Motor Matt's Red Flyer; or, On the High Gear
Motor Stories Thrilling Adventure Motor Fiction No. 6, April 3, 1909 (2024)

E-text prepared by David Edwards, Demian Katz,
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
(http://www.pgdp.net)
from page images generously made available by
Villanova University Digital Library
(http://digital.library.villanova.edu/)

Issued Weekly. By subscription $2.50 per year. Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1909, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress,Washington, D. C., by Street & Smith, 79-89 Seventh Avenue, New York, N. Y.

MOTOR MATT'S RED FLIER

OR,

ON THE HIGH GEAR.

By the author of "MOTOR MATT."

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I. STRANDED "UNCLE TOMMERS."
CHAPTER II. THE RED FLIER GETS A LOAD.
CHAPTER III. THE STOLEN RUNABOUT.
CHAPTER IV. THE COAT IN THE RUMBLE.
CHAPTER V. MATT BEGINS A SEARCH.
CHAPTER VI. LOSING THE BOX.
CHAPTER VII. A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE.
CHAPTER VIII. SPIRITED AWAY.
CHAPTER IX. AN UNEXPECTED MEETING.
CHAPTER X. A DARING PLAN.
CHAPTER XI. ON THE ROAD.
CHAPTER XII. A CLOSE CALL.
CHAPTER XIII. CAR AGAINST CAR.
CHAPTER XIV. DOWN THE MOUNTAIN.
CHAPTER XV. MOTOR MATT'S TEN-STRIKE.
CHAPTER XVI. MORE TROUBLE FOR THE "UNCLE TOMMERS."
CHAPTER XVII. CONCLUSION.
A SNOWBALL FIGHT.
SECRETS OF TRICK SHOOTING.
REELFOOT LAKE.
A FLOATING SLUM.
WILD HORSES OF NEVADA.

CHAPTER I.

STRANDED "UNCLE TOMMERS."

"Help! Some ob yo' folks ahead, dar! Unc' Tawm'sin de ruvver! He drapped de box, an' went in afteh hithead first lak er frawg. He's drowndin', he sