to get one +hand into the inside pocket.</p> + +<p>"Quiet, Dutchy," threatened Pete, as he and Carl +swung back and forth across the big shed. "I'll strangle +ye if ye ain't peaceable. Ye ain't got no sense, roughin' +things up like—wow!"</p> + +<p>At that instant, Carl landed a telling blow on the point +of Pete's chin. A bushel of shooting-stars must have +danced in front of Pete's eyes, for the jolt hurled him +backward and caused him to claw the air in an attempt +to keep his balance. He was not more than an instant +getting the whip-hand of himself, and when he came out +of his brief daze he was as mad as a hornet.</p> + +<p>"I'll kill ye for that!" he yelled, and picked up a heavy +hammer that lay on the floor.</p> + +<p>Pete was between Carl and the open end of the shed; +he was likewise between Carl and Matt and Brady. The +struggle had carried Pete and the Dutch boy down +toward the middle of the balloon house.</p> + +<p>Matt, out of the tails of his eyes, saw the dangerous +position in which Pete's temper was placing Carl. The +young motorist had been successfully fending off the attempt +of Brady to get into his coat pocket; now, thinking +Carl might need him, he undertook more aggressive +measures.</p> + +<p>An empty box, which had evidently been used as a +seat, stood just within the big door. With a sudden +lurch, Matt heaved himself against Brady and knocked +him backward over the box.</p> + +<p>As Brady felt himself falling, the instinct to save himself +caused him to let go of Matt. The instant the young +motorist found himself with the free use of his fists, he +let drive at Brady and still further helped him over the +box.</p> + +<p>With a roar of anger, Brady doubled up on the floor. +Matt whirled and darted for Pete, reaching that scoundrel +just in time to catch the arm that was whirling the +heavy hammer.</p> + +<p>The hammer was wrenched away, and Matt cast it +against the wall of the balloon house.</p> + +<p>"Cut for it, Carl!" cried Matt. "Run for the road!"</p> + +<p>"You bed my life!" wheezed Carl. "Dis blace don'd +vas gedding fery comfordable."</p> + +<p>Brady was picking himself up from the floor as the +boys rushed past with Pete in hot pursuit.</p> + +<p>"Get those papers!" yelled Brady.</p> + +<p>"I'll git that Dutch kid if it costs me my life!" +whooped Pete.</p> + +<p>Brady rushed after Pete, and there was a chase across +the marshy meadow toward the road.</p> + +<p>Carl was chunky of build and not nearly so good in a +sprint as was Matt. Matt was in the lead on the rush +from the balloon house, but, anticipating that Carl might +have further trouble with Pete, he slackened his pace.</p> + +<p>It was well that he did so. Pete was steadily gaining +on Carl and would undoubtedly have overtaken him had +Matt not executed a quick move with an empty salt barrel +that lay in the line of flight.</p> + +<p>At the right moment, Matt rolled the salt barrel in +front of the enraged Pete. Pete's shins slammed against +it, then he dropped on it and plowed up the mucky soil +with the top of his head.</p> + +<p>So far as the set-to was concerned, it was settled right +there, Brady being so far in the rear that the boys were +able to clear the fence and get into the automobile before +he could come anywhere near them. As a matter of fact, +Brady gave up the fight as soon as he had witnessed +Pete's mishap with the barrel.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span></p> + +<p>As the two chums glided away toward the more thickly +settled part of South Chicago, they could look back and +see Brady assisting the disgruntled Pete to an erect position. +The barrel had been smashed, and Brady was +scraping the mud off Pete with one of the staves.</p> + +<p>"How you like dot, hey?" gloried Carl, standing up in +the automobile and shaking his fist. "You vill know pedder +der next time dan to make some foolishness mit +Modor Matt und his bard. Yah, yah, yah!"</p> + +<p>Carl wanted to be as tantalizing as he could, but the +automobile was getting too far away. Sinking down in +the seat beside Matt, the Dutch boy chuckled blithely.</p> + +<p>"Dis has peen a pooty fine leedle trip, Matt," he observed, +"und has peen full oop mit oxcidement oof a +nofel kindt, yah, so helup me. Dot's vat I like. I'll bed +my life dose fellers t'ink dey vas fell on mit a brick +house. Vat's der madder mit Prady, anyvays?"</p> + +<p>"There's something queer about that air-ship affair," +answered Matt, thoughtfully. "The two men who rode +past us in that buggy said the pair in the car were +thieves, but Brady didn't know anything about the +Hawk's being stolen. Brady said, too, that there ought +to have been three men in the car instead of two. The +one who was missing may have been the driver. That +would account for the poor work the other two were +making with the engine."</p> + +<p>"Ve can make some guesses," said Carl, shaking his +head, "aber ve don'd know nodding. Dot roll oof bapers +don'd pelong to Prady. Vell, oof dot's der gase, whose +bapers vas dey?"</p> + +<p>"That's a conundrum."</p> + +<p>"Vill you dake dem py der bolice?"</p> + +<p>"I've been thinking of that, and I believe I'll talk with +Mr. Harkrider before I do anything more. He'll tell us +just what to do, and I'm sure his advice will be good. +You see, Carl, we're not entitled to the papers any more +than Brady is, when you come to figure the thing down +to a fine point. If the fellow who lost them out of the +car turned up and claimed them, we'd have to give them +to him."</p> + +<p>Mr. Harkrider was superintendent for the Lestrange +Manufacturing Company, the Eastern representatives of +the Jarrot Automobile Company of St. Louis. Following +the Borden cup race, in Kansas, Matt had entered the +services of the Jarrot people, and they had sent him to +Chicago to take part in the five-day race at the Coliseum. +While waiting for the race to start, Matt and Carl had +had the use of any machine they wanted in the Lestrange +garage, so they had put in their time riding around the +city and out into the suburbs. That is how they happened +to be on the road beyond South Chicago at the +time the Hawk was running away with the two aeronauts.</p> + +<p>Unusual experiences always seemed to gravitate toward +Matt, and this air-ship affair was one of the most novel +that had ever come his way. What it was leading up to, +he did not know, but it was evident there was a whole +lot more to the matter than appeared on the surface.</p> + +<p>After a quick and uneventful run into Chicago, Matt +drove the automobile into the Lestrange garage and +asked for Mr. Harkrider. To his disappointment, Mr. +Harkrider had left for the day and would not return to +the garage until the following morning.</p> + +<p>"Well," said Matt, as he and Carl left the garage and +proceeded toward their boarding house, "I guess the delay +won't make much difference. I'll be busy with the +race to-morrow, but you can take the papers, Carl, and +do with them whatever Mr. Harkrider advises."</p> + +<p>It was nearly supper time, and after the boys had had +a wash, and a good meal, they went up to their room.</p> + +<p>Close to eight o'clock, just as they were getting ready +for bed, a rap fell on the door. Matt answered the summons +and found a boy with a telegram.</p> + +<p>The young motorist had been receiving a great many +telegrams, since his Kansas victory, and supposed the +message must be from some motor-car manufacturer +who wanted to secure his services.</p> + +<p>But he was destined to a surprise.</p> + +<p>The telegram had been sent to the Lestrange garage, +and by the foreman there forwarded to the boarding +place.</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p>"<span class="smcap">Matt King</span>, Care Lestrange Company, Chicago:</p> + +<p>"Come immediately to twenty-one-naught-nine Hoyne +Street, South Chicago. Important matter relative to +runaway air-ship. I will pay your expenses.</p> + +<p class="sig"> +"<span class="smcap">Hamilton Jerrold.</span>"<br /> +</p></blockquote> + +<p>"More aboudt dot air-ship pitzness," muttered Carl. +"Who vas dot Jerrold feller?"</p> + +<p>"He must be the man that Brady told us about," said +Matt. "Jerrold seems to be a rival of Brady's, in this +air-ship matter, and the message looks like a good clue. +It won't do any harm to follow it up, anyhow."</p> + +<p>"Dere iss somet'ing about dot vat I don'd like," demurred +Carl. "I got some hunches dere iss underhandt +vork afoot."</p> + +<p>"I know there's underhand work going on," said Matt, +"but we've been rung in on the deal and have got to +see it through. I'm curious to learn more about the +affair."</p> + +<p>"Meppy dot same curiosidy vill make you some +drouples," suggested Carl. "You can't haf dot, ven der +racing iss on do-morrow."</p> + +<p>"The Jarrot people have several good men in the five-day +race, so it won't make much difference if I'm not one +of the drivers. Anyhow, I don't intend to be all day in +South Chicago."</p> + +<p>"It don'd look righdt for you to go pack dere alone," +grumbled Carl. "I vouldn't be easy a minid."</p> + +<p>"I am not going alone," laughed Matt. "You're going +along, Carl."</p> + +<p>The Dutch boy brightened at once and had no more +objections to offer.</p> + +<p>"Ach, dot's tifferent! Ve vill shdart ad vonce. How +ve go? On a pubble?"</p> + +<p>"No, we'll take a railroad train. I don't want to go +fooling with a car at this time of night."</p> + +<p>"Is dere a train ve can ketch?"</p> + +<p>"Lots of them. South Chicago is a suburb, and we +can leave here every half hour. We ought to be back +by midnight."</p> + +<p>Without debating the matter further, the boys started +forthwith.</p> + + + +<hr class="chap" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.</a></h2> + +<p class="chaptitle">2109 HOYNE STREET.</p> + + +<p>Hoyne Street was easily found. A number of blast +furnaces stood so near the house the two chums were +looking for that the flames from their tall chimneys<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> +lighted up the surroundings so brilliantly that they were +able to read the number over the door.</p> + +<p>The house was a two-story frame structure. The gas +and smoke from the neighboring iron mills had shriveled +and scorched everything in that part of the town. Even +by night, and under the glow of the furnaces, Hoyne +Street had a dismal and dreary appearance.</p> + +<p>No. 2109 was set well back from the sidewalk. Two +branching wings, in front, made the house look like a +deserted manufacturing plant. This impression was +heightened by several broken windows.</p> + +<p>There were no lights in the windows other than the +reflected glare from the high chimneys.</p> + +<p>"Whoosh!" muttered Carl, as he and Matt came close +to the front of the house and read the number. "Dot's +der blace, Matt, aber it don'd look pooty goot to me. +Der feller vat lifs dere don'd got enough money, I bed +you, to pay for sending dot delegram. Der hen oof +drouple iss aboudt to hatch somet'ing."</p> + +<p>"It may be," answered Matt, who likewise had a queer +premonition of trouble, "but we've come this far and I'm +going to see the thing through. If anything goes wrong +in that house it will be on account of that roll of blue +prints. I'll leave the roll with you, Carl, and you can +stay outside. I won't be in the house more than fifteen +minutes at most."</p> + +<p>"Vell, you look a leedle oudt, Matt, dot's all. Oof +somet'ing goes wrong mit you, led off a yell und I vill +come gallywhooping."</p> + +<p>"I don't think anything will go wrong with me if I +haven't those papers in my pocket."</p> + +<p>Carl shivered.</p> + +<p>"Chee, but der leedle fires on der chimneys iss prighdt. +Somet'ing aboudt dis blace gifs me a creepiness oof der +skin. Be jeerful, be jeerful! Don'd shday in dere longer +as den minids, Matt, oder I vas likely to t'row fits."</p> + +<p>"I'll come out as soon as I can, Carl," answered Matt. +"Don't fret. I'm able to take care of myself in a pinch."</p> + +<p>"Oof you see der pinch fairst, yah, I bed you! Aber +oof der pinch come ven you don'd vas looking, den vat?"</p> + +<p>Matt laughed as he turned away, climbed a short flight +of steps and drummed on the front door. He had to rap +three or four times before his summons was answered.</p> + +<p>A light showed itself through a fan-shaped transom +over the door, and a hand could be heard fumbling with +a rusty bolt. In a minute or so the door was drawn open +and a girl stood revealed. She carried a lamp with a +smoked chimney, and one of her slender hands protected +the flame from the draft.</p> + +<p>She was eighteen or nineteen years old, and, in spite +of her coarse calico gown, she was extremely pretty. Her +prettiness, however, was not what impressed Matt. The +first thing he noticed was that the hand shielding the +lamp was trembling. Lifting his eyes to the girl's face, +he observed that she wore a frightened look.</p> + +<p>"Does Mr. Jerrold live here?" Matt asked.</p> + +<p>The girl stared at him; her lips moved, but no sound +came through them. Matt repeated the question.</p> + +<p>"Y-y-yes," faltered the girl.</p> + +<p>"My name's King," answered Matt. "Mr. Jerrold sent +me a telegram and asked me to come here to-night."</p> + +<p>The girl leaned forward eagerly as though she would +say something. Before she could speak, if she had intended +to, a sound as of some one moving in the darkness +behind her, caused her to draw back.</p> + +<p>"Please come in," she said breathlessly.</p> + +<p>Matt entered the hall. The girl closed the door behind +him and then, with the lamp shaking in her hand, +led him into a room off the hall.</p> + +<p>The room was evidently a parlor, although its furniture +was meager and shabby.</p> + +<p>"Please sit down," said the girl, placing the lamp on a +table. "Mr. B—Mr. Jerrold will be here in a few moments. +Would you like to read while you're waiting?"</p> + +<p>Matt started to decline, but the girl had already picked +up a book from the table, opened it and was handing it +to him.</p> + +<p>He looked at her in astonishment. From her frightened +face his eyes fell to the book that was quivering +in her hand. There was an appeal in her manner which +caused him to take the book.</p> + +<p>"Thank you," said he.</p> + +<p>The book was opened at the fly leaf. On the leaf was +written the following:</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p>"You are trapped. I would have warned you, if I +could, but he would have killed me. Now you are in the +house, you can't get away. Do whatever you are told to +do and all will be well. Lay the book back on the table, +and don't let any one know what you have read here."</p></blockquote> + +<p>Matt was astounded. Trapped! And he had walked +into the trap with his eyes wide open!</p> + +<p>Who was the girl and why had she run the risk to +warn him? And what good was her warning to do if he +did not take advantage of it and make his escape?</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p>"Now you are in the house, you can't get away."</p></blockquote> + +<p>He read those words again, and after he had read +them he looked about the room curiously. There were +two windows in the room and they were screened with +thick curtains. Matt, however, could see no one. If the +trap had been sprung where were the ones who had +sprung it?</p> + +<p>He realized that if he made an attempt to get out of +the house now, those who had entrapped him would immediately +conclude that the girl had given him a warning. +Thus he would not only fail to get away, but would +bring punishment upon the girl for her attempt to help +him.</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p>"Do whatever you are told to do and all will be well."</p></blockquote> + +<p>He read that over again and made up his mind that +he would follow the advice. He laid the book back on +the table, and, just at that moment, the girl re-entered the +room.</p> + +<p>"I have read that book," said he.</p> + +<p>"Here's a newspaper," said she.</p> + +<p>As she held the paper in front of him she pointed to an +article, evidently intending that he should read it.</p> + +<p>The girl was a mystery to Matt. From her manner +there was no doubt about her being anxious to do whatever +she could to shield him.</p> + +<p>Leaving the paper in his hands, she walked over to the +table, opened the book and deftly extracted the fly leaf. +Then she vanished from the room once more.</p> + +<p>Matt drew his chair closer to the table so that he could +get the full benefit of the dim light.</p> + +<p>The first thing he noticed was that the paper was a +week old. It was a Chicago daily. The column to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> +which the girl had called his attention was headed, +"Burglaries Continue! Astonishing Series of Robberies +in South Chicago are Still Kept Up! Thieves Make Off +With Loot and Leave Not a Clue Behind! Police Authorities +Baffled! Latest Victims Hartz & Greer, Jewelers!"</p> + +<p>Here followed an account dealing with a number of +mysterious burglaries, but Matt, because of the danger in +which he found himself, did not give the article the +attention he would otherwise have done.</p> + +<p>He did wonder, however, why it was that the girl had +pointed out the article to him. While he was wondering, +a step sounded in the hall and a form showed itself in the +hall door.</p> + +<p>The man was Brady!</p> + +<p>Matt sprang up. Brady came into the room with an +easy air and gave vent to a short laugh.</p> + +<p>He was quite a different looking man when out of his +greasy overclothes, but there was no doubting his identity. +Matt's fist had left a bruise on the side of Brady's +face, and the spot was covered with a square of court-plaster.</p> + +<p>"Surprised?" queried Brady, dropping into a chair.</p> + +<p>Before seating himself he was careful to draw the chair +in front of the hall door.</p> + +<p>"Were you the one who sent me that telegram?" asked +Matt.</p> + +<p>"Guilty!" was the chuckling response. "You were expecting +to meet Jerrold, eh? I was a little in doubt as to +whether you'd bite at the bait, but took a chance. You're +a mighty accommodating young fellow, King. Why, +you came all the way out here, at this time of night, just +to give Jerrold those papers! Didn't it strike you as being +a little bit queer that Jerrold should have asked you +to come and see him when it was his business to go and +see you? And then, again, how did you think Jerrold +got hold of your name and address? Oh, well, you've a +lot to learn yet, my lad."</p> + +<p>"I'm learning you pretty fast, Brady," said Matt. "You +have fooled me, but you've gained nothing by it."</p> + +<p>"I think I have," was the other's cool reply.</p> + +<p>"You'll not get that bundle of papers."</p> + +<p>"No? Haven't you got them with you?"</p> + +<p>"I left them where they'd be safe."</p> + +<p>"Then you suspected there was something a little off-color +about that telegram?"</p> + +<p>"Yes."</p> + +<p>"Plucky boy! Nevertheless, you dropped into my trap, +and that's the main thing. Those papers cost me a good +deal of scheming, and if you were really thoughtful +enough to leave them in a safe place, I'm mighty sorry."</p> + +<p>"You can search me," said Matt, "if you're not willing +to take my word."</p> + +<p>"I'll search you quick enough."</p> + +<p>"Then hurry up; I want to get away from here."</p> + +<p>"Those papers are not the whole of it," went on Brady. +"I want to make you a proposition, King. I need a +motorist for the Hawk, and I think you'd about fill the +bill. How would five hundred a month strike you?"</p> + +<p>"Five thousand a month wouldn't strike me. In the +first place, Mr. Brady, I don't like your methods and +wouldn't work for you at any price; and, in the next +place, I am already in the employ of the Lestrange people."</p> + +<p>"You'll work for me all right whether you like my +methods or not." There was an ugly look in Brady's +eyes and an ugly note in his voice. "You're just the sort +of youngster I need, and now that I've got a grip on you +I don't intend to let you get away."</p> + +<p>"It takes two to make that sort of a bargain!"</p> + +<p>Matt had edged around toward one of the windows +with the intention of making a break through the door.</p> + +<p>Brady got up.</p> + +<p>"What are you waiting for, Pete?" he called.</p> + +<p>Matt turned a quick gaze about him, wondering from +which direction Pete was to appear. Then, quick as a +lightning flash, the curtain behind him gave way and fell +in smothering folds over his head and shoulders. Two +brawny arms encircled him like the jaws of a vise.</p> + +<p>He fought with all his strength, and tried to yell to +Carl. But one effort was as ineffectual as the other.</p> + +<p>Pete and Brady had him between them, and he was +utterly powerless.</p> + + + +<hr class="chap" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.</a></h2> + +<p class="chaptitle">CARL INVESTIGATES.</p> + + +<p>Carl hated a "waiting" game. If there was anything +going on, he liked to be right in the midst of it. On top +of all this, he was vaguely suspicious of everything connected +with that telegram.</p> + +<p>When Matt went up and knocked on the door of the +house, Carl was hoping the summons would not be answered; +but when the door opened, and Matt disappeared +inside the house, Carl's real worries began.</p> + +<p>Pacing back and forth on the walk, the Dutch boy impatiently +counted the seconds and checked off the minutes. +No sound came from the building, and, after the +light had vanished from the hall, not a ray was to be +seen at any of the windows.</p> + +<p>"I t'ink, py shiminy," muttered Carl to himself, "dot +der fifdeen minids vas oop. Vell, I count off fife more +schust for goot measure. After dot, oof Matt don'd +come, I vill make some infestigations."</p> + +<p>Owing to the lateness of the hour, and the obscure section +of the town through which that part of Hoyne +Street ran, no one passed the front of the house. Carl's +solitary vigil was not relieved by the sight of any chance +traveler.</p> + +<p>Mentally he checked off another five minutes. During +the counting he fancied he heard a noise in the house, but +it was so muffled and indistinct he could not be sure. +Matt did not show himself, and Carl started his investigations.</p> + +<p>His first move was to run up the steps and pound on +the door. Although he made enough noise to wake the +entire neighborhood, he couldn't bring anybody to the +entrance. He tried the knob, but found the door fastened. +Then he hurled his weight against the door in the hope +of breaking it in. The door must have been in better +repair than the rest of the house, for it withstood his +attack with scarcely a shiver.</p> + +<p>Carl's temper was always pretty close to the surface, +and his failure to get into the house caused him to forget +his forebodings on Matt's account and to get good +and mad on his own.</p> + +<p>"I vill find Matt oof I haf to preak down a vinder!" +fumed Carl, jumping down from the steps and starting +to run around the side of the house.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Hello, there!" shouted a voice most unexpectedly +from the sidewalk. "What're you up to, hey?"</p> + +<p>Carl halted and looked around. In the glow of the +furnace fires he saw a man standing in front of the +house.</p> + +<p>"Vat iss it your pitzness?" he snapped. "I'm going to +ged indo dot blace oof I haf to preak holes in it!"</p> + +<p>"I'll make it my business, quick enough!" called the +other. "Come here, and be quick about it."</p> + +<p>There was authority in the voice, and the command +was accompanied by a backward sweep of the hand under +a long coat. When the hand reappeared, there was a +glimmering object clutched in the fingers. The light also +glimmered on two rows of buttons on the speaker's coat.</p> + +<p>"Ach, du lieber!" muttered Carl. "You vas an officer, +hey?"</p> + +<p>"Come here, quick!" ordered the man. "Tell me +where that balloon came from. It seemed to rise from +around in this vicinity somewhere."</p> + +<p>By that time, Carl had reached the walk. The officer +pointed upward, and Carl's eyes, following the finger, +saw an air-ship clearly outlined against the glow of the +blazing chimneys. The cigar-shaped gas-bag and the +pendent car stood out plainly. The front end of the air-ship +was pointed upward, and it was vanishing swiftly +into the night.</p> + +<p>"Himmelblitzen!" gasped Carl. "Dot vas der Hawk! +It must be der Hawk!"</p> + +<p>"Hawk, eh?" returned the officer. "What do you +know about it? The thing seemed to rise up in the air +from around here."</p> + +<p>"Iss dot so?" cried Carl, excitedly. "Vell, I ditn't see +him, und dot's righdt. I vas drying so hardt as anyt'ing +to ged indo der house."</p> + +<p>"I heard you tryin' to break in the door. Don't you +know it's against the law to do that?"</p> + +<p>"I don'd care for der law! My bard vent indo dot +house und left me to vait. Ven I vait plendy long enough +for him und he don'd come, den I make some infestigations. +No vone answers my knock on der door, und for +vy iss dot?"</p> + +<p>"You say a friend of yours is in the house?"</p> + +<p>"Sure! Don'd I vas delling you?"</p> + +<p>"When did he go in?"</p> + +<p>"Haluf oof an hour ago—all oof dot."</p> + +<p>The officer began questioning Carl and got from him +pretty near the whole of the affair—Matt's name and occupation, +the experience with the air-ship in the early +part of the afternoon, nearly everything concerning the +roll of papers, the receipt of the telegram, and the night +visit of the boys to South Chicago.</p> + +<p>This policeman was an intelligent member of the force, +and he at once concluded that here was a matter which +called for official investigation.</p> + +<p>"We'll get into the house and find out about your +friend," said he. "Your yarn is a queer one, but has the +true ring, and it's evident there's shady work of some +kind going on."</p> + +<p>"Shaty vork? Vell, you bed you! Vere iss Matt? +Dot's vat I vand to know vorse as anyt'ing else. I ditn't +vant him to go in dere, anyvay, aber ven he makes oop +his mindt to do somet'ing, den it vas as goot as done +und vat I say don'd cut some ice."</p> + +<p>"If he's in there we'll get him," said the officer, decidedly.</p> + +<p>As a preliminary to more drastic operations, he went +up to the door and pounded on it with his night-stick. +The summons, although several times repeated, was not +answered. Thereupon the policeman and Carl, throwing +their united weight upon the door, burst the bolt from +its fastenings and tumbled into the hall.</p> + +<p>The darkness of the interior was relieved only by the +glare of the furnaces coming in at the transom. Silence +reigned everywhere.</p> + +<p>"I don'd like der looks oof t'ings," muttered Carl, forebodingly. +"Dere don'd vas anypody ad home now, aber +ven Matt come in dere vas plendy oof people here. Vat +toes it mean, officer?"</p> + +<p>"We'll try and find out what it means."</p> + +<p>There was an electric dark lantern at the policeman's +belt. Taking the lantern in his hand he switched on the +light and sent a bright gleam into every nook and corner +of the hall.</p> + +<p>No sign of Matt, nor of any of the occupants of the +house, was revealed. There were only two or three +rooms furnished on the lower floor, and none at all on +the floor above. Every part of the house was searched, +and the last place of all to pass under the policeman's +and Carl's scrutiny was the shallow basement.</p> + +<p>It was evident to both searchers that people had been +in the house up to a very recent moment, for in one of +the first-floor rooms there remained an odor of tobacco +smoke, but there was no living person anywhere in evidence.</p> + +<p>"Don'd dot peat ter tickens?" murmured Carl. "Matt +come in der front door, und he ditn't come oudt oof it. +Oof he vas daken away it must haf peen py der pack oof +der house. Meppy ve pedder haf a look ad der pack +yardt?"</p> + +<p>"Wait a minute," answered the officer.</p> + +<p>Bending down he picked some object off the floor and +examined it under the rays of the lantern. An exclamation +of surprise and wonder fell from his lips.</p> + +<p>"Vat it iss?" queried Carl.</p> + +<p>"Here's the biggest kind of a find!" was the response. +"Thunder! this must be my lucky night."</p> + +<p>"How you figger dot?"</p> + +<p>"This is a canvas bag."</p> + +<p>"Yah, I see dot, aber it ditn't pelong by Matt und it +don'd dell us nodding aboudt vere he vas."</p> + +<p>"It's marked 'Hartz & Greer, Jewelers,'" went on the +policeman, his voice shaking with excitement. "That's +a firm doing business right here in South Chicago, and +their store was burglarized mysteriously a little more +than a week ago. Some fifteen thousand dollars' worth +of jewelry and diamonds were taken, and this," the officer +shook the canvas bag, "<i>this</i> is the first clue any one +has found to the robbers!"</p> + +<p>"Shiminy Grismus!" muttered Carl. "Dis must haf +peen der blace vere der t'ieves hat deir hang-oudt. Aber +dot don'd got some interest for me. Vat I vant to know +iss, vere iss Modor Matt? Dis pitzness iss gedding on +my nerfs aboudt like dot odder time ven he tissabeared +schust pefore der cup race. Shtick der pag in your +bocket, officer, und led's haf some looks at der pack +yardt."</p> + +<p>The policeman, now wrapped heart and soul in the +hunt, put the bag away in the breast of his coat.</p> + +<p>The door leading into the back yard, as they had already +discovered, was unlocked. The rear premises +were enclosed by a high board fence, and the beacons<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> +that capped the neighboring chimneys lighted the enclosure +sufficiently so that the lantern was not needed.</p> + +<p>There was a very perceptible odor of gasolene in the +back yard. The moment Carl sniffed it, he gave vent to +a stifled yell and grabbed the policeman's arm with both +hands.</p> + +<p>"What's to pay now?" demanded the policeman.</p> + +<p>"Der air-ship!" gasped Carl.</p> + +<p>The officer threw a startled look at the sky.</p> + +<p>"No, no, it ain'd oop dere," went on Carl. "It vas in +dis pack yardt—yah, so helup me! Der gasolene used in +der modor make der shmell. Don'd you ondershtand? +Dey filled der tank here, und shpilled some oof der gasolene! +Dose fellers haf run off from dis blace mit Matt, +und dey have dook him along. Ach, himmelblitzen, vat +a luck!"</p> + + + +<hr class="chap" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII.</a></h2> + +<p class="chaptitle">JERROLD, BRADY'S RIVAL.</p> + + +<p>"Thunder!" cried the policeman, catching the Dutch +boy's drift, "you're right, as sure as my name is Sam +Harris! Your friend went off in that air-ship."</p> + +<p>"He ditn't vent," protested Carl, in a temper, "he vas +dook."</p> + +<p>"Well, he was carried off in the thing, no matter +whether he went of his own free will or was taken by +force. If we each of us had a pair of wings we might +follow the flyin' machine, but we ain't got 'em, so we'll +have to do what we can on the ground."</p> + +<p>"Dere iss a palloon house oudt on der roadt py der +rolling mills," suggested Carl. "Meppy der Hawk vas +dere. Dot's vere Prady keeps him ven he ain'd sky-hootin' +t'roo der clouds. Meppy ve go und take a look +at der palloon house, eh?"</p> + +<p>"I know the place, and it won't do any harm to go +there and look—but the fellow who ran off with your +friend would be foolish to drop down there."</p> + +<p>"Vell, foolish or nod, ve look efery blace vat ve can."</p> + +<p>The balloon house was not a great way from that part +of Hoyne Street, and Harris and Carl reached it after a +cross-lots walk of five minutes.</p> + +<p>They found the great doors open, but there was no +air-ship in the place and no one on watch around it. +Furthermore, an examination of the interior showed that +an extensive clean-up had been made of the various tools +which Matt and Carl had seen in the place during the +afternoon. Everything of value had been removed.</p> + +<p>Carl explained all this for the officer's benefit.</p> + +<p>"It's a cinch the owner of the air-ship has changed his +headquarters," commented Harris. "Brady, you say, the +fellow's name is? Well, he's an inventor. One of his +inventions is a patent 'jimmy'—which, of course, he +wouldn't dare to patent. We've been watching his air-ship +operations, here in South Chicago, but they seemed +straight and legitimate enough."</p> + +<p>"Do you know dot feller, Hamildon Jerrold?" asked +Carl.</p> + +<p>"Sure, I know him. He's all right, Jerrold is, although +everybody looks on him as a harmless sort of crank."</p> + +<p>"He don'd lif in dot blace vere der chimney fires iss?"</p> + +<p>"No; he hangs out in a different part of town."</p> + +<p>"Den, you see, it vas a put-oop chob all aroundt. It +vas Prady, I bed you, vat sendt dot delegram, got Matt +in a drap, und den flew off mit him in der Hawk. Meppy +ve make a call on Jerrold?"</p> + +<p>"I'll call up the department and report," said Harris, +"so they can send another man on my beat while I'm +fooling around on this case."</p> + +<p>They hurried back into town and the officer unlocked +one of the lamp-post boxes and reported to headquarters.</p> + +<p>"All right," said he as he rejoined Carl. "Now we'll +put in the rest of the night, if we have to. If Brady has +had a hand in the robberies that have been going on here, +this is liable to be good and profitable work for me."</p> + +<p>Jerrold lived almost a mile from the place where Harris +had done his telephoning. He had a large, rambling +old house set far back in a dense mass of trees and +shrubbery.</p> + +<p>"He's a good deal of a hermit," explained Harris, as +he and Carl proceeded along the walk to the front door. +"A harmless old skate, but he's pretty broad between the +eyes, at that."</p> + +<p>It was after midnight, and, as might be supposed, the +house was dark. A knock on the door brought a night-capped +head from an upper window.</p> + +<p>"Who's down there?" demanded a voice. "Is it you, +Payne?"</p> + +<p>"No, Mr. Jerrold," answered Harris, "it's a police officer. +I've come to see you on important business."</p> + +<p>"Have you found the Hawk?" cried Jerrold; "did you +get back the plans those rascals stole from me?"</p> + +<p>"Come down and let us in," said the officer. "We want +to talk with you."</p> + +<p>"Wait a minute."</p> + +<p>The head was withdrawn and the window dropped. A +little while later, the front door opened and Jerrold +showed himself, carrying a candle. Carl recognized him +as one of the two men who had been pursuing the Hawk +in the buggy.</p> + +<p>"Don'd you know me, Misder Jerrold?" asked Carl.</p> + +<p>The inventor stared at him and shook his head. +Thereupon Carl explained where and when they had met. +Jerrold's brows wrinkled in a frown.</p> + +<p>Leading his callers into a small sitting room he asked +them to sit down.</p> + +<p>"What do you know about this fellow Brady, Jerrold?" +asked Harris, by way of getting at the business in hand.</p> + +<p>"I know he's a scoundrel!" declared Jerrold with emphasis. +"He's a good mechanic, though, and in spite of +his shady record I took him on here to help me build my +air-ship, the Eagle. After he had been with me for a +while, I found he was stealing my ideas and building an +air-ship of his own. Then I discharged him. Since then +he's been attending to his own operations and I have +been attending to mine. There are several important +points about my machine, though, which Brady has been +anxious to discover. He has tried to bribe Payne, the +man who works for me, to give up a set of my blue +prints, and he has tried to get them in other underhand +ways. At about eleven o'clock, yesterday, three of +Brady's men tried out-and-out robbery. That safe was +forced"—Jerrold pointed to a small steel safe in one corner +of the room—"and the roll of blue prints taken out. +Payne and I were in the workshop at the time. We +had just put the finishing touches to the Eagle and were +inflating the bag for a trial. I heard a suspicious sound +from the house and ran into this room. One of the +thieves had just cleared an open window, another was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> +getting out and the third was making ready to go. I +had a wrench in my hand and I hurled it at the man in +the room. He dropped without a groan. Payne came, +just then, and we went after the other two. Brady's +air-ship was waiting for them in the rear of the house, +and the two robbers got into it and were away before we +could catch them. Payne and I got a horse and buggy, +as quick as we could, but by that time the air-ship was +no more than a speck in the sky, off to the south. We +followed, keeping the course the air-ship had taken. The +men aboard didn't seem to know how to handle the craft +very well, and I was hoping some accident would happen, +that the craft would come down and that I would be +able to get back my blue prints."</p> + +<p>Jerrold halted for a little, his face flaming with anger +and indignation.</p> + +<p>"I haven't my patents, yet," he went on, in a few moments, +"and haven't even been able to establish a caveat, +so, you see, if Brady should get ahead of me at the +patent office he would snatch a fortune out of my hands. +For," and here the inventor threw back his head with +laudable pride, "I claim to have invented an air-ship +that can be used for commercial purposes—the first machine +of the kind that will successfully navigate the air +against the strongest wind that blows. But if that scoundrel +Brady takes from me the fruits of my toil, I shall +be ruined!"</p> + +<p>Jerrold's body slumped forward in his chair, and he +crouched there in an attitude of extreme dejection.</p> + +<p>"Where's the fellow you knocked down with the +wrench?" asked Harris, his professional mind dealing +with the more practicable aspects of the case.</p> + +<p>"When Payne and I got back to the room, after pursuing +the other two rascals to the Hawk," answered +Jerrold, "the man had vanished. I suppose he recovered +from the effects of the blow and took himself off."</p> + +<p>"He vas der feller vat drove der modor in der Hawk," +explained Carl, "und ven he vas pud down und oudt, der +odder fellers made poor vork oof triving der machine. +Aber dot ain'd vat I got on my mindt, schust now." +Carl pulled the roll of blue prints from his pocket. "Dere, +Misder Jerrold," said he, "iss vat you lost. Take it mit +der gombliments oof Modor Matt—my bard who iss +gone I don'd know vere. Oof you hat shtopped a leedle +in der puggy, und toldt us vat I haf heardt schust now, +den, by shinks, you vould haf got der bapers pack a long +dime ago."</p> + +<p>A cry of delight broke from Jerrold's lips. For a moment +he stared at the roll, then swooped down on it with +both hands, caught it away from Carl and began removing +the wrapper with trembling fingers.</p> + +<p>"Here they are, here they are," he crooned joyfully, +pawing the blue prints over and counting them, one by +one; "they're all here, and——"</p> + +<p>He stopped short and stared blankly at the envelope, +which had fallen out of the blue-prints and dropped on +the carpet.</p> + +<p>"What's that?" asked Harris.</p> + +<p>"I don't know," replied Jerrold; "it's nothing of mine +and wasn't in the safe, to my recollection, at the time +the blue prints were taken."</p> + +<p>"Well, it may be yours, for all that. If it was in the +roll, it stands to reason it must have been in the safe. +Better open it. Probably you can tell from the contents +whether it is yours or not."</p> + +<p>Harris picked up the envelope and handed it to Jerrold. +The latter took it from him with a puzzled expression +on his face.</p> + +<p>"I'm pretty sure this isn't mine," said he, turning the +envelope over and over.</p> + +<p>"Well, you've got to be absolutely sure," returned Harris.</p> + +<p>Jerrold, thus urged, tore open the envelope, drew out +the sheet and cast his eyes over it.</p> + +<p>"No," he declared, "it doesn't belong to me. The +thieves must have put it in with the blue prints."</p> + +<p>"Let's have a look at it," said the officer.</p> + +<p>Drawing closer to the candle, Harris proceeded to read +the letter. While he read, his face brightened and a look +of surprise and exultation rose in his eyes.</p> + +<p>"Another clue, and a hot one!" he cried. He whirled +on Carl. "With this as a guide," he went on, "it's dollars +to doughnuts we can trace your friend and get him +away from that scoundrel, Brady!"</p> + +<p>"Ach, vat a habbiness!" expanded Carl. "Readt it +oudt to me, Harris, und be kevick ad it."</p> + + + +<hr class="chap" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII.</a></h2> + +<p class="chaptitle">JERROLD'S GRATITUDE.</p> + + +<p>"The letter," explained Harris, "was written by Brady, +and was evidently entrusted to the men in the Hawk for +delivery to some one else. It's full of pointers, and a +slicker bit of evidence it would be hard to find. And to +think how it dropped into the hands of Motor Matt! +The whole affair sounds like a 'pipe.'"</p> + +<p>"Tell me about that!" cried Jerrold, his shock of joy +having passed and left him leisure for other things. +"Who is this Motor Matt, and how did he happen to get +hold of the blue prints?"</p> + +<p>"Ve vill go ofer dot lader, Misder Jerrold," said Carl, +impatiently. "Schust now, dough, I vant to hear vat der +ledder say. Readt him oudt, Harris! I vas so uneasy +ofer it I don'd vas aple to sit shdill."</p> + +<p>"It's addressed to a man called Whipple," went on +Harris, "and here's the way it runs:</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p>"'Grove, Needham and Harper, with one of my improved +jimmies, are going to make another try for those +blue prints of Jerrold's. If they get them—and I think +they can, for our plans are well laid—they'll carry the +papers to Willoughby's swamp in the Hawk and leave +them with you. We will quit our operations in South +Chicago, clean out the balloon house (I have already sold +the building for old lumber) and make our future headquarters +in the swamp. It will be safer there. After +we improve the Hawk according to Jerrold's plans, we +will have a ship in which we can go anywhere, and with +which we can do anything. All we need is a competent +motorist—Harper's good enough for an amateur, but we +need a professional. I'll try and bring one with me, when +I come. Meanwhile, until I show up at the swamp, I +want you to take good care of the blue prints.</p> + +<p class="sig"> +"'H. B.'"<br /> +</p></blockquote> + +<p>A great light dawned on Carl during the reading of +the letter—a light so strong that it left him blinking.</p> + +<p>"Py chimineddy," he gurgled, "I know now vy dot<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> +Prady run off mit Matt! He say in der ledder dot he +vants some brofessional to run dot air-ship. Vell, Matt +knows more as anypody aboudt modors, und so Prady +dook him off. Vat a high-hantet pitzness! Und Prady +has captured a hornet oof he dit pud know it! He vill +t'ink he has a handtful ven he dries to make Matt vork +for him."</p> + +<p>"From this," proceeded Harris, waving the letter, "it +seems that Brady had already laid his plans to quit +South Chicago. In the letter, over his own signature, +he admits sending three of his men to steal the blue +prints. By a chance, and owing to the course of events +in keeping the driver of the air-ship from getting away +with the other two thieves, this roll and the letter dropped +into the hands of Motor Matt. Undoubtedly, Motor +Matt has been taken to Willoughby's swamp."</p> + +<p>"Und vere iss dot?" asked Carl.</p> + +<p>"I know about the swamp," went on Harris, "for I +helped some Chicago officers run down a couple of escaped +prisoners there, once. It's a bad hole, but there is +a sort of island in the middle of it that has been the resort +of criminals for a good many years. To get through +the water, and mud, and tangled bushes to the island is +a hard job for any one who has to go on foot. Still, it +can be done. Brady and his men, of course, can use the +Hawk, and all they have to do is to sail through the air +and drop down where they want to go. The difficulties +of the swamp won't bother them at all. The place is +about four miles from Lake Station, Indiana."</p> + +<p>"Vell," said Carl, eagerly, "led's go dere. Der kevicker +vat ve go, der kevicker vat ve can helup Matt. He iss +my bard, und he needs me now."</p> + +<p>The Dutch boy got up and started for the door. +Bounding from his chair, Jerrold overtook him and +grabbed his arm.</p> + +<p>"Wait!" he commanded, "I've only got a faint grasp +of the situation, but from what I can figure out you're +going to need me. First, though, I want to hear all +about this Motor Matt. He has done a whole lot for +Hamilton Jerrold, and Jerrold is a man who always tries +to pay his debts. Tell me how the blue prints got into +the hands of Motor Matt."</p> + +<p>"Aber ve vas in a hurry!" cried Carl. "Villoughpy's +svamp iss a goot vays off, und——"</p> + +<p>"You'll save time in the end by losing a little here and +now," averred Jerrold, drawing Carl to a chair and pushing +him down into it. "Go on! Give me the whole of it, +between you, and be quick."</p> + +<p>There was a compelling note in the inventor's words +and manner, that demanded attention. Carl yielded and +struck into an explanation of the events of the preceding +afternoon. Whenever his impatience led him to skip any +of the details, Harris, who recognized the advantage of +letting Jerrold know everything, picked up the ignored +detail and made Carl go over it.</p> + +<p>Jerrold's interest and excitement increased as he listened. +When Carl described how he and Matt had +fought with Brady and Pete at the balloon house and +kept them from getting the blue prints, Jerrold clapped +his hands and shouted "Bravo!" And when Carl told +of the bogus telegram that had brought the boys to South +Chicago, Jerrold's face clouded with indignation and +anger.</p> + +<p>"Motor Matt," declared Jerrold, when Carl had finally +finished, "has done a lot for me, and he's going to find +that Hamilton Jerrold knows how to be grateful. I +agree with Harris that there is hardly a doubt but that +Brady has taken young King to Willoughby's swamp. +Brady wants the young motorist for the Hawk, and intends +to have him, whether or no. According to Harris, +the swamp's a difficult place to get at for those not +equipped with an air-ship. That's where I come in. +This way, friends!"</p> + +<p>With that, the inventor caught up his candle and led +the way through the house and out at a back door.</p> + +<p>By then it was nearly three o'clock, and the very +darkest part of the night. A gust of wind blew out the +candle, which had been about as effective as a glow-worm, +and the three were left at the foot of the rear +steps staring at a fluttering expanse of canvas.</p> + +<p>The canvas formed a sort of V-shaped tent, long and +high and secured with many guy-ropes. Because of the +darkness it was difficult to get any kind of an idea as to +the size of the tent, but that was a minor point.</p> + +<p>"I'll have to get a lantern," said Jerrold. "Wait a +minute."</p> + +<p>"I've got a dark lantern, Jerrold," interposed Harris, +"and I guess that will do."</p> + +<p>"Fine!" exclaimed Jerrold, as Harris switched on the +current and swung the beam of light around him. "This +way," the inventor added, and ducked through the end +of the tent.</p> + +<p>In the gloomy interior a weird sight was disclosed—something +so new and novel as to send an uncanny sensation +along the nerves of Carl and Harris.</p> + +<p>Here was another cigar-shaped gas-bag, and another +suspended car. The car itself was stationary, but the +bag, because of the drafts that surged through the tent, +was bobbing and swaying like some monster, anxious to +be unleashed.</p> + +<p>The flickering gleam from the dark lantern could only +disclose a part of the air-ship at a time.</p> + +<p>"Ach," muttered Carl, "dot makes my nerfs shake +und shake like anyt'ing. Sooch a horrible t'ing vat it +iss!"</p> + +<p>"That's because you're not familiar with such a craft," +said Jerrold. "Payne and I have worked over it for +years, and only yesterday saw the completion of our +labors. It was six o'clock last night before the bag was +fully inflated. We had to use common illuminating-gas, +too, and the not more buoyant hydrogen. I have called +the air-ship the 'Eagle,' and if you sweep that light along +the side of the bag you will see the name."</p> + +<p>This was a bit of byplay that took time and was utterly +needless, but a great pride throbbed in the inventor's +words, and even the smallest detail of the air-ship was +fraught with the utmost importance to him.</p> + +<p>"Everything about the craft," Jerrold went on, "is of +the very best. The motor is the lightest, strongest and +most powerful ever constructed. The car will carry half +a dozen, easily. Sand-bags are suspended from each end +of the gas-bag. When I pull in the sand-bag at the +front end, the equilibrium is displaced, the bag points +upward, and the propeller forces the air-ship to rise. So, +when I wish to descend, I pull in the sand-bag at the rear +point of the bag. When both bags are hanging loose, +the Eagle swims in the air on an even keel. Now, the +steering rudder, which also helps in maneuvering the ship, +is a little idea of my own and——"</p> + +<p>"Ach, hang der shdeering rutter!" broke in Carl, impatiently. +"Harris und I haf got to go afder Matt und<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> +ve can't vait aroundt here any longer. Ve haf got to go +py dot svamp, und——"</p> + +<p>"Exactly!" broke in the inventor. "The Eagle, fully +inflated and with a tank full of gasoline, is waiting for +a trial spin in the morning. I have the honor to propose +that we use the craft now, proceed to Willoughby's +swamp and rescue Motor Matt. That will save time, and +a whole lot of hardships in forcing your way through +mud and water and tangled brush in order to reach the +island."</p> + +<p>Harris had already gathered the inventor's idea, even +before he began putting it into words; Carl, however, +had not anticipated the suggestion, and he was dazed +by it.</p> + +<p>"You mean to dake us py der svamp in der Eagle?" he +asked, in some trepidation.</p> + +<p>"Yes."</p> + +<p>"Ach, himmel! I nefer rode mit a air-ship. Vill I be +seasick py it?"</p> + +<p>"I don't think so. You see, I have never navigated +an air-ship myself, but I'll bank on the Eagle doing its +work. I can run the engine."</p> + +<p>"Vat oof it shouldt durn oopside town mit us vile ve +vas a mile in der air?"</p> + +<p>"I'll guarantee it won't do that."</p> + +<p>"Vell, vedder or nod," said Carl, "I am going afder +my bard. Oof der tangers vas greadt, I take dem; und +oof dey vasn't so greadt, den I take dem, too. Matt +vouldt do more as dot for me, yah, I bed you!"</p> + +<p>Harris was also afflicted with doubts.</p> + +<p>"The ground has always been good enough for me, +Jerrold," said he, "and whenever I get my feet off it +and go up any distance I have a bad case of vertigo. If +I should get dizzy and fall off the car——"</p> + +<p>"You won't," interrupted the inventor; "people never +get dizzy in balloons."</p> + +<p>"You're sure it won't tip over and spill us out?"</p> + +<p>"Positive."</p> + +<p>"You don't know much about it yourself, you know, +having never been up in it."</p> + +<p>"That scoundrel, Brady, has used the Hawk with fair +success, and the Hawk is modeled on the same lines as +the Eagle, only the Eagle has improvements which Brady +was not able to get hold of and put on his own machine. +Shall we go to the rescue of Motor Matt? Come, my +friends, time is flying."</p> + +<p>"Und ve ought to be flying, too," said Carl, now eager +to make the ascension.</p> + +<p>"I'll take a chance," observed Harris.</p> + +<p>"Good!" applauded Jerrold.</p> + +<p>The next moment he had vanished in the darkness and +could be heard pulling at some ropes. In less than a +minute the entire top of the tent fell away, revealing the +stars.</p> + +<p>"Get into the car," said Jerrold, "there, just forward +of the driver's seat."</p> + +<p>With the aid of his lantern Harris picked out the place +where he and Carl were to stow themselves, and they +climbed into the car as directed.</p> + +<p>Immediately after that, Jerrold got over the rail and +took his seat at the levers. It was impossible to see just +what he was doing, but the clank of a lever came from +his vicinity and slowly the front of the gas-bag began +to point upward.</p> + +<p>"Now we're ready," called the inventor.</p> + +<p>The popping of a motor began and gradually gathered +into a swift murmur.</p> + +<p>"And now we're off," added Jerrold. "Stay right +where you are and don't change your positions unless I +tell you."</p> + +<p>The whir of the propeller started, and the house and +shrubbery began slipping away from under those in the +car.</p> + +<p>"Ach, du lieber!" gasped Carl. "Der eart' vas falling +avay from us. I vill say my brayers forvarts, packvarts +und sidevays, oof it vill helup any."</p> + +<p>"I've got a bad case of rattles, myself," admitted Harris. +"But it's for your pard, my boy."</p> + +<p>"You bed my life!" returned Carl, "aber I never dit +anyt'ing pefore for dot bard oof mine dot dook so mooch +nerf as vat dis toes. I vill shud my eyes, und you dell +me, blease, ven ve reach der svamp!"</p> + + + +<hr class="chap" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX.</a></h2> + +<p class="chaptitle">ABOARD THE HAWK.</p> + + +<p>Taken at a disadvantage and with two brawny ruffians +ranged against him, Motor Matt was unable to make any +defense. As he lay on the floor, head and shoulders +still swathed in the window-curtain, one of his antagonists +held him while the other bound his hands and feet +with a rope. He was then lifted and carried for some +distance. Naturally he could have no idea where or in +what direction he was being carried.</p> + +<p>A few steps were descended and he heard a door softly +closed. The cool air of outdoors laved his hands—he was +sensible of that, although the hot stuffiness of the curtain +prevented the night air from reaching his face.</p> + +<p>He was lifted over something, he did not know what, +and laid down in cramped quarters. A conversation was +going on around him, but in tones so low he was not +able to distinguish the words. He fancied that he heard +the girl's voice, although his head was so muffled he +could not be sure.</p> + +<p>Presently the unmistakable explosions of a motor came +to him.</p> + +<p>"Brady is taking me away somewhere in an automobile," +he thought, and wondered where Carl was that he +could not see the machine.</p> + +<p>A moment later he felt a gentle, swaying motion as +though he was being gently swung in a hammock.</p> + +<p>Several minutes passed, and then Brady's voice spoke, +in a tone so loud that Matt was able to hear what he +said.</p> + +<p>"Take the curtain off his head, Pete, and untie him. +It's time he took hold here. Keep your revolver handy +for use in case he gets obstreperous. He's full of ginger +and will have to be tamed."</p> + +<p>Matt felt some one working at his cords. They were +stripped away quickly, and the curtain whisked from his +head. He jumped up, the floor under him swinging with +the quick move and almost upsetting him.</p> + +<p>"Careful, there!" warned Brady. "Where do you think +you are, anyhow?"</p> + +<p>Matt was dumfounded. Overhead was the long gas-bag +of the Hawk. In front of him, at the mechanism of +the machine, sat a dusky form which he recognized as +belonging to Brady. Brady's hands were on the levers.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span></p> + +<p>With a shout of anger Matt jumped toward Brady, +the car lurching and swaying with his frantic movements.</p> + +<p>"Stand where ye are!" came the husky, threatening +voice of Pete, from behind. "Do as I tell ye, King, or +I'll shoot."</p> + +<p>Matt turned around. Standing with his back braced +against an upright timber that held the car to the oval +ring under the gas-bag was Brady's burly assistant. He +held a dark object in his hand and Matt knew it must +be a revolver.</p> + +<p>"Where are you taking me?" demanded Matt.</p> + +<p>"Turn around this way," said Brady. "Now that you +know what'll happen to you if you get too hostile, maybe +we can have a bit of a talk together."</p> + +<p>"Don't shoot!" implored a feminine voice; "I don't +want to have any shooting, dad!"</p> + +<p>The voice came from a bundle on the floor, close to +where Pete was standing. By looking sharply, Matt was +able to see a white, ghost-like face hovering against the +rail.</p> + +<p>The girl had been brought along with them! Matt +was glad, for her sake, that he had not got into a rough-and-tumble +with Brady.</p> + +<p>Without seeming to pay the girl more than passing attention, +the young motorist turned toward the man in the +chair.</p> + +<p>"Well?" said he, crisply. "What have you got to say +about this, Brady? I guess you could be arrested for +what you've done, all right."</p> + +<p>Brady laughed.</p> + +<p>"How's a policeman coming up here to get at me?" +he asked. "An air-ship is a great thing for a fellow +who wants to turn a few tricks in spite of the law."</p> + +<p>"That's your game, is it? Well, what have you to gain +by running off with me? I told you I didn't have that +roll of papers."</p> + +<p>"I'm out the blue prints, but I'm in a good motorist. +I'll not be able to improve the Hawk according to Jerrold's +plans, but I guess I've got hold of a driver that's +good enough to make up for most of the improvements."</p> + +<p>"If you think I'm going to drive this car for you," +said Matt, "you're away off in your calculations."</p> + +<p>"That's what you think now, but you'll change your +tune before long," said Brady, easily. "I know this air-ship +pretty well, and I installed the motor. All it needed +for that was a good machinist and a good inventor. I'm +not a good driver, though, and I've picked you for the +job. The offer I made back at the house goes. Five +hundred a month. Pretty good pay, eh, for a boy of +your age?"</p> + +<p>"I don't care how much you offer, Brady. As I have +already told you, no amount of money could hire me to +work for you. You're a scoundrel, clear through. What +you've done to-night proves it.</p> + +<p>"Bear a little to the left, Brady!" called Pete, who was +evidently on the lookout. "You're getting too far to the +north."</p> + +<p>Brady moved one of the levers, and the ease and certainty +with which the air-ship swung to the new direction +brought Matt's admiration uppermost. Never had he +been able to resist the lure of untried machinery, and +here was an experience so novel that it carried him out +of his troubled environment, so to speak. For a moment, +suspended in that starlit void and swimming noiselessly +through the night, he yielded himself to the fascinations +of the new experience.</p> + +<p>"How powerful a motor have you?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"Ten horse-power," answered Brady, "and it weighs +forty pounds."</p> + +<p>"How do you steer the machine up and down, and +right and left?"</p> + +<p>"That's where I've got the bulge on Jerrold. One +rudder with two cross-section planes does all of that. +This lever here—I don't know whether you can see it or +not from where you stand—gives the up and down 'dip' +to the rudder that makes the machine rise or fall. By +moving the lever right or left, the air-ship turns in the +corresponding direction."</p> + +<p>"Take me back," ordered Matt, "and land me at the +place where you took me from."</p> + +<p>"You've got a picture of me doing that!" scoffed +Brady. "Now that I've caught you, I'm going to keep +you, see? You're just the sort of a lad I need in my +business. Grove and Needham, when they finally got +back to South Chicago with the air-ship, told me all +about you. If I'd known what I do now at the time +you called at the balloon house, I'd have taken a different +tack."</p> + +<p>A muttered imprecation came from Pete. He was +thinking of his fall over the barrel.</p> + +<p>"Those fellows got back without breaking their necks, +did they?" queried Matt.</p> + +<p>"Just about. When they told me what had happened, +I sent off that telegram."</p> + +<p>"We might just as well look this thing square in the +face, Brady," said Matt. "You've acted the part of a +scoundrel in your dealings with me, and you haven't +gained anything by it. If you don't turn back and put +me down in South Chicago, I'll make more trouble for +you than you can well take care of."</p> + +<p>"I'll take my chances on that, my bantam. I like your +spirit, and we're going to get along fine. Just cast in +your lot with mine, and I'll make a rich man out of you. +In the Hawk we can travel all over this continent, from +Hudson Bay to Patagonia. Where men never went before, +we can go. No mountain range is so high that we +can't cross it, and no desert is so barren that we can't +wing our way comfortably over it."</p> + +<p>Matt stared at the dark figure in the chair. If any +honest man had talked to him in that way, the young +motorist would have been tempted to become an aeronaut, +for he could see plainly the possibilities of a serviceable +air-ship; but as for Brady, he was a criminal, and that +cut him off from any consideration on Matt's part.</p> + +<p>The young motorist sank down on his knees and looked +over the side of the car. They were perhaps a thousand +feet in the air. Houses, villages, dark expanses of timber +and lighter stretches of meadow swept past them, moving +out from under the car like a dark panorama.</p> + +<p>Driving an automobile at speed was like flying, but +here was flying itself. The new sensation gripped Matt +and thrilled him in every nerve.</p> + +<p>"How are we heading, Pete?" called Brady.</p> + +<p>Pete was leaning over the opposite side of the car, +looking forward.</p> + +<p>"I'm jest tryin' to git my bearin's, Brady," he answered. +"It's so pesky dark it's hard to make out jest +where we are."</p> + +<p>Matt stole a look at Pete's back. The hand gripping +the revolver lay on the rail. By one quick move Matt +could have snatched the weapon. As the idea swept +through his mind he cautiously changed his position.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span></p> + +<p>Just then a soft hand rested on his and he saw the +girl's face pressed close.</p> + +<p>"Don't do anything desperate!" she whispered, imploringly. +"Do whatever dad says—it will be better for +you. When we get to where we're going, I'll help you +escape, and——"</p> + +<p>"I think, Brady," called Pete, "that ye're still too fur +to the north. Better shift a leetle more to the left. I +won't be sartin, though, that I'm right."</p> + +<p>"I ought to be there on the lookout," answered Brady. +"Come here, King, and take the engine."</p> + +<p>The girl's words had influenced Matt powerfully. On +top of that was the alluring prospect of handling a new +machine.</p> + +<p>"I'll take the engine for a while, Brady," said he, getting +up, "but you're to remember I'll not hire out to +you."</p> + +<p>"All I ask is for you to handle the motor," replied +Brady. "You'll come to your oats quick enough, I'll +gamble on that. You watch King, Pete," he added to +the other man, "and make sure he sends the Hawk where +I tell him to. If he tries to send her anywhere else, +you know what to do."</p> + +<p>"That's no josh," answered Pete.</p> + +<p>Brady left the chair and went forward. Matt dropped +into the vacant seat and began studying the various levers +with his groping hands.</p> + + + +<hr class="chap" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X.</a></h2> + +<p class="chaptitle">WILLOUGHBY'S SWAMP.</p> + + +<p>Pete kept his weapon prominently displayed, and +through the gloom Matt could see the ruffian's arm partly +lifted as though ready on the instant to bring the firearm +into use. This alert attitude on Pete's part, however, +was more for show than for anything else—at least, +Matt so regarded it. Brady was not anxious to go to +desperate extremes with Matt, especially since he wanted +him as driver for the air-ship.</p> + +<p>Brady, taking up a position where he could peer ahead, +was scanning the dim landscape sharply.</p> + +<p>"Swing her to the left!" he called.</p> + +<p>Matt instantly applied the steering lever. Instead of +swinging to the left, however, the Hawk made a half-turn +to the right.</p> + +<p>Up came the revolver. With a sharp cry, the girl +reached up and caught Pete's arm.</p> + +<p>"To the <i>left</i>, I said!" roared Brady.</p> + +<p>"You'll have to give me the chance to learn the machine," +answered Matt, coolly, as he continued working +the lever and brought the Hawk around to the proper +course. "These levers are new to me. When we steer +an auto we do it with a wheel."</p> + +<p>"I thought ye knowed all about motors," jeered Pete.</p> + +<p>"I know something about motors," replied Matt, "but +not the first thing about air-ships."</p> + +<p>As near as Matt could judge, they were proceeding at +a speed of something like thirty miles an hour. He +speeded up the engine a little and was surprised at the +smoothness with which it worked. The propeller hummed +in a low, husky drone that was quite different from the +song of the cylinders.</p> + +<p>He moved the steering lever backward a couple of +notches. Immediately the rudder was tilted and the +Hawk began to climb upward.</p> + +<p>"Stop that!" yelled Brady. "We're high enough. +What are you trying to do?"</p> + +<p>"Learning the machine," answered Matt, and threw the +lever forward.</p> + +<p>The front end of the gas-bag tipped downward, and +the air-ship slid toward the earth with a suddenness that +almost threw Brady over the rail.</p> + +<p>"That'll do you!" he whooped. "Get her on a level +again, and be quick about it. You can handle the machine, +all right, and I don't want you to do anything but +what you're told."</p> + +<p>"All right," said Matt quietly.</p> + +<p>For five minutes longer they continued to swim onward +through the air. A long string of lights shot across +the gloomy landscape below them, and a whistle came +upward from the earth with startling distinctness.</p> + +<p>"There goes a train, whistlin' fer Lake Station," remarked +Pete.</p> + +<p>"We'll be over the town in a minute," said Brady, "and +then it won't be long until we get to the swamp."</p> + +<p>"What swamp?" asked Matt.</p> + +<p>"Never ye mind," was Pete's surly rejoinder. "Ye're +here to obey orders an' not ask any fool questions."</p> + +<p>"I don't think it very foolish for a fellow to ask where +he's being taken."</p> + +<p>"Mebby not, but ye ain't findin' anythin' out, see?"</p> + +<p>Matt had been doing a good deal of guessing about +Carl. What would his chum do? What was he doing +then? He felt pretty sure that Carl would get into the +house and go through it from cellar to roof.</p> + +<p>But Matt knew that Carl had a good sensible head in +cases of emergency. Now and again the Dutch boy's +temper was apt to make trouble with his reasoning, but +in the long run Carl could always be counted on to do +the right thing.</p> + +<p>So Matt was not worrying very much about his chum. +Carl would take good care of the blue prints and ultimately +they would find their rightful owner.</p> + +<p>"Ha!" exclaimed Brady, suddenly, "there's the signal! +I'll go back and take charge of the motor while we make +the landing, Pete, and you take the lookout."</p> + +<p>Matt gave place to Brady and then stood at the rail, +watching developments curiously.</p> + +<p>Below the air-ship was a great splotch of black shadow, +stretching away on all sides as far as the eye could reach. +Evidently this was the swamp. The Hawk was sailing +across the swamp toward a big fire that glowed in the +distance.</p> + +<p>With Brady steering and Pete directing, the Hawk approached +closer and closer to the fire.</p> + +<p>"Drop 'er, Brady!" Pete presently called; "we're close +on the island."</p> + +<p>The nose of the air-ship ducked downward and, for +perhaps twenty seconds, she raced earthward; then Brady +diminished the speed of their descent by slow degrees.</p> + +<p>Matt, braced on the sloping floor of the car, watched +the fire apparently come up toward them. A little later +he was able to make out three human figures against the +firelit background below, and a bare little plateau took +vague form under his eyes.</p> + +<p>He watched the landing keenly, and noted how Brady +suddenly shifted the steering rudder so as to bring the +Hawk on an even keel, the lower supports of the car just +grazing the ground.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span></p> + +<p>The three figures by the fire ran close.</p> + +<p>"How's everything, Brady?" cried a voice.</p> + +<p>"Finer than silk," called back Brady. "Stand by to +catch the ropes, you fellows."</p> + +<p>The murmur of the motor ceased, the revolving propeller +came to a stop, and Pete flung out two ropes, one +on each side of the car.</p> + +<p>The ropes were caught by the men on the ground, a +bight of each was thrown around a stout stake driven +into the earth at an angle, and the air-ship was drawn +down and safely moored.</p> + +<p>Matt was now able to understand why Brady had taken +his place as driver for the landing. Not only was the +method of making a landing new to Matt, but there was +also danger, unless one was familiar with the place, of +scraping the trees that covered the swamp and hemmed +in the cleared space called the "island."</p> + +<p>Matt started to spring over the rail of the car.</p> + +<p>"Stop, King!" cried Brady. "You don't want to make +a bolt for the timber and get mired in the swamp, do +you? Just remember you're still under orders. Take +him to the roost, Needham, you and Whipple. Better tie +him up until he gets used to the place and to our society. +He's a bit strange, here, and none too willing +to stay."</p> + +<p>"Did you bring the loot, Brady?" called one of the +men.</p> + +<p>"Sure! This is moving-day with us and you didn't +think I was going to leave all that stuff on Hoyne Street, +did you? Get out of the car, King," he went on, to Matt. +"Whipple and Needham will take care of you."</p> + +<p>Two of the three men had stepped to the side of the +car. In the light of the fire, which was blazing at a safe +distance from the air-ship, Matt discovered that Needham +and Grove had been the two aeronauts who had had +such hard luck with the Hawk during the preceding +day.</p> + +<p>Needham, who, with Whipple, was facing Matt and +waiting for him to get over the air-ship's rail, gave a +husky laugh.</p> + +<p>"We got out of that scrape, all right," said he, "even if +we did lose our drag-rope."</p> + +<p>"And you got me into another scrape," said Matt. +"You fellows will pay for this!"</p> + +<p>"Chirp low, young feller," warned Whipple, catching +him by the arm as he gained the ground; "your cue is to +make friends with us an' not bluster about what ye're +goin' ter do. There's five husky men here, an' we're all +surrounded by a swamp that would mire ye up ter the +eyes if ye tried ter git through it. Oh, I reckon ye won't +git away ter make any of us pay fer anythin'! This +way, an' step lively."</p> + +<p>With Needham and Whipple on each side of him and +hanging to an arm, Matt was led across the open space, +past the fire, and to the door of a small, roughly built +shanty. A little way off there was another building, fully +as small but apparently somewhat better built.</p> + +<p>"This here's the roost," announced Whipple, "an' it's +where ye're ter pass the rest o' the night. Come in, an' +come peaceable."</p> + +<p>It was part of Matt's plan, hastily formed on the air-ship +just after the girl had spoken to him, to accept passively +whatever came his way—at least for a time. The +girl had said that she would help him escape, and there +was that about her which had awakened his confidence. +Not only that, but there was also something in the girl's +face that had aroused his sympathy. She had a history, +he was sure, and one that was far from pleasant.</p> + +<p>There were five cots in the "roost," and Matt was told +to lie down on one of them.</p> + +<p>"Harper used to sleep there," remarked Needham, as +Matt stretched himself out on the hard bed, "and the +deuce only knows where poor old Harper is now. You're +taking his place, King, and so it's only right you should +have his cot."</p> + +<p>It was on Matt's tongue to say that Needham had another +guess coming, but he held his peace. He would +not show too much of the hostile side of his feelings until +he had had a chance to talk with the girl.</p> + +<p>"What's the use of tying me," expostulated Matt, as +ropes were being put in place around his wrists and +ankles, "if it's impossible for me to get away?"</p> + +<p>"Orders," answered Whipple, curtly.</p> + +<p>After Matt was made secure, Whipple and Needham +went out of the hut. The young motorist had had a trying +day, and even his exciting situation was powerless to +keep the sleep from his eyes. He dozed off, while his +thoughts were trying to straighten out the queer tangle +in which events had bound him. He roused up for a +moment when Pete, Whipple, Needham and Grove came +into the hut and dropped down on their cots, but almost +immediately he went to sleep again.</p> + +<p>It seemed as though he had hardly closed his eyes the +second time before he was awakened by a light hand +pressed upon his forehead. The other cots in the room +were empty, it was morning, and the girl was standing +beside him.</p> + +<p>"I have brought your breakfast," said she, in a low +voice. "We can talk a little, but will have to be quick. +Dad, or some of the men, may come in here at any second! +There's a lot that you've got to know, and——"</p> + +<p>She was interrupted by the sharp explosion of a firearm +outside. Stifling a cry, she whirled from the cot and +ran to the open door.</p> + + + +<hr class="chap" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI.</a></h2> + +<p class="chaptitle">A FOE IN THE AIR.</p> + + +<p>"What is it?" asked Matt, struggling up on the cot.</p> + +<p>No revolver had caused the report he had heard. From +the sound he knew that a rifle had been fired.</p> + +<p>A babel of excited voices now came to him from without, +accompanied by sounds of running feet diminishing +rapidly in the distance. Then came another report, and +another, both from a more distant point than the first.</p> + +<p>The girl stepped through the doorway and was looking +upward.</p> + +<p>"Take off these ropes!" called Matt. "Let me get out +there and see what is going on!"</p> + +<p>The girl turned and reentered the hut. Her face wore +an expression of the utmost concern.</p> + +<p>"No," said she, "I can't release you just now. If dad +was to come and find that I'd set you free, he would suspect +me at once and that would spoil my plans."</p> + +<p>"But what was the cause of that shooting?" persisted +Matt.</p> + +<p>"There's another air-ship over the island——"</p> + +<p>"Another air-ship?" echoed Matt.</p> + +<p>"Yes. It must be Jerrold's, although how he ever<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> +found out where dad was is more than I know. Dad +and the rest were shooting at the air-ship with rifles."</p> + +<p>"I'll bet it's somebody who's come looking for me!" +exclaimed Matt. "If your father and his gang should +kill anybody——"</p> + +<p>"They won't," interrupted the girl, confidently; "dad +knows better than to do anything of that kind. They'll +try to put a bullet or two into the gas-bag of the air-ship +and frighten Jerrold away."</p> + +<p>"Go and take another look," said Matt, anxiously. "See +what they're doing."</p> + +<p>The girl glided to the doorway again.</p> + +<p>"The other air-ship is moving off," the girl reported, +with a measure of relief in her voice, as she came back. +"I think the bullets must have injured the propeller, or +some of the machinery, for the air-ship is moving very +slowly and seems to be in trouble."</p> + +<p>"Did you see how many were aboard?"</p> + +<p>"There were three in the car—one of them was Jerrold, +and he was managing the motor."</p> + +<p>"The other two," asked Matt, eagerly, "do you know +who they were?"</p> + +<p>"One of them was in uniform, and looked like a policeman. +The other was short and thick-set and looked like +a German."</p> + +<p>"Carl!" exclaimed Matt, jubilantly. "Good old Carl! +How did he ever find out where I was, I wonder?"</p> + +<p>"I'll bet dad is trying to guess the same thing," said +the girl. "He'll be badly cut up over this. But it's no +more than he ought to expect," she added. "Whenever +a man breaks the law he'll have to pay for it, sooner +or later."</p> + +<p>"What has your father been doing?" asked Matt.</p> + +<p>"I came to talk with you about that. While I'm giving +you your breakfast, I'll tell you my plans. Dad, and all +the rest except Whipple, are off in the swamp, somewhere, +keeping track of Jerrold's air-ship, and that will +give us a chance."</p> + +<p>Matt swung his bound feet over the edge of the cot, +and while he sat there the girl drew a chair close and +began giving him his breakfast.</p> + +<p>"Dad has been doing a lot of criminal things," said the +girl, "and all he built that air-ship for was to make it +easy for him to rob people and get away without being +found out. Didn't you guess that when I showed you +that article in the paper? I thought you might."</p> + +<p>"I've been mighty thick-headed," answered Matt, between +mouthfuls, "and I never thought the thing through +that far. Possibly it's because so much has been happening +to me since I went into that place on Hoyne +Street."</p> + +<p>"It's nearly broken my heart having dad act like he's +been doing," said the girl, her lips quivering. "If mother +had lived she'd have kept dad straight, but when she died +dad just seemed to go to the dogs. He has tried to +make the people in South Chicago think he was just an +honest inventor, but, even at that, he stole all his ideas +from Jerrold. That balloon house, that he built out of +some of the proceeds of his first robbery, was put up +for what they call a 'blind.' With a big house like that, +out in plain sight, dad felt that everybody would think +his work was open and aboveboard. When he committed +any robberies, the Hawk was taken from the +shed in the dead of night, and Harper would steer it for +the place they were to rob. The blackest kind of a night +was always selected, and only flat-topped buildings were +robbed. You see, the air-ship would alight on the roof, +and dad and the rest would break into the building from +the top. When they left they always went in the same +way they came, and the police were puzzled because they +could not find any clues in the lower part of the buildings."</p> + +<p>"It was a slick scheme," commented Matt.</p> + +<p>"That's the way Hartz & Greer's place was robbed," +proceeded the girl. "Dad and the rest got fifteen thousand +dollars' worth of goods from Hartz & Greer, and +for more than a week the stuff has been hidden in that +house on Hoyne Street. But now dad has left South +Chicago for good and all. He's afraid the police are +beginning to suspect him, and that Jerrold might try to +do something on account of those stolen blue prints."</p> + +<p>It was perfectly plain to Matt that the girl's recital +of these crimes, in which her father had played the +leading part, was anything but easy for her. She was +talking from a sense of duty, and Matt honored and admired +her for the stand she was taking.</p> + +<p>"It doesn't seem possible," said he, gently, "that Brady +is your father."</p> + +<p>"But he is," she answered brokenly, "and he has +brought shame and disgrace on me. But what could I +do? Dad knows how I feel about his actions, and he has +watched me and kept me away from other people ever +since he began his stealing. When you came to the +house, last night, it was the first chance I have had to +tell what I know. I overheard dad and Pete planning +what they were going to do if you came, and—and I +hoped you would come, although I knew you would +never leave the house until you were taken away as dad's +prisoner. I felt sure, though, that I could help you to +escape, and I feel even more sure of that now than I +did before."</p> + +<p>"What is your name?" asked Matt, his eyes full on +the girl's face.</p> + +<p>"Helen," she answered.</p> + +<p>"What are your plans, Helen?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"My plan," she went on, "is for you to get away from +the swamp in the Hawk, and to take the stuff stolen from +Hartz & Greer with you. That will stop everything, for +dad will be perfectly helpless without the air-ship. Then, +too, you can return the stolen diamonds and jewelry to +Hartz & Greer, and that will go far toward righting one +wrong. When you are back in South Chicago, you can +send the police here and—and they can capture dad +and the rest."</p> + +<p>Matt had finished eating and the girl had put aside the +dishes. Suddenly she broke down and hid her face in +her apron. For a few moments she sobbed convulsively.</p> + +<p>Small wonder her feelings overcame her! In carrying +out her ideas of right and justice, she had planned to +give her own father into the hands of the law.</p> + +<p>"You're a noble girl, Helen!" declared Matt. "But +how am I to get away in the air-ship and to take the +stolen property with me?"</p> + +<p>"You already know how to run the machine," said +the girl, recovering herself a little and looking up, "and +when the right time arrives I will come here and take +off your ropes. As for the stolen property, I will see to +it that that is put in the car before you start. There will +be danger in what you do, but, from what I have heard, +you know how to win out in spite of it."</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I will run any risk to get away from here," returned +Matt, gravely, "but when I go you must go with me. +This is no place for you—with such a thieving gang!"</p> + +<p>"I must stay here," the girl said resolutely. "Even +though I am sending my father to prison I want to be +with him to the last. If something isn't done," she continued +passionately, "he will go on and on, constantly +from bad to worse, and perhaps some time"—her face +blanched as she spoke—"he might receive worse than a +prison sentence. It is the only way to save him."</p> + +<p>It was clear that Helen Brady had spent much time in +thinking out and planning her present course, and how +much mental anguish and bitterness of spirit her conclusion +had cost her, only she could know.</p> + +<p>"I am ready to do whatever you want me to," said +Matt, "and if you think it best to stay here, all right. I +still believe, though, you ought to leave this place with +me."</p> + +<p>"No, no," she replied firmly. "I have thought it all out +a dozen times, and I have made up my mind as to what it +is right for me to do. You must get away from here +in the air-ship. With the Hawk taken away from him, +dad will be helpless."</p> + +<p>"Haven't you any friends or relatives to whom you +could go?" asked Matt.</p> + +<p>"I have relatives on my mother's side, but they won't +have anything to do with dad or me—simply because dad +is what he is. They have asked me to leave dad and +come to them, but I know my place and what it is right +for me to do."</p> + +<p>A brief silence fell between the two, during which Matt +turned the queer problem over in his mind.</p> + +<p>"When do you think your plan can be carried out?" he +asked presently.</p> + +<p>"It has got to be soon, if at all," she answered. "I +don't know what effect this appearance of Jerrold's air-ship +over the swamp will have on dad, but I hope it won't +interfere with my plans. We'll have to wait a little while +and see. Whipple is watching the Hawk now, and——"</p> + +<p>Just at that moment a heavy step was heard outside. +A man appeared in the doorway, stared in at Matt and +the girl for an instant, and then strode into the hut.</p> + +<p>The man was Brady, and his face was black as a +thundercloud.</p> + +<p>"What're you doing here so long?" he cried angrily to +the girl. "Clear out! I've got something I want to talk +over with King."</p> + +<p>With a supplicating look at her father, the girl got up +and passed out of the hut.</p> + + + +<hr class="chap" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII.</a></h2> + +<p class="chaptitle">BRADY CHANGES HIS PLANS.</p> + + +<p>"You've played the devil with me, and no mistake!" +scowled Brady, whirling on Matt the moment the girl +was gone.</p> + +<p>"I don't see how you make that out," said Matt. +"You're the one that's made all the trouble, Brady."</p> + +<p>Brady's little eyes glittered as they rested on Matt. +For a few moments he paced angrily back and forth +across the hut.</p> + +<p>"How in thunder," he cried suddenly, "did Jerrold ever +manage to get a line on me? He was over the swamp, +a short time ago, with his air-ship, and he'd have landed +here if we hadn't driven him off. Jerrold knows where +I am, and he has the means of getting to the island. +We've crippled his craft, though, and he's had to haul off +for repairs. While he's gone, I've got to change my +plans, somehow, and be ready for him when he comes +back. That Dutch kid who was with you at the balloon +house yesterday was in the car of the air-ship, and there +was also a policeman along. How did that come?"</p> + +<p>"You know as much about it as I do, Brady," replied +Matt. "I disappeared from that Hoyne Street house, +last night, and I suppose my chum has been getting clues +about me and following them up. That's the kind of a +lad he is."</p> + +<p>"Where did he get any clues that would bring him out +here?"</p> + +<p>"Give it up."</p> + +<p>Brady took a few more turns across the room, presently +halting in front of Matt.</p> + +<p>"You didn't bring that roll of blue prints to Hoyne +Street, last night," said he. "Where did you leave it?"</p> + +<p>"Left it out in front of the house," grinned Matt.</p> + +<p>Brady started.</p> + +<p>"In front of the house?" he echoed.</p> + +<p>"Yes."</p> + +<p>"Cached?"</p> + +<p>"Certainly."</p> + +<p>"Under the sidewalk?"</p> + +<p>"No; in the pocket of my Dutch pard."</p> + +<p>Brady stared incredulously. Then he swore.</p> + +<p>"That Dutchman was out in front all the while you +were in the house?"</p> + +<p>Matt nodded.</p> + +<p>"He came with me from Chicago. I got to thinking +there might be a trap in the house, and that some one +was there who wanted the blue prints, so I made up my +mind that it would be a wise move to leave Carl out in +front, and to let him keep the roll."</p> + +<p>"That chum of yours must have seen the Hawk when +she climbed out of the back yard," growled Brady, "but +how in the fiend's name was he able to get Jerrold and +the Eagle and follow us? It was dark, and we had a +long start of them."</p> + +<p>"One guess is as good as another," said Matt, calmly. +"I told you you'd get yourself into trouble if you tried +to make a prisoner of me. The best thing you can do +now is to send me back to South Chicago in the air-ship."</p> + +<p>"Think I'm a fool?" snarled Brady. "It may be that +you're all that stands between me and my men and capture. +I'll hang onto you, King, and I'll let that Dutch +pard of yours know that if Jerrold don't keep away from +this swamp with his air-ship you're going to connect with +your finish. It's neck or nothing with me, now, and I'll +go any length to keep myself out of the 'pen.' I've laid +out a fine campaign for the Hawk, and I don't intend to +have all my plans nipped in the bud, right at the start-off."</p> + +<p>"I suppose," said Matt, scathingly, "that your campaign +is one of robbery, and that you're going to make a +pirate ship out of the Hawk?"</p> + +<p>"That's where you put your finger on the right button!" +declared Brady. "I'm going to be a freebooter,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> +and take my toll wherever I can find it. It's easy to +swoop down on a lot of spoil, pick it up and make off +with it. And what can the law do?" He laughed +mockingly. "Policemen will have to have wings to get +anywhere near me."</p> + +<p>"And that's what you wanted me for, is it?" cried Matt, +indignantly; "to drive the Hawk around through the air +and help out your villainous plans! I would let you kill +me first."</p> + +<p>"Rot! I'm going to stick to my original intentions, but +there's got to be something of a change in my immediate +plans. We've all got to pull out of here and to +take what plunder we've got cached in the swamp. The +Hawk will have to make three or four trips, and they +must be made before Jerrold and his air-ship can interfere +with us. If Jerrold fixes up his air-ship and comes +back, we'll just tell him what will happen to you if he +lingers in the vicinity of the swamp. I'm banking on +that to send him packing again, and to keep him out of +sight until I can make a change of base. You'll go away +on the Hawk's first trip, and it will probably be only half +an hour before you can start."</p> + +<p>Brady started for the door, but halted before he reached +it and faced around.</p> + +<p>"Either one of two things happened to put that Dutchman +and Jerrold on my track," said he. "Either Harper +has been caught, and has told what he knows, or else a +letter I gave Needham to deliver to Whipple, here in +the swamp, has fallen into the hands of the police. It +don't make much difference, though, how Jerrold got +next to our hang-out. The main thing is that he knows +where we are, and that you will be put in a mighty tight +corner if he keeps on trying to make trouble for me. +That's about all, King. I want you to understand what +you're up against and be ready for whatever happens. +I'm not going to have my plans knocked galley-west just +as I'm on the point of launching them."</p> + +<p>With another black scowl, expressive of his savage determination, +Hector Brady strode out of the hut.</p> + +<p>Matt was beginning to understand why Helen preferred +to see her father in prison rather than free to +carry out his campaign of lawlessness. Possessing a +practical air-ship like the Hawk, Brady could commit +untold depredations and snap his fingers in open defiance +of the law.</p> + +<p>The young motorist shuddered to think of the scoundrel's +comprehensive plans, and of the part he had intended +to make his prisoner play in them.</p> + +<p>Helen's reasoning was logical, and the expedient she +had suggested was as simple as it was effective. By +taking the Hawk away from Brady she would make it +impossible for him to follow out his nefarious schemes. +The beautiful simplicity of the countercheck aroused +Matt's admiration.</p> + +<p>But how was the countercheck to be brought about? +The appearance of Jerrold's air-ship over the swamp had +made doubly difficult the work the girl was counting +upon having done. Not only that, but the coming of the +Eagle had increased Matt's peril. There was no doubt +in the young motorist's mind but that Brady would go to +any extreme in order to keep himself and his companions +from being captured.</p> + +<p>All these different aspects of the situation floated +through Motor Matt's mind swiftly. Two or three minutes +after Brady had left the hut, and while Matt was +still considering the problem that confronted the girl, +Helen herself stole in through the door.</p> + +<p>Her face was haggard, but her eyes were bright and +full of resolution.</p> + +<p>"You shouldn't be here," protested Matt. "Your father +suspected something when he found you with me a little +while ago and ordered you away. What if he should +come back and see you here again?"</p> + +<p>"I don't think he'll come back, but I've got to take the +risk, even if he does." The girl spoke quickly and steadily +and made her way swiftly to Matt's side. "Dad has +changed his plans—I was listening to all he said, out +there at the back of the hut. He's going to use the +Hawk to take us all away from the swamp, and <i>you're +going to go on the Hawk's first trip</i>! That means that +we must do what we can, at once. If we fail now, everything +is lost."</p> + +<p>She was breathlessly eager, but her calmness at such a +moment surprised Matt. Lifting her hands she took a +small poniard from the bosom of her dress, bent down +and severed the cords that secured Matt's hands. Then, +with one downward stroke of the keen blade, she freed +his feet.</p> + +<p>"Where are your father and the rest of the men?" +asked Matt.</p> + +<p>Before she answered, Helen glided to the door and took +a cautious look outside.</p> + +<p>"Some of the stolen goods have been hidden among +the bushes of the swamp," said she, returning to Matt. +"You are to be sent away with the loot, on the first +trip, and dad himself will have to take you. He, and +everybody except Whipple, have gone to the swamp. +Whipple has a rifle and is guarding the Hawk. Whatever +we do, Matt, we've got to do in a hurry. The bag +of goods taken from Hartz & Greer is behind this hut," +she pointed to an unglazed opening in the rear wall as +she spoke. "While the rest are in the swamp, I will +go to the Hawk and talk with Whipple, getting around +on the other side of him so that his back will be in this +direction. While I am holding his attention, you will +creep up on him from behind and, between us, we will +try and get the rifle. It's a desperate chance, but we +will do the best we can."</p> + +<p>"You're a brave girl, Helen!" declared Matt.</p> + +<p>"I'm doing what I think is right, and that always helps +a person's courage. I'm more worried about you than I +am about myself. If anything should go wrong—if anything +should happen to you because of the help you are +giving me——"</p> + +<p>For the first time her voice faltered. Matt reached out +and caught her hand reassuringly.</p> + +<p>"Don't fret about me," said he. "There won't be any +trouble about my getting the best of Whipple, with you +to help. Is the Hawk all ready for a flight? I mean is +there plenty of gasoline in the tank, and plenty of oil?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, dad has seen to that. So far as the air-ship is +concerned, it is ready to carry you quickly and safely out +of the swamp. Now I will steal out of the hut and talk +with Whipple."</p> + +<p>Once more she started for the door. Hardly had she +reached it, however, when she drew back with a gasp of +consternation. Turning, she beckoned to Matt.</p> + +<p>"Too late!" she whispered, her voice sharp with anguish +and disappointment. "Oh, why have they come +just at this time!"</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span></p> + +<p>Matt glided quickly to her side and peered out through +the half-opened door.</p> + +<p>What he saw was well calculated to discourage him +and the girl.</p> + + + +<hr class="chap" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII.</a></h2> + +<p class="chaptitle">INTO THE SWAMP.</p> + + +<p>Needham, Pete, Grove and Brady had not been long +carrying out their work of recovering the cached goods. +They were returning from the edge of the bushy timber, +ascending the slight elevation of the "island" on their +way to the Hawk, each bearing an armful of plunder.</p> + +<p>In his stealings, Brady had not bothered with bulky +articles but had confined himself to "lifting" smaller and +richer loot. The stuff was all in small sacks.</p> + +<p>As the men walked past the "roost" on their course to +the air-ship, Matt and the girl withdrew from the door +to avoid being seen. Through a crack in the wall, however, +they were able to keep close track of what went on.</p> + +<p>On reaching the Hawk, the bundles were deposited on +the ground. Whipple, leaning on his rifle, stood watching +while the bags were heaped up at the side of the +air-ship.</p> + +<p>For a few moments the villainous crew had their heads +together in close and earnest conversation. Now and +again their eyes were lifted aloft, evidently on the alert +for some sign of the Eagle. Brady, it could be seen, +did most of the talking. Suddenly, after a sharp scrutiny +overhead, Brady whirled around and started for the hut.</p> + +<p>"He's coming after you!" half sobbed the girl.</p> + +<p>"What's the reason I can't escape through that window +in the rear wall," asked Matt, hurriedly, "and take refuge +in the swamp?"</p> + +<p>The idea seemed to electrify the girl.</p> + +<p>"I hadn't thought of that," she whispered, catching his +arm and starting for the window. "The back of the hut +is close to the trees and bushes on this side of the island, +and I know something about the reefs of dry ground +running through the swamp in the vicinity of this place. +Come!" she added; "we must hurry."</p> + +<p>Her despair had vanished in a flash, and her steadiness +and resolution had all come back. She climbed through +the window and, as Matt followed, she was picking up a +small bag that had stood close to the rear wall.</p> + +<p>Without speaking, and once more clasping his arm, she +hurried him into the tangled bushes that came up to +within a few feet of the hut. There, screened by a dense +thicket, they paused to note further developments.</p> + +<p>Their position, of course, rendered it impossible for +them to see the front of the hut, but they were so close +they could hear Brady's oath of astonishment and alarm +when he discovered that Matt was missing.</p> + +<p>The next moment Brady could be seen rushing around +the side of the hut and a little way in the direction of +the group standing beside the Hawk.</p> + +<p>"He's gone!" roared Brady. "The cub's got loose and +skipped!"</p> + +<p>The rest were roused into frantic activity.</p> + +<p>"I'll sw'ar he didn't git out while I was watchin' the +Hawk," cried Whipple. "Anyways, he can't be fur off."</p> + +<p>"Hustle around!" fumed Brady. "Get into the swamp, +every man-jack of you, and find that whelp wherever he +is. I wouldn't have him get clear for a thousand, cold!" +All the gang forthwith became exceedingly busy. They +darted off in various directions, and Brady himself, accompanied +by Grove, started for the side of the island +from which Matt and the girl were watching.</p> + +<p>"We'll have to get away from here!" breathed the girl, +turning. "Follow me, Matt, and be careful where you +step. If you're not careful, you may find yourself mired +in the swamp."</p> + +<p>"Trust me for that," answered Matt. "I'll carry this," +he added, taking the bag from the girl's hands.</p> + +<p>The swamp, into which they were now headed, presented +a matted tangle of undergrowth growing among +the trees. Through the bushes could be seen a glimmer +of stagnant water, and the whole place seemed as dank +and loathsome as a tropical jungle.</p> + +<p>The girl picked her way carefully, parting the bushes +ahead of her and stepping from hummock to hummock. +Finally they reached a little bare uplift of dry earth, and +halted to listen. They could hear nothing of pursuit, and +the girl drew a long breath of relief.</p> + +<p>"Dad don't know that I've explored this swamp," said +she. "I have lived on the island for nearly six months—dad +used to keep me here while he was doing his thieving +in South Chicago, so I wouldn't be able to tell what I +know and give him away, I guess."</p> + +<p>She sank down on the flat piece of turf for a few moments' +rest. The ground, although dry, shivered under +them as they moved, and seemed every moment as though +about to give way beneath their weight and let them down +into the morass.</p> + +<p>"This is a treacherous-looking place," remarked Matt, +peering off into the trees and bushes that hemmed them +in on every side.</p> + +<p>"It's all of that," replied the girl.</p> + +<p>"It would be easy for a person to get lost."</p> + +<p>"Not easy for me, as I know it too well."</p> + +<p>"If I can get away in the Hawk," went on Matt, after +a brief silence, "this will make it necessary for you to +go with me."</p> + +<p>"Why?" she queried, lifting her wide, dark eyes to +his.</p> + +<p>"Can't you understand? Your father and his men will +discover that you are not on the island, and they will +suspect that you helped me out of the hut. What will +your father do when he finds that out?"</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span></p> + +<p>A shiver swept through the girl's slight form.</p> + +<p>"I suppose he will half kill me," she answered. "But +I shall stay with him. I am his daughter, and it's my +duty to be with him to the end."</p> + +<p>"You mustn't be foolish," said Matt, inclined to get +out of patience. "You're carrying your idea of duty to +your father altogether too far."</p> + +<p>"I've thought it all out," she answered firmly, "and +my mind is made up. Please don't try to argue with +me. It may not be possible for you to get away in the +air-ship now," she added, with a sigh of regret. "If you +can't, I will try and get you through the swamp. I don't +know anything about it, though, after we get a little +away from the island."</p> + +<p>"Then," proceeded Matt, not giving up his argument +that Helen Brady should go away with him, "your father +will be madder than ever when he finds out you have +taken the goods stolen from Hartz & Greer."</p> + +<p>"That's what I expect, but it's right that the stuff +should be returned. A person ought to have principles, +Matt, and I don't think a person amounts to much if he +or she can't stand a little suffering on account of their +principles."</p> + +<p>"That's right, too," muttered Matt.</p> + +<p>"There's fifteen thousand dollars' worth of diamonds +and jewelry in that bag," Helen went on, "and Hartz & +Greer have offered a reward of twenty-five hundred to +any one who will return the property."</p> + +<p>"That money will go to you," said Matt, promptly. +"It's right that it should. Look at the risks you're taking +to have it put into the hands of its rightful owners +again! Some time, Helen, you will be rid of your father, +and then the money will come handy."</p> + +<p>She was gazing at him steadily, and there was something +of rebuke in her eyes.</p> + +<p>"You don't mean that, Matt," said she, quietly.</p> + +<p>"Why not?" he demanded.</p> + +<p>"Would it be right for me to take a reward for returning +property my own father had stolen?"</p> + +<p>Matt was amazed by the simple directness of the girl's +reasoning. And she was right, entirely right. Nevertheless +it took one of fine character to reason and to +act as the girl was doing.</p> + +<p>"If you succeed in getting away with the bag," Helen +continued, "I want you to give it back to the rightful +owners. Tell them it comes from Hector Brady's daughter, +and that she hopes they will not be too hard on her +father."</p> + +<p>"You bet I'll tell them," said Matt. "What's more, I'll +get through this swamp on foot, if I have to, and I'll +consider it a mighty fine thing to lug the bag along and +turn it over to Hartz & Greer."</p> + +<p>"I felt sure you'd help me," murmured the girl. "There +was something in your face that told me you could be +depended on the moment I looked at you at the door of +that Hoyne Street house."</p> + +<p>"Then the impression was mutual," said Matt. "If I +hadn't read honesty in your face, along with a desire to +help me, I'd have made a rush out of that room in the +Hoyne Street place the moment I read your warning on +the fly leaf of the book."</p> + +<p>"It was well you didn't do that. You'd have been +caught. Pete was behind the window curtain all the +time. That was why I had to write what I wanted you +to know, and call your attention to it indirectly. If you +had——"</p> + +<p>The girl was interrupted by a distant rustle of bushes. +Stifling the words on her lips, she sprang erect.</p> + +<p>"Dad's coming this way," she whispered. "I don't +think he has the least idea where we've gone, but he +seems to be blundering in the right direction. We'll have +to hurry on."</p> + +<p>Once more they resumed their flight, Matt carrying +the bag and carefully following in his companion's footsteps.</p> + +<p>The way became increasingly difficult, and the bushes +even denser than they had been at the point where they +had entered the swamp. Then, too, the hummocks which +offered them foothold became farther apart so that it was +necessary to leap almost blindly through the brush in +getting from one to another.</p> + +<p>Occasionally they halted and listened, but were unable +to hear any sound behind them to indicate that Brady and +Grove were still on the right track.</p> + +<p>Just as Matt was congratulating himself that they had +again eluded their pursuers, a cry from the girl, muffled +but full of distress, reached him.</p> + +<p>Between him and her a screen of bushes intervened, +and the cry had come a moment after she had taken a +headlong plunge through the leafy tangle.</p> + +<p>Not knowing what could have happened, and fearing +the worst, Matt shifted the bag to his other arm, drew +his leather cap well down over his forehead so that the +visor would protect his eyes, and leaped boldly after the +girl.</p> + +<p>By good luck, rather than by any calculation on his +part, he landed on a shaking hummock, and found that +Helen had plunged into the watery morass.</p> + +<p>Dropping the bag, he reached down, grasped her about +the waist and dragged her from the clutching grip of +the swamp.</p> + +<p>"We'll have to go back," were the girl's first words, as +he held her on the narrow foothold.</p> + +<p>"Why?" he asked.</p> + +<p>She waved her hand in the direction toward which they +were going.</p> + +<p>An open space, clear of trees and bushes, lay before +them—a veritable quagmire with not a place in all its +extent where they could set their feet.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span></p> + +<p>They would have to go back! With Brady and Grove +on one side of them, and this impassable bog on the +other, it looked as though they had been caught between +two fires.</p> + + + +<hr class="chap" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV.</a></h2> + +<p class="chaptitle">A DESPERATE CHANCE.</p> + + +<p>Once more the girl was plunged into despair.</p> + +<p>"We'll have to give up," she whispered, tearfully. "We +have tried hard, but luck is against us. For several +minutes we have been traveling over ground I know +nothing about. When I saw that open stretch of swamp, +my heart failed me and I fell off the firm ground. You +see what a horrible place this is, Matt!"</p> + +<p>"Isn't there any way to get around to the other side of +the island?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"Yes, we could have done that, but I was trying to +take you as far as I could toward the other edge of the +swamp."</p> + +<p>"We'll have to give that up, now, and work our way +around the island."</p> + +<p>"In going back," faltered the girl, "we may meet dad +and Grove!"</p> + +<p>"We must take the chance," he answered; "there's +nothing else for it."</p> + +<p>"And in going around the island," proceeded the girl, +dejectedly, "we may meet some of the others who are +looking for us."</p> + +<p>"That's another risk we will have to run. Come on," +he continued, picking up the bag. "I'll lead the way +back."</p> + +<p>"You've got a way about you," said Helen, "that gives +a person courage."</p> + +<p>"A fellow would be a pretty poor stick," returned Matt, +"who couldn't keep his nerve with a girl like you to help +him."</p> + +<p>Helen's dress was torn by the bushes, and her hands +and face were scratched and bleeding; but she seemed +to mind her physical discomforts very little, so eager was +she to have Matt's escape prove successful.</p> + +<p>Listening intently for any sounds made by Brady and +Grove, Matt and the girl started back over the course +they had recently covered.</p> + +<p>They had not gone far when the sounds they feared +came to them. As they stood together and listened, they +could hear Brady and Grove talking back and forth. +Their voices, and the crashing of the bushes, were growing +rapidly in volume, and proved that they were coming +closer.</p> + +<p>The girl began to tremble. Matt pressed her hand reassuringly. +Off to the right of the course they had been +following his quick eye detected a foothold among the +matted bushes. He pointed it out to his companion.</p> + +<p>"Get there, quick!" he whispered.</p> + +<p>She leaped for the spot at once, and he was not slow +in following her. Then, crouching down, they peered +through the thicket.</p> + +<p>Brady came jumping into sight, clutching a revolver in +his hand.</p> + +<p>"I'm positive I heard something ahead, Grove!" he +cried.</p> + +<p>"It must be King, then," answered Grove, floundering +along in the rear. "He's been makin' a better hike of it +through this blasted swamp than I ever thought he +could."</p> + +<p>"There's an open stretch farther along," went on +Brady, grimly. "That'll stop him, and we'll have him +in a few minutes."</p> + +<p>Brady leaped out of sight, and Grove likewise jumped +past and vanished.</p> + +<p>The girl had scarcely breathed while the two men were +so close to them.</p> + +<p>"Now we've got a chance," whispered Matt. "While +they're going on toward that open part of the swamp, +we'll get back toward the island and double around it."</p> + +<p>"We won't have to go far, now," rejoined the girl, +her hopes rising, "before we can turn to the right and +start around the island."</p> + +<p>Matt continued to lead the way back, making the best +time he possibly could. When the girl called softly to +him, he stopped.</p> + +<p>"Here's where we turn," said she. "I'd better go +ahead from now on."</p> + +<p>He waited for her to gain his side, then followed as +she continued to make her way onward through the bewildering +tangle. Time and again Matt, if alone, would +have lost his bearings, but Helen, being on familiar +ground, was never for one moment at a loss.</p> + +<p>Their one fear now was that they should encounter +some of the others who were searching, but they heard +nothing to cause them the slightest uneasiness.</p> + +<p>At last, after half an hour of tiring work, Helen drew +to a halt.</p> + +<p>"We're about opposite the place where the air-ship is +moored," said she.</p> + +<p>"That's where we want to be," answered Matt. "Make +for the edge of the island, Helen, as close to the air-ship +as you can get."</p> + +<p>Once more the girl started off. The bushes thinned +perceptibly as they came closer and closer to the solid +ground. This rendered the going easier, and it also enabled +Matt and the girl to make less noise in getting +through the undergrowth. In nearing the island they +redoubled their caution, and when they finally reached +a spot from which they could look out and take in the +situation in the vicinity of the "roost" and the air-ship, +they congratulated themselves on the care they had exercised.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span></p> + +<p>They were not more than a dozen feet from the place +where the Hawk was secured.</p> + +<p>Two rifles were leaning against the car, and two of the +men—Grove and Needham—were sitting on the ground, +occasionally looking aloft.</p> + +<p>Brady, Whipple and Pete were no where in sight.</p> + +<p>"We must have crippled that air-ship of Jerrold's pretty +badly," Needham was saying. "If King hadn't made +this delay for us, the Hawk would have been well away +on her first trip."</p> + +<p>"That kid is a slippery customer," growled Grove. +"The old man is riled for fair over the way he's cuttin' +up."</p> + +<p>"What's the use o' botherin' with him? The thing to +do is to cut out o' this an' leave King in the swamp."</p> + +<p>"I reckon Brady'd do that, if it wasn't for the bag of +loot King seems to have taken along with him."</p> + +<p>Both men had thrown off their hats, and Grove was +nursing a number of scratches on his face and hands.</p> + +<p>"We had a rough time of it," said he, "an' the old +man sent me back to find out if any of the rest had had +any success. If King had been found, I was to fire a +signal-shot with one of the rifles."</p> + +<p>"Hang the luck, anyhow!" snorted Needham. "It was +the worst thing Brady ever done when he tangled up +with King. The lad has a will of his own, an' I knew +well enough he'd never take hold an' help us out runnin' +the motor."</p> + +<p>"King has got more backbone than any fellow of his +age I ever saw, and that's a fact. The girl must have +helped him. And that's another place where Brady has +been lame, all along. He ought to have sent the girl +away, somewhere. She hasn't got any business hanging +out with a gang like this."</p> + +<p>While Matt had been watching and listening, he had +been turning over several plans in his mind. Here was a +chance, albeit a desperate one, for getting hold of the +air-ship.</p> + +<p>He turned to the girl.</p> + +<p>"Helen," he whispered, "I'm going to see if I can't +capture the Hawk."</p> + +<p>"You can't," she returned, fearfully. "Grove and +Needham are armed and—and they'll shoot."</p> + +<p>"They can't shoot if I get hold of those rifles first," +went on Matt, still speaking in guarded tones.</p> + +<p>"How will you do that?"</p> + +<p>"Their backs are toward us. I'll creep as close to the +Hawk as I can, then, if they hear me, as they probably +will, I'll make a rush for the guns."</p> + +<p>The girl was silent for a moment.</p> + +<p>"There's nothing else to be done," she whispered, at +last. "Count on me, Matt, to do whatever I can to help."</p> + +<p>"You keep back, Helen," he counseled. "If I succeed +in getting the guns, I won't need your help; if I don't, +your help would do little good. Here I go."</p> + +<p>Slowly and cautiously Matt crept out of the bushes. +The car of the air-ship was between him and the men, +and this served to screen him, up to a certain point; +but the two rifles were leaning against the opposite side +of the car, and in order to lay hold of them he would +either have to go around the long framework, or else +cross the car. He made up his mind to take the latter +course.</p> + +<p>Without being discovered, he managed to reach the side +of the car; then, just as he was rising to step over the +rail, Needham caught sight of him.</p> + +<p>With a wild yell Needham gained his feet. The yell +brought Grove up like a shot. For an instant, the two +rascals were paralyzed by the unexpected appearance of +Matt. Their moment of inaction afforded the young +motorist just the opportunity he needed.</p> + +<p>Flinging himself into the car, and across it, he snatched +the rifles away from the rail, just as the hands of Grove +and Needham were outstretched to take them.</p> + +<p>One of the weapons he flung behind him.</p> + +<p>"Nail him!" cried Grove; "down him, before he gets +a chance to shoot!"</p> + +<p>Needham, no less than Grove, realized the necessity of +capturing Matt. Matt, however, had no intention of +using the remaining rifle on either of the two men; +neither did he have it in mind to let them get away, or +rough-handle him.</p> + +<p>As the two rushed forward, Matt flung the rifle to his +shoulder, and his gray eye sparkled menacingly along the +barrel.</p> + +<p>"Keep off!" he warned, swaying the muzzle of the gun +back and forth so as to keep both men under it; "keep +away from me and stand right where you are! I mean +business, right from the drop of the hat, and you fellows +might as well understand it."</p> + + + +<hr class="chap" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XV" id="CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV.</a></h2> + +<p class="chaptitle">A DARING ESCAPE.</p> + + +<p>The menace of the steady gray eye and the swaying +gun muzzle were enough for Grove and Needham.</p> + +<p>"Here's a go!" growled Needham, casting a yearning +look around him toward the timber.</p> + +<p>"I'm going to make a 'go' of it, all right," averred +Matt, grimly, "no two ways about that. What are you +doing with your right hand, Needham?"</p> + +<p>Needham's hand had wandered toward his hip. Matt +was watching both scoundrels so sharply that not a +move they made escaped him.</p> + +<p>Needham brought his hand around in front of him.</p> + +<p>"What are you trying to do, King?" queried Grove, +evidently seeking to gain time and give Brady, Pete or +Whipple a chance to come on the scene.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I'm trying to get away from this place," replied Matt, +"and I've not much time to waste in talk. I guess you +know that fully as well as I do."</p> + +<p>Still keeping the rifle trained on the two men, he +climbed out of the car to the ground.</p> + +<p>"Now," he went on, "I'll tell you fellows what you're +to do, and then we'll be able to work quicker. You will +both get into the car, and get in together so that I can +cover you more easily with this one gun. Needham will +then place his back against the upright timber that helps +suspend the car from the hoop—and mind you take the +timber farthest from the driver's seat. On the bottom +of the car there's a coil of small rope. With that, Grove +will tie Needham to the upright. Is that clear?"</p> + +<p>"Why, what the blazes——" began Grove, but Matt +cut him short.</p> + +<p>"There's no time for talk, I tell you!" he called, +sharply. "Brady and the other two may show up here, +and I'm going to have this work done before that happens."</p> + +<p>"But——"</p> + +<p>"Get into the car!"</p> + +<p>Matt's finger flexed ever so slightly upon the trigger +of the gun. The watchful eyes of Grove and Needham +detected the movement and both made haste to tumble +into the car.</p> + +<p>"I'd give a farm to know what you've got up your +sleeve," growled Needham, as he backed slowly against +the upright timber.</p> + +<p>"Move more quickly," warned Matt, "or you'll find +what I've got in this gun. I used to be in Arizona, and +I know how they deal with matters of this sort down +there. They're not in the habit of wasting so many +words as I'm doing. Pick up that rope, Grove," he +added, "and get busy with it. Mind you tie hard knots! +No fast-and-loose plays at this stage of the game."</p> + +<p>Grove was a bit languid in his operations, and as he +worked he gave more attention to the quarters from +which Brady, Pete and Whipple might be expected than +he did to the tying of Needham.</p> + +<p>"Grove," called Matt, sternly, "I'm not going to bother +much more with you! Move faster, and pass some of +that rope around Needham's arms. I don't want his +hands left free. Pull the coils tighter."</p> + +<p>After a fashion, Grove got his comrade tied.</p> + +<p>"Will that do you?" he demanded, gruffly, turning to +glare at Matt.</p> + +<p>"That will answer. Now turn your back to Needham's."</p> + +<p>"Say, by thunder I'm not going to stand for——"</p> + +<p>"<i>Turn your back!</i>"</p> + +<p>Matt shoved the muzzle of the rifle toward Grove's +breast, and the man made haste to place himself against +the upright piece of the car's framework.</p> + +<p>It was Matt's intention, then, to drop the rifle and +proceed with the tying of Grove himself, but the girl +suddenly appeared and climbed into the car.</p> + +<p>"I'll do the rest, Matt," said she, picking up the loose +end of the rope.</p> + +<p>Matt had planned to have the girl remain in the thicket, +taking no part in his operations; but she had different +ideas.</p> + +<p>Grove and Needham both glared at the girl.</p> + +<p>"The old man will make you sorry for this!" fumed +Grove.</p> + +<p>"I expect he will," replied the girl. "He has made +me sorry for a lot of things lately."</p> + +<p>Around and around the bodies of the two men Helen +coiled the rope. Then, when she had come to the end +of it, she made it fast with a knot.</p> + +<p>Pausing a moment after she had finished, she drew a +revolver out of Needham's hip-pocket and dropped it on +the driver's seat.</p> + +<p>"You had better have that in your own hands, Matt," +said she, quietly. "It will be easier to handle than the +rifle."</p> + +<p>"Don't get out of the car, Helen," called Matt, as the +girl was about to climb over the rail. "You can't stay +here after this."</p> + +<p>"I can and I must."</p> + +<p>Her resolve to remain with her father was unshaken; +but there was a bright light in her eyes which Matt had +not seen there before. Evidently the success that was +attending Matt's plans to get away with the air-ship had +lifted a grievous load from her spirits.</p> + +<p>Walking around the car, Helen picked up the bag +which they had taken with them into the swamp.</p> + +<p>"This must go with you, Matt," she continued, pushing +the bag under the driver's seat, "along with the rest of +the stuff piled up on the ground there."</p> + +<p>While she was on that side of the car she cast off the +mooring-rope and flung it into the air-ship.</p> + +<p>Matt dropped the rifle and released the rope on the +other side.</p> + +<p>The Hawk was now in readiness to take to flight. With +nothing to hold it, the gas-bag began to feel the effects +of the wind that was blowing and to move about in answer +to the faint gusts. But it rode on an even keel, for +its buoyancy had to be accelerated by the propeller before +it would rise, or could be maneuvered.</p> + +<p>The girl had started toward the bags, heaped up on the +ground. Before she could reach them, however, a loud +yell from the opposite side of the island caused her to +halt in consternation.</p> + +<p>"Dad!" she cried, wildly; "he's coming!"</p> + +<p>"Brady! This way, quick!"</p> + +<p>The clamoring whoops went up from Needham and +Grove as they struggled fiercely to free themselves.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span></p> + +<p>Matt, seeing that there was not an instant to be lost, +leaped into the car and tilted the steering-rudder at an +angle which would carry the air-ship upward.</p> + +<p>"Come along!" he shouted to the girl as he started the +engine. "Get into the car, Helen!"</p> + +<p>"Hurry, hurry!" screamed the girl, running directly +away from the car and in the direction of Brady and +Pete, who were making for the Hawk at a run.</p> + +<p>A pang of regret ran through Matt at the thought of +leaving Helen Brady behind to bear the brunt of her +father's anger; but there was no time for argument. He +started the propeller, and the Hawk began to move up +the airy incline toward the tops of the trees that walled +in the edge of the "island."</p> + +<p>The struggles of Matt's two prisoners became desperately +frantic. So violently did they wrestle with their +bonds that the car tipped and swayed dangerously. Matt +had no time to give to them, just then, being wholly +wrapped up in the maneuvering of the Hawk.</p> + +<p>He gave the rudder a further tilt, throwing the air-ship +to an angle that caused Grove's feet to slip from +under him, so that only the support of the rope and the +upright held him to his place.</p> + +<p>"Shoot!" he bellowed. "Why don't you blaze away at +him, Brady?"</p> + +<p>Brady had evidently held his fire, hoping to get the +air-ship back without injury; and, even now, as his rifle +and Pete's began to crack murderously, the target of +their bullets was Matt.</p> + +<p>Two or three of the leaden spheres zipped past Matt's +head, missing him by the narrowest of margins. +Strangely enough, however, Matt was more worried +about the harm the bullets might do the gas-bag, or the +machinery, than he was about any damage they might +do him.</p> + +<p>Faster and faster he speeded up the engine, and the +Hawk raced toward the clouds. She cleared the tops of +the trees, gained the clear sky, and, at a height of five +hundred feet, was brought to an even keel.</p> + +<p>Then, and not till then, did Matt venture a look below. +He was just in time to catch one fleeting glimpse of those +he had left behind on the "island." What he saw aroused +his anger and indignation.</p> + +<p>Helen, still true to her resolve to help Matt, had seized +hold of her father's rifle and was struggling to keep him +from using it. The minute figures were strangely clear, +and Matt saw Brady lift his fist and strike the girl down. +Then the tops of the trees interposed and cut off the unpleasant +sight. Matt faced about, a steely glint in his +gray eyes.</p> + +<p>"Here's a fine lay out!" Grove was clamoring, far gone +with chagrin and baffled rage. "One kid, single-handed, +captures two of us and runs off with the air-ship, right +under the noses of Brady and the rest! Oh, well, we're +entitled to all we get out of this. We don't deserve anything +better."</p> + +<p>"You'll get something more than you expect," said +Matt, picking up the revolver and pushing it into his +pocket, "if you don't stop squirming around like that. +It's hard to steer when you're rocking the car in such a +fashion. You fellows are my prisoners, so make the best +of it."</p> + +<p>"Yes," growled Grove, "and us two aeronauts will have +a fine tale to tell when you take us where you're going +to. You've stolen this car. That'll cook your goose for +you."</p> + +<p>"Brady," answered Matt, "can have his air-ship back +whenever he wants to show up and claim it."</p> + +<p>There followed a brief silence, during which Matt +noted that the wind was brisk, and from the north, and +exulted over the speed the Hawk developed in the teeth +of it.</p> + +<p>Needham was first to break the silence.</p> + +<p>"If I had my hat, and was able," said he, craning his +head around to get a look at Matt, "I'd take it off to you."</p> + +<p>The lad in the driver's seat made no response. He +was hurrying toward South Chicago.</p> + +<p>Where was the Eagle? The skies in every direction +were clear and the other air-ship was nowhere to be seen.</p> + +<p>Motor Matt, as he drove the air-ship steadily against +the wind, kept close watch of the captured aeronauts.</p> + + + +<hr class="chap" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVI" id="CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI.</a></h2> + +<p class="chaptitle">THE END OF THE MID-AIR TRAIL.</p> + + +<p>The failure of Carl, Harris and Jerrold to make a +landing on the "island" has already been recorded.</p> + +<p>They had seen the Hawk, moored at one edge of the +cleared space, and they had seen Brady and the others; +but, of course, it had been impossible for them to see +anything of Matt. The young motorist, at that time, was +bound hand and foot and lying on the cot in the hut.</p> + +<p>With bullets flying around them and threatening injury +to the Eagle, it was not policy to remain hovering +over such a nest of desperate scoundrels very long.</p> + +<p>"We'll get out of here," cried Harris, angrily, "and +come back with men and guns enough to give those fellows +a taste of their own medicine. Don't let any harm +come to the air-ship, Jerrold. We're going to need her, +later."</p> + +<p>Just as Harris finished speaking, a bullet slapped into +the motor and the machinery at once began to go wrong.</p> + +<p>"Too late," responded Jerrold grimly; "they've already +nipped us."</p> + +<p>"Py chimineddy," roared Carl, "I vish I hat somet'ing +vat I could shoot mit ad dem fillains!"</p> + +<p>Limping and staggering, Jerrold managed to urge the +Eagle out of harm's way.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span></p> + +<p>"She won't drop on us, will she?" asked Harris, looking +anxiously downward at the tree-tops.</p> + +<p>"No," replied Jerrold, "the gas-bag is uninjured, so we +can't fall; and the motor is working, too, after a fashion, +and that enables us to make a slow rate of speed. But +there will have to be some repairs before we can do anything +more with the air-ship."</p> + +<p>"Where'll we go to make them? Back to South Chicago?"</p> + +<p>"Lake Station is nearer. We'll come down there and +ascertain the extent of the damage. It may be that we +shall have to go back to South Chicago if the injury is at +all serious."</p> + +<p>"All right," acquiesced Harris. "I'll be able to do +some telephoning and get a few more men out here from +headquarters. I'll have them bring rifles, and then we'll +give Brady a set-to that he'll remember."</p> + +<p>"I ditn't see Matt in der blace," mourned Carl.</p> + +<p>"He may have been there," said Harris. "There were +two sheds, and they may be keeping your chum a prisoner +in one of them."</p> + +<p>"Vell, vile ve're avay fixing oop der Eagle, meppy dose +fellers pack dere vill fly off mit demselufs in der Hawk. +Oof dey do dot, den ve vill have some drouple for our +pains."</p> + +<p>"We shall have to keep watch of the sky in the direction +of the swamp," said Jerrold. "By doing that we +can tell whether or not the Hawk gets away."</p> + +<p>Carl made that his work.</p> + +<p>"I don'd know how I can see mit der naked eye ven +ve ged py Lake Sdation," he remarked.</p> + +<p>"We'll have to hunt up a spyglass, or a pair of binoculars," +suggested Harris.</p> + +<p>"Vat oof der Hawk moofs pefore we ged dem?"</p> + +<p>"Then we'll be up against it, and no mistake."</p> + +<p>There was a lot of excitement in the little town of +Lake Station when a real, sure enough air-ship descended +close to the blacksmith shop. The whole population +gathered and stared.</p> + +<p>While Jerrold was busy tinkering with his crippled +motor, Carl succeeded in finding an old-fashioned spyglass +and climbed with it to the top of the highest building +in town. There he perched himself on the edge of +the roof and watched continually in the direction of Willoughby's +swamp.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile, Harris had been talking with police headquarters +in South Chicago. As a result, three officers +were detailed to catch the first train for Lake Station.</p> + +<p>The repairs to be made to the Eagle were somewhat +extensive, and taxed the capacity of the blacksmith shop. +Had Jerrold been in his own workroom he could have +fixed up the motor more easily and quickly, but to take +the Eagle back to South Chicago would have resulted in +a loss of time.</p> + +<p>Hour after hour the inventor labored, helped by the +blacksmith and eyed with wonder by the townspeople. +The detail of officers arrived, and they could do nothing +but wait until the Eagle was ready to carry them to the +"island" in the swamp. Any attempt to reach the +"island" on foot was hardly to be considered.</p> + +<p>While Jerrold's labors were nearing completion, a yell +from Carl called the attention of Harris.</p> + +<p>"What's the matter with you?" he shouted.</p> + +<p>Carl was dancing around on the roof top, waving the +spyglass frantically.</p> + +<p>"Come oop!" he cried, wildly. "Der Hawk is gedding +avay mit itseluf! Ach, plazes, vat a luck!"</p> + +<p>Harris made haste to reach the top of the building +where Carl had been patiently waiting and watching.</p> + +<p>"Pud der spyglass to your eye, Harris," said Carl, +"und look off to der nort'. Ach, dose fellers haf made +some ged-avays, und I bed you dey have dook Matt +along!"</p> + +<p>With the glass at his eye, Harris swept the horizon in +the direction indicated by Carl. Finally he found what +he was looking for—an oblong blot gliding through the +heavens and proceeding in a northerly direction.</p> + +<p>"That's the Hawk, all right," said he, in a tone of +intense disappointment, "but why is it heading in that +direction?"</p> + +<p>"Prady vouldn't dare go pack by Sout' Chicago," said +Carl. "I bed you somet'ing for nodding he has got +anodder hang-oudt in dot tirections. Ach, vat vill I do +for dot bard oof mine?"</p> + +<p>Gloomily the two descended from the roof, and Carl +returned the spyglass to its owner.</p> + +<p>Half an hour later the Eagle was ready for flight, and +the officers and Carl got aboard. It was decided to proceed +to the swamp and look over the "island" and then, +if nothing of importance developed, to return to South +Chicago.</p> + +<p>The Eagle's motor, apparently, worked as well as ever, +and the four miles separating Willoughby's swamp from +Lake Station were covered in record time.</p> + +<p>As they neared the "island" the officers made ready to +use their guns. There was no hostile demonstration, +however, and not a soul was anywhere in sight. The +Eagle descended, and the officers, accompanied by the +anxious Carl, proceeded to make a search.</p> + +<p>They found nothing but two meagerly furnished houses, +apparently recently deserted. Silence reigned everywhere, +ominous of events that had happened.</p> + +<p>"Vell," said Carl, gloomily, "dis means dot I haf got +to do some more looking for Modor Matt. Der gang +haf made off mit him some more, und I vas so tisappointed +as I can't dell."</p> + +<p>For that matter, they were all disappointed—Jerrold +in particular. Motor Matt had served Jerrold well, and +the inventor had been anxious to make him some repayment +in kind.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span></p> + +<p>But there was nothing left for the air-ship party to +do but to point the Eagle toward home. As the air-ship +passed the rolling mills and came close to the balloon +house where Brady had formerly housed the Hawk, it +was observed by those in the car that the doors of the +big building were closed, and that two officers had mounted +guard in front of them.</p> + +<p>"That means something," muttered Harris. "Drop +lower, Jerrold, so I can talk with those two cops."</p> + +<p>Jerrold descended until the top of the car was nearly +on a level with the balloon house, and Harris leaned over +the guard rail.</p> + +<p>"Hello!" he called. "What are you fellows doing +there?"</p> + +<p>"Watching the air-ship," was the astounding answer.</p> + +<p>"Do you mean to say that Brady's air-ship is in that +balloon house?"</p> + +<p>"Sure."</p> + +<p>"Has Brady been captured?"</p> + +<p>"Why, no. You went after him, didn't you?"</p> + +<p>"We went after him, but he and his men fired on us +and damaged our motor. We went to Lake Station to +fix the machinery, and while we were there we caught +sight of the Hawk, through a spyglass, making north. +As soon as we could, we started for the swamp, but there +was no one there. Naturally, we supposed that Brady +and his gang had made their escape, and it's mighty +surprising to hear that the Hawk is back in its old cage +and didn't bring Brady along."</p> + +<p>"The Hawk brought Motor Matt——"</p> + +<p>Carl gave a yell and nearly fell out of the car.</p> + +<p>"Modor Matt?" he shouted. "Vas you shdringing me, +oder iss it shdraight goots?"</p> + +<p>"I'm giving it to you straight," answered the officer on +the ground. "Motor Matt got away from the swamp +and brought two prisoners with him, in the Hawk. They +were two of the men who robbed Jerrold of his plans."</p> + +<p>"Zum lauderbach haben, mich shtets——" began Carl, +singing loudly and then interrupting himself to gloat. +"Dot's my bard vat dit dot! Yah, so! Leedle Modor +Matt who iss alvays doing t'ings vat you don'd oxbect. +He has shtarred himseluf some more, you bed you! Vere +iss Modor Matt now, officer?" Carl called down.</p> + +<p>"He took a train into Chicago—said he was behind his +schedule for that five-day race. The two prisoners are +at police headquarters."</p> + +<p>"Well, by thunder!" muttered Harris, mopping his face +with a red handkerchief, "that Motor Matt must be a +regular young phenomenon!"</p> + +<p>"I never heard of anything to beat him!" averred Jerrold.</p> + +<p>"Und you nefer vill!" declared Carl. "He iss vone oof +dose fellers vat can't be peat."</p> + +<p>"You might take us to police headquarters, Jerrold," +suggested Harris.</p> + +<p>"Und you mighdt shtop on der vay py der railroadt +sdation," piped Carl. "I vant to ged py Chicago so +kevick as der nation vill led me."</p> + +<hr class="tb" /> + +<p>When Carl next saw Matt, the young motorist was +spinning around the great oval in a Jarrot machine, which +he knew so well and had driven to victory in Kansas. +The five-day race was not for one driver alone, but several +drivers were to be at the steering wheel of each car. +Matt had reached the Coliseum just in time to take his +place in the racing schedule.</p> + +<p>Every time Matt whirled around the oval, Carl had +something to say to him, but it was not until evening +that the boys were able to get together for a talk.</p> + +<p>They decided between them that Brady, and those +whom Matt had left on the "island," must have made +their escape from the swamp by a secret route known +only to themselves.</p> + +<p>Where Harper, the driver of the Hawk was, was likewise +a mystery to the police.</p> + +<p>Matt had turned the bag of loot stolen from Hartz & +Greer over to the police with instructions to say that it +was recovered by Miss Brady, and that no reward would +be accepted for its return.</p> + +<p>"How you tink dot air-ship pitzness is, anyvays, Matt?" +asked Carl, when the boys had had their talk out and +were ready to crawl into bed.</p> + +<p>"I <i>like</i> it," answered Matt, enthusiastically, "and I wish +I could have more of it!"</p> + +<p>His wish was destined to fulfillment, for, as events +proved, his thrilling work in South Chicago and at Willoughby's +swamp was but the beginning of a series of +air-ship experiences. Matt may have congratulated himself +with the thought that he was through with Hector +Brady, but Brady was by no means done with Matt—as +will be made clear in the story to follow.</p> + + +<p class="center">THE END.</p> + + +<p class="center medium">THE NEXT NUMBER (10) WILL CONTAIN</p> + +<p class="center huge">Motor Matt's Hard Luck;</p> + +<p class="center medium">OR,</p> + +<p class="center large">THE BALLOON-HOUSE PLOT.</p> + +<hr class="r5" /> + +<blockquote> + +<p>An Old Friend—A Trap—Overboard—Rescued—Buying +the Hawk—Matt Scores Against Jameson—At the +Balloon House—The Plot of the Brady Gang—Carl +is Surprised—Helen Brady's Clue—Jerrold Gives His +Aid—Grand Haven—The Line On Brady—The +Woods by the River—Brady a Prisoner—Back in +South Chicago.</p></blockquote> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span></p> + + + + +<table summary="scaffold" class="bbox"> +<tr><td colspan="2" class="tdc huge">MOTOR STORIES</td></tr> +<tr><td class="tdr large" style="padding-right: .25em;">THRILLING ADVENTURE</td><td class="tdl large" style="padding-left: .25em;">MOTOR FICTION</td></tr> +</table> + + +<p>NEW YORK, April 24, 1909.</p> + +<p class="center"><b>TERMS TO MOTOR STORIES MAIL SUBSCRIBERS.</b></p> + +<p class="center">(<i>Postage Free.</i>)</p> + +<p class="center"><b>Single Copies or Back Numbers, 5c. Each.</b></p> + +<table summary="Terms"> +<tr><td>3 months</td><td class="tdr">65c.</td></tr> +<tr><td>4 months</td><td class="tdr">85c.</td></tr> +<tr><td>6 months</td><td class="tdr">$1.25</td></tr> +<tr><td>One year</td><td class="tdr">2.50</td></tr> +<tr><td>2 copies one year</td><td class="tdr">4.00</td></tr> +<tr><td>1 copy two years</td><td class="tdr">4.00</td></tr> +</table> + +<p><b>How to Send Money</b>—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.</p> + +<p><b>Receipts</b>—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.</p> + +<table summary="scaffold"> +<tr><td> +<span class="smcap">Ormond G. Smith</span>,<br /> +<span class="smcap">George C. Smith</span>, +</td> +<td style="font-size: 200%">}</td><td style="padding-right: 1em;"><i>Proprietors</i>.</td> +<td class="tdc"> +<b>STREET & SMITH, Publishers,<br /> +79-89 Seventh Avenue, New York City.</b> +</td></tr></table> +<hr class="chap" /> + + + + +<h2><a name="THE_BIG_CYPRESS" id="THE_BIG_CYPRESS">THE BIG CYPRESS.</a></h2> + + +<p>The rifle cracked and the piece of boiler plate, which had +been erected as target against the bank fifty yards away, fell +shattered like a pane of glass.</p> + +<p>"How's that, Colonel Fearon?" coolly inquired the young +fellow, who had fired the shot, as he turned to the tall, sallow-faced +man who stood beside him.</p> + +<p>A curious expression crossed the latter's face, but he answered +quickly, "Amazing, Rutherford! Simply astonishing. +I could never have believed such a thing possible. A pom-pom +shell could hardly have smashed the plate more effectually."</p> + +<p>The boy—he was hardly more—laughed. "I thought it +would startle you, colonel. Will you feel justified in sending +me up to Washington?"</p> + +<p>"I reckon that's the place for you to go to, Rutherford. +The war department'll need that new bullet of yours in their +business. You mean to tell me you invented that bullet all +by yourself?"</p> + +<p>"I did, colonel. You see, I was always fond of dabbling in +chemistry and the idea for this came to me one day when I +was at work in my father's store. I didn't worry about it +much, until the poor old man went broke, and then it struck +me there was money in it. It was the mayor of our town, +Orangeville, told me to come to you. He said that you +could give me the proper introductions."</p> + +<p>"He was right," said Colonel Fearon. "I can fix you up +with the proper people. Let me have a shot."</p> + +<p>Lionel Rutherford handed the colonel a cartridge, which +outwardly looked precisely similar to an ordinary rifle cartridge. +He then walked across the lawn of fine Bermuda +grass, put a fresh piece of steel plate in position, and came +back.</p> + +<p>The colonel fired, and, as before, the tough steel simply +sprang to pieces and lay in scattered fragments on the grass.</p> + +<p>"I reckon there's more money in this than in keeping +store," said the colonel thoughtfully. "Rutherford, I'll be +pleased if you'll stay here at my house for a day or two till +I can write to the proper people."</p> + +<p>Young Rutherford thanked him warmly and the two +walked back toward the long, low, wide verandaed house.</p> + +<p>Late that night the colonel and his son, Randal Fearon, +sat together in the well-appointed smoking room and talked +earnestly in low tones.</p> + +<p>"There's thousands in it, father," said the younger man +sharply. "Thousands!"</p> + +<p>"I know that as well as yourself," returned the other irritably. +"But the invention's not yours or mine."</p> + +<p>"What's Rutherford?" sneered Randal. "Here he is, a +fellow who's never known anything of life, who's lived all +his days in a little one-horse backwoods town, and now he's +going to roll in riches while we are on the edge of bankruptcy."</p> + +<p>He paused, and glanced at his father, who sat fidgeting +uneasily. The colonel, fine-looking man that he was, was as +weak-willed as his tall, thin, sharp-faced son was strong.</p> + +<p>"A real nice scandal there'll be when we go smash," went +on Randal Fearon. "Think of the headlines. 'Fraudulent +Bankruptcy. Prominent Floridian lives beyond his means.' +How the yellow press'll revel in it!"</p> + +<p>Again the colonel moved uneasily. "I don't see how you're +going to get the specifications from him, anyhow," he said +at last.</p> + +<p>"You leave that to me," replied Randal with sneering emphasis.</p> + +<p>"Look you here, Randal, I won't have any violence." For +once Colonel Fearon spoke decidedly.</p> + +<p>"I guess you needn't worry your head about that," answered +Randal. "I've got the whole plan cut and dried. +You've asked him to stay?"</p> + +<p>"Yes," said the colonel. "He will stay."</p> + +<p>Randal laughed as if pleased. "That's all right. To-morrow +we'll settle it, Pete Dally and I."</p> + +<p>"How?"</p> + +<p>"I'll tell you in the morning. Don't worry yourself. As +you are so anxious to avoid it, I promise you there shall be +no violence."</p> + +<p>Randal chuckled in ugly fashion as he got up, flung the +stump of his cigar into the fireplace, and, lighting a small +hand lamp, left the room.</p> + +<hr class="tb" /> + +<p>"How much farther have we got to go before we run into +any of this game you talked about, Mr. Fearon?" asked +Rutherford as he stopped and wiped the perspiration from his +streaming face.</p> + +<p>"I thought we'd have seen a buck before now," replied +Randal Fearon. "We don't often have to come this far into +the Big Cypress to find game, do we, Pete?"</p> + +<p>"No, sah; we gen'rally finds it quite clos' to the aidge of +de swamp," said Pete, who was a burly, square-shouldered +negro with a face as black as ebony.</p> + +<p>Rutherford was rather puzzled. That morning Randal +Fearon had suggested that it would be very good fun to go +shooting in the Big Cypress, a huge tract of wild, swampy +forest, the edge of which was about five miles from Colonel +Fearon's place.</p> + +<p>"You might try the effect of some of your explosive bullets," +Randal had suggested; and Rutherford had laughed +and said that there wouldn't be much left of any game +smaller than a buffalo or an elephant if struck by one of his +projectiles.</p> + +<p>All the same, being a keen sportsman, he had willingly +agreed to the shoot. What puzzled him was that they should<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> +have tramped for hours through this steaming bush, which +reeked with signs of game, and yet not seen a single thing to +shoot at.</p> + +<p>"Don't you worry. We shall find deer soon," said Randal +when Rutherford expressed his astonishment. "We're getting +near a good place now. I reckon we'd better stop and +eat our dinner first. Pete, make a fire."</p> + +<p>Pete Dally dropped the big haversack he was carrying over +his broad shoulders, and obeyed. In a very few minutes a +fire was blazing, and the fragrant fumes of frying bacon and +strong coffee filled the close, steamy air. Lionel Rutherford, +tired by the long tramp and the hot-house atmosphere of the +jungle, enjoyed the meal greatly.</p> + +<p>After they had finished they marched on again. They had +left the pine trees behind, and were pushing along a narrow +track through a forest of great ilex, bastard oak, and magnolia. +The undergrowth was of saw palmetto, growing in +huge, impenetrable clumps, among which the muddy track +wound in and out.</p> + +<p>The scent of yellow jasmine was almost stifling, but the +only life visible was an occasional cardinal bird with its +vivid crimson plumage, or a stub-tailed water moccasin which +raised its triangular, copper-hued head with an ugly hiss and +dragged itself sluggishly out of sight among the tangled +herbage.</p> + +<p>The path was so narrow that they were compelled to walk +in single file. Randal made Pete lead the way. More than +once the negro had tried to drop behind, but each time Randal +roughly ordered him to push ahead.</p> + +<p>The silence of the swamp grew as oppressive as the intense +heat. It began to get upon young Rutherford's nerves.</p> + +<p>"A tough place to get lost in," he said at last.</p> + +<p>Randal turned quickly. There was a queer expression on +his sharp face as he replied:</p> + +<p>"Yes, pretty bad, I reckon."</p> + +<p>Somehow, Rutherford fancied there was something sinister +in his tone.</p> + +<p>"I don't like the chap," he thought to himself. "I wish I +hadn't come." Then common sense got the better of his +fears. "It's the place, not the people, that's worrying me. +These big hamaks are worse than a desert. There you can +see the sky; here it's like one great, green prison."</p> + +<p>"Look out, sah. Dah's a wild cat in dat tree," suddenly +hissed Pete Dally, and slipped out of the path into the thicket. +"Quiet or youse done frighten him."</p> + +<p>Rutherford, all excitement, slipped his rifle from his shoulder.</p> + +<p>But Randal barred his way. He was standing still, peering +up into the tree indicated.</p> + +<p>"Where? I don't see it," he exclaimed harshly.</p> + +<p>"Dere it am, sah. On dat big fork," declared Pete, pointing. +And then as Randal stepped forward, the negro slipped +back round a clump of palmetto, and Rutherford felt a hand +fall sharply on his arm, while these words were whispered +in his ear:</p> + +<p>"Dat man mean you no good, sah. Watch me, an' doan' +do what he say."</p> + +<p>He turned in amazement, but Peter was already gone. He +had glided back, and was standing at Randal's elbow, pointing +out the exact spot where he alleged he had seen the cat.</p> + +<p>But there was no cat there now, and Rutherford wondered +if there ever had been. Randal cursed Pete angrily, and once +more they moved forward.</p> + +<p>Rutherford, more worried than he cared to own even to +himself, followed, as before, the last of the little procession.</p> + +<p>It was getting late and the bullfrogs had begun to bellow +harshly in unseen pools in the forest. But there was no decrease +in the sullen heat. Not a breath stirred the moist, +stagnant air, and the farther they went the thicker grew the +tangled vegetation till there was no longer any sign of a +path. In unbroken silence the three forced their way through +primeval forest.</p> + +<p>Presently trees broke away, and they stood upon the muddy +marge of a reedy lagoon, across the stagnant waters of which +the low sun cast a lurid light.</p> + +<p>"Here we are," said Randal Fearon sharply. "This is +where the deer come down to drink. You wait, Rutherford, +in the bushes here, and you'll soon get a shot. Pete and I +will take up our places on the far side. Then whatever comes +some of us will get a buck."</p> + +<p>"Watch me, and don't do what he says." Pete's words +were ringing in Rutherford's ears. He cast a glance at the +negro. Pete made a quick sign, which the English boy took +to mean that he was to follow instead of remaining.</p> + +<p>Next moment Randal had plunged off through the palmetto +with Pete at his heels.</p> + +<p>"What's it all mean?" muttered Rutherford angrily. "Is +Fearon fooling me, or is it Pete? Of the two, I infinitely +prefer the nigger. I'll do what he says."</p> + +<p>He left his shelter, and moved as quietly as possible on +the track of the other two.</p> + +<p>Sure enough, they did go round the pool! Rutherford +began to wonder if he was wrong; whether Pete for some +unknown reason was fooling him.</p> + +<p>The going was dreadful. The ground below the almost +impenetrable palmetto was deep mud. Swarms of mosquitoes +rose and stung viciously. Lionel was afraid that the crashing +of the parted bushes would betray him.</p> + +<p>He knew he was falling a long way behind, and panic +seized him that he might lose the others. Though young +Rutherford had lived all his life in America, yet he had never +been in a big swamp like this. The store had kept him busy.</p> + +<p>At last he reached the spot which Randal had pointed out +as his own shooting station. To his horror, there was no one +there. Randal and Pete had both disappeared. He was alone +in the tangled heart of this monstrous swamp, and knew that +without help he could never hope to find his way out.</p> + +<p>After the first moment of panic Lionel Rutherford pulled +himself together. He had plenty of pluck. He rapidly considered +the situation. For some reason best known to himself +Randal Fearon wished to abandon him, to lose him in the +swamp. But he himself had no idea of dying of hunger, +fever, or snakebite in this impenetrable wilderness. He had +two courses open—go back and try to find his way out along +the trail they had come by, or follow after Randal and Pete.</p> + +<p>There were no objections to the first. It was a very long +way, and it was doubtful if he could find it even in broad +daylight. As it was, it would be dark in an hour. Besides, +Pete had certainly meant him to follow.</p> + +<p>Randal must mean to spend the night in the swamp. That +was clear. Therefore he must have some camping place.</p> + +<p>"I'll follow," muttered the boy between set teeth, and +started off.</p> + +<p>Though the sun was not yet down, it was already dusk +beneath the thick shade of the towering timber, and in the +half light the trail was most difficult to follow. The others +had long ago passed out of hearing.</p> + +<p>The night life of the swamp was waking. Enormous owls +hooted weirdly, then came the thundering bellow of a bull +alligator, and presently above all these the ghastly, half-human +shriek of a panther calling to its mate.</p> + +<p>Stumbling and struggling, Lionel hurried on. In a little +he came to a thick belt of tall saw grass. The two pairs of +footmarks entered it, but the trails beyond were so confused +with the passage of deer and other animals that the boy recognized +with a shock that he could not follow the human +footsteps.</p> + +<p>Very near despair, he turned back. No, he could not find +Randal's trail. He stopped. "I'm done!" he muttered hopelessly, +and stood straining his ears for any sound of his +former companions.</p> + +<p>Just then, as he was almost giving up, he caught sight of +a morsel of something white stuck on a broken stem beside +the trail. It was a tiny piece of paper, and on it, marked +with a muddy finger tip, an arrow pointing in a certain direction.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Pete!" exclaimed Lionel joyfully. A load rolled off his +mind. Marking the direction carefully, he pushed on fast. +Now he was on the lookout, he found other signs; a broken +twig, a stick, laid in the path.</p> + +<p>Darkness fell rapidly. There is little twilight in Florida.</p> + +<p>"They can't go much farther," he said. He was right. +In a very short time the dull glow of a fire showed where the +others had camped.</p> + +<p>"What shall I do?" he asked himself. "Go right up and +tackle Randal Fearon? No; he'd have some excuse ready, +and I'd only get Pete into trouble. I must wait till Randal +goes to sleep."</p> + +<p>The mosquitoes were savage. Young Rutherford, tired and +hungry, found it maddening to wait in the damp gloom, and +watch Randal gorge on the supper which Pete cooked. +Nearly two hours passed before Randal, having finished a +cigar, rolled himself, head and all, in a blanket and lay down.</p> + +<p>A few minutes more, and a snore told Rutherford it was +safe to venture closer.</p> + +<p>Pete heard him, and glided out. The black man chuckled +silently when he saw the boy. "Reckoned you'd be along, +sah. You foun' de sign Pete lef' for you. Now de firs' thing +is you eat. Den we talk."</p> + +<p>He put corn, bread, and bacon into Rutherford's hands, and +the boy made a hearty meal.</p> + +<p>"Now, sah," said Pete. "You see what dat man want to +do. He lose you in de swamp, den go home, say you fell in +de water and was drowned. Den he an' his dad, dey take +dat blow-up bullet ob yours an' sell him."</p> + +<p>Lionel Rutherford was aghast. He had never dreamed of +such wickedness.</p> + +<p>"But we beat dem," went on Pete, with a chuckle. "I like +you, an' I hate dat Randal."</p> + +<p>"What can we do?" asked Lionel eagerly.</p> + +<p>"Why, we play de same trick on him he try play on you. +We take all de stuff, go off, an' leab him. He no more find +his way out of de Big Cypress dan you. Only Pete know de +trails."</p> + +<p>"That won't do, Pete," returned Lionel sharply. "I won't +be any party to murder."</p> + +<p>Pete was amazed. He expostulated strongly.</p> + +<p>"No, I'll tell you what we will do, Pete. We'll go off and +hide, and let him think he's lost. We'll follow and watch, +and when he's got the soul nearly scared out of him we'll +find him again. See?"</p> + +<p>Pete saw. He chuckled again in high good humor. "Dat's +a very fine game, sah. We play dat to-morrow morning. +Now I take de things away, an' when Randal wake he find no +breakfast, no Pete, no nothing."</p> + +<hr class="tb" /> + +<p>"He done lost hisself, sure pop!" declared Pete.</p> + +<p>It was nine o'clock next morning, and Lionel Rutherford +and the negro had been following Randal for more than an +hour.</p> + +<p>His language when he woke up and found Pete gone had +been something appalling.</p> + +<p>Having found that this did no good, he had started off back +along the track they had come by on the previous day, but in +less than ten minutes he was off it; and the two, who followed +at a discreet distance, had watched his growing fury +and fright when he found himself quite lost in the pathless +depths of the wilderness.</p> + +<p>"He can't go dat way much furder," observed Pete. "He +gettin' down in de deal bad swamp. He go in up to his fool +neck if he don't be keerful."</p> + +<p>Sure enough the quaking muck-land broke beneath the +young scoundrel's weight, and in he went. With a yell of +fright he caught at a branch, pulled himself out, and staggered +back.</p> + +<p>"What's he going to do now?" whispered Lionel.</p> + +<p>"Reckon he going climb dat tree an' see whar he am."</p> + +<p>Pete was right. Randal began shinning up the stem of a +tall, slender tree by the water's edge, the only one which +seemed to give a possible view of any of the surrounding +country. No doubt he thought he might spot the trail from +the summit.</p> + +<p>Rutherford, who had been staring hard at the tree, suddenly +clutched Pete's arm. "What's that thing up in the branches +just above him?" he asked sharply.</p> + +<p>Pete took a long stare. "By golly, sah, it am a snake! +An' a mighty big one, sure!"</p> + +<p>Rutherford started forward, slipping a cartridge into his +rifle.</p> + +<p>"Don't shoot, sah," whispered Pete. "Dat ain't no poison +snake. It am only a old white oak snake."</p> + +<p>"Looks like an ugly customer," muttered Lionel.</p> + +<p>At this moment Randal reached the first boughs and stood +up. The movement alarmed the snake, which raised its ugly +head and hissed sharply.</p> + +<p>Randal heard the hiss, and, turning, saw the reptile. He +gave a scream of terror, and almost lost his hold. Then he +backed rapidly on to a branch which actually overhung the +creek.</p> + +<p>"Time to end this now," said Rutherford, raising his rifle. +"I shall shoot the snake."</p> + +<p>Pete seized his arm. "De snake won't hurt him, sah. But +dey will."</p> + +<p>He pointed to the water. The big alligator had seen Randal, +and silently moved up till it was just beneath him. Another +of almost equal size had also risen to the surface. +Yellow eyes agleam, the hideous brutes were watching for +this rash intruder upon their domain.</p> + +<p>At the very instant there was a snapping crackle. The +bough on which Randal cowered was breaking. And the +wretched man, clinging vainly for a hold, had caught sight +of the huge reptiles below. He screamed till the forest resounded +with his agonizing cries.</p> + +<p>He snatched at the branches above, but could reach only +twigs, which broke in his grasp. He was falling clean into +the open jaws of the alligators.</p> + +<p>If Rutherford's rifle had been loaded only with an ordinary +cartridge nothing could have saved Randal. It was just pure +luck that he had flung one of his explosives into the breech.</p> + +<p>Simultaneous with Randal's fall the rifle spoke. The bullet +caught the nearest alligator on the side of the head, and +the air was full of mangled fragments of flesh and bone.</p> + +<p>Into this horrible geyser Randal dropped heavily and vanished.</p> + +<p>Next moment he rose again, and struck out madly for the +bank.</p> + +<p>"I can't shoot again," cried Lionel. "I should kill him if +I did."</p> + +<p>"Dere ain't no need to," said the negro. "You done scared +de stuffin' out ob dat oder gator."</p> + +<p>"Thank goodness he's safe," exclaimed Lionel as Randal +scrambled ashore and fell in a heap on the bank. "Now +we'd better get him home."</p> + +<p>Pete laughed. "Yes, sah. I reckon he done had enough +ob de Big Cypress."</p> + +<p>When Randal came round Rutherford soon realized he +had no more to fear. The fellow's nerve was broken. He +shivered and trembled like a frightened child.</p> + +<p>They took him home, and then Lionel went boldly to Colonel +Fearon, and told him the whole story plump and plain. +When he had finished the colonel sat speechless. His face +was gray and pinched.</p> + +<p>Lionel looked at him. "I shan't make any trouble for you," +he said coolly. "All I want is those introductions. Write +them now, and I'll take them myself to Washington."</p> + +<p>Without a word the colonel obeyed.</p> + +<p>Lionel Rutherford is now a rich and rising man. Pete +is his faithful major-domo. Whenever Lionel gets a holiday +the two go off down south for a week or two of shooting. +But they never again penetrated the desolate depths of the +Great Cypress.</p> +<hr class="chap" /> + + + + +<h2 class="huge bb"> +<a href="images/i1large.jpg"><img src="images/i1.jpg" width="48" height="23" alt="hand" /></a> +<a name="LATEST_ISSUES" id="LATEST_ISSUES">LATEST ISSUES</a> +<a href="images/i2large.jpg"><img src="images/i2.jpg" width="48" height="23" alt="hand" /></a> +</h2> + + +<hr class="r5" /> +<h3>BUFFALO BILL STORIES</h3> + +<p>The most original stories of Western adventure. The only weekly containing the adventures of the famous +Buffalo Bill. <b>High art colored covers. Thirty-two big pages. Price, 5 cents.</b></p> + +<p> +405—Buffalo Bill and the Rope Wizard; or, A Tie-up with the Riata King.<br /> +406—Buffalo Bill's Fiesta; or, At Outs with the Duke of Cimarron.<br /> +407—Buffalo Bill Among the Cheyennes; or, The Rescue of Paquita.<br /> +408—Buffalo Bill Besieged; or, Texas Kid's Last Trail.<br /> +409—Buffalo Bill and the Red Hand; or, The Ranch of Mystery.<br /> +410—Buffalo Bill's Tree-Trunk Drift; or, The Cold Game "Gent" from Red Tail.<br /> +411—Buffalo Bill and the Spectre; or, A Queer Layout in Spook Cañon.<br /> +412—Buffalo Bill and the Red Feathers; or, The Pard Who Went Wrong.<br /> +413—Buffalo Bill's King Stroke; or, Old Fire-top's Finish.<br /> +414—Buffalo Bill, the Desert Cyclone; or, The Wild Pigs of the Cumbres.<br /> +415—Buffalo Bill's Cumbres Scouts; or, The Wild Pigs Corralled.<br /> +</p> + + +<hr class="r5" /> +<h3>BRAVE AND BOLD WEEKLY</h3> + +<p>All kinds of stories that boys like. The biggest and best nickel's worth ever offered. <b>High art colored +covers. Thirty-two big pages. Price, 5 cents.</b></p> + +<blockquote> + +<p>321—Madcap Max, The Boy Adventurer; or, Lost in the Land +of the Mahdi. By Frank Sheridan.<br /> +322—Always to the Front; or, For Fun and Fortune. By Cornelius +Shea.<br /> +323—Caught in a Trap; or, The Great Diamond Case. By +Harrie Irving Hancock.<br /> +324—For Big Money; or, Beating His Way to the Pacific. By +Fred Thorpe.<br /> +325—Muscles of Steel; or, The Boy Wonder. By Weldon J. +Cobb.<br /> +326—Gordon Keith in Zululand; or, How "Checkers" Held the +Fort. By Lawrence White, Jr.<br /> +327—The Boys' Revolt; or, Right Against Might. By Harrie +Irving Hancock.<br /> +328—The Mystic Isle; or, In Peril of His Life. By Fred Thorpe.<br /> +329—A Million a Minute; or, A Brace of Meteors. By Weldon +J. Cobb.<br /> +330—Gordon Keith Under African Skies; or, Four Comrades +in the Danger Zone. By Lawrence White, Jr.<br /> +331—Two Chums Afloat; or, The Cruise of the "Arrow." By +Cornelius Shea.</p></blockquote> + + +<hr class="r5" /> +<h3>MOTOR STORIES</h3> + +<p>The latest and best five-cent weekly. We won't say how interesting it is. See for yourself. <b>High art +colored covers. Thirty-two big pages. Price, 5 cents.</b></p> + +<p> +1—Motor Matt; or, The King of the Wheel.<br /> +2—Motor Matt's Daring; or, True To His Friends.<br /> +3—Motor Matt's Century Run; or, The Governor's Courier.<br /> +4—Motor Matt's Race; or, The Last Flight of the "Comet."<br /> +5—Motor Matt's Mystery; or, Foiling a Secret Plot.<br /> +6—Motor Matt's Red Flier; or, On The High Gear.<br /> +7—Motor Matt's Clue; or, The Phantom Auto.<br /> +8—Motor Matt's Triumph; or, Three Speeds Forward.<br /> +9—Motor Matt's Air-Ship; or, The Rival Inventors.<br /> +</p> + + +<p><i>For sale by all newsdealers, or will be sent to any address on receipt of price, +5 cents per copy, in money or postage stamps, by</i></p> + +<p>STREET & SMITH, Publishers, 79-89 Seventh Avenue, New York</p> + + +<blockquote> + +<p><b class="medium">IF YOU WANT ANY BACK NUMBERS</b> of our Weeklies and cannot procure them from your newsdealer, they can be +obtained from this office direct. Fill out the following Order Blank and send it to +us with the price of the Weeklies you want and we will send them to you by return mail. <b>POSTAGE STAMPS TAKEN THE SAME AS MONEY.</b></p></blockquote> + +<hr class="r5" /> + +<table summary="form" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5"> + +<tr><td colspan="6" class="tdr sig">________________________ <i>190</i></td></tr> +<tr><td colspan="6"><i>STREET & SMITH, 79-89 Seventh Avenue, New York City.</i><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;"><i>Dear Sirs: Enclosed please find</i> ___________________________ <i>cents for which send me</i>:</span> +</td></tr> +<tr><td> </td></tr> +<tr><td><b>TIP TOP WEEKLY,</b></td><td class="tdc"><b>Nos.</b></td><td class="br">______________________</td> +<td><b>BUFFALO BILL STORIES,</b></td><td class="tdc"><b>Nos.</b></td><td>______________________</td></tr> + +<tr><td><b>NICK CARTER WEEKLY,</b></td><td class="tdc"><b>"</b></td><td class="br">______________________</td> +<td><b>BRAVE AND BOLD WEEKLY,</b></td><td class="tdc"><b>"</b></td><td>______________________</td></tr> + +<tr><td><b>DIAMOND DICK WEEKLY,</b></td><td class="tdc"><b>"</b></td><td class="br">______________________</td> +<td><b>MOTOR STORIES,</b></td><td class="tdc"><b>"</b></td><td>______________________</td></tr> + +<tr><td> </td></tr> +<tr><td colspan="6" class="tdc"> +<i>Name</i> ________________ <i>Street</i> ________________ <i>City</i> ________________ <i>State</i> ________________<br /> +</td></tr></table> +<hr class="chap" /> + + + + +<h2 class="bb"><a name="ADVENTURES_OF_A_BOY_GENIUS" id="ADVENTURES_OF_A_BOY_GENIUS">ADVENTURES OF A BOY GENIUS</a></h2> + +<p class="bb center huge">MOTOR STORIES</p> + + +<p>Most five-cent weeklies are founded upon the adventures of boy wonders who perform all sorts of +impossible feats and who never act or talk as a boy really does. This is displeasing to the intelligent boy of +the present day, who is better educated, and who, consequently, demands more logical reading than the +old-time boy did.</p> + +<p>The boys who want to learn something from what they read, as well as to be interested by it, will +never find another publication that will satisfy them so well as MOTOR STORIES. "Motor Matt" is not +an impossible boy character. He is simply a youth who has had considerable training in a machine shop +where motors of all kinds were repaired, and who is possessed of a genius for mechanics. His sense of +right and wrong is strongly developed, and his endeavors to insure certain people a square deal lead him +into a series of the most astonishing, but at the same time the most natural, adventures that ever befell a boy.</p> + +<p>Buy the current number from your newsdealer. We feel sure that you will be just as enthusiastic +about it as the fifty thousand other boys throughout the United States have become.</p> + +<p class="center"><b><i>HERE ARE THE TITLES NOW READY:</i></b></p> + +<blockquote> +<p><b> +No. 1.—Motor Matt; or, The King of the Wheel.<br /> +No. 2.—Motor Matt's Daring; or, True to His Friends.<br /> +No. 3.—Motor Matt's Century Run; or, The Governor's Courier.<br /> +No. 4.—Motor Matt's Race; or, The Last Flight of the "Comet."<br /> +No. 5.—Motor Matt's Mystery; or, Foiling a Secret Plot.<br /> +No. 6.—Motor Matt's Red Flier; or, On the High Gear.<br /> +No. 7.—Motor Matt's Clue; or, The Phantom Auto.<br /> +</b></p> +</blockquote> + +<p class="center">TO BE PUBLISHED ON APRIL 12th</p> + +<blockquote> +<p><b> +No. 8.—Motor Matt's Triumph; or, Three Speeds Forward.<br /> +</b></p> +</blockquote> + +<p class="center">TO BE PUBLISHED ON APRIL 19th</p> + +<blockquote> +<p><b> +No. 9.—Motor Matt's Air-ship; or, The Rival Inventors.<br /> +</b></p> +</blockquote> + +<p class="center">TO BE PUBLISHED ON APRIL 26th</p> + +<blockquote> +<p><b> +No. 10.—Motor Matt's Hard Luck; or, The Balloon House Plot.<br /> +</b></p> +</blockquote> + +<p class="center">TO BE PUBLISHED ON MAY 3d</p> + +<blockquote> +<p><b> +No. 11.—Motor Matt's Daring Rescue; or, The Strange Case of Helen Brady.<br /> +</b></p> +</blockquote> + +<p class="center">TO BE PUBLISHED ON MAY 10th</p> + +<blockquote> +<p><b> +No. 12.—Motor Matt's Peril; or, Cast Away in the Bahamas.<br /> +</b></p> +</blockquote> + +<hr class="r5" /> + +<p class="bb"> +<b class="large">Price, Five Cents</b> At all newsdealers, or sent, postpaid, by the publishers +upon receipt of the price.<br /> +</p> + +<p class="center large"><i>STREET & SMITH, Publishers, NEW YORK</i></p> + + + +<hr class="chap" /> +<h2><a name="Transcribers_Notes" id="Transcribers_Notes">Transcriber's Notes:</a></h2> + + +<p>Retained inconsistent hyphenation ("reentered" vs. "re-entered").</p> + +<p>Page 12, changed "anyhere" to "anywhere" ("we can go anywhere").</p> + +<p>Page 13, removed unnecessary quote before "In the letter, over his own signature." Changed "propellor" +to "propeller" ("propeller forces the air-ship").</p> + +<p>Page 16, changed "Yon" to "You" ("You can handle the machine").</p> + +<p>Page 18, changed "times" to "time" ("right time arrives").</p> + +<p>Page 19, changed "geen" to "been" ("chum has been getting").</p> + +<p>Page 26, changed "Mat" to "Matt" ("get a look at Matt").</p> + +<p>Page 27, changed "nearer" to "neared" ("As they neared").</p> + +<p>Page 28, changed "bulding" to "building" ("big building were closed").</p> + +<p>Page 29, changed "crossel" to "crossed" ("curious expression crossed"). +Changed "outwarlly" to "outwardly" ("outwardly looked precisely"). +Changed "varandaed" to "verandaed."</p> + +<p>Page 30, changed "thicked" to "thicker" ("thicker grew the").</p> + +<p>Page 31, changed "clutchel" to "clutched" ("clutched Pete's arm").</p> + +<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 47901 ***</div> +</body> +</html> |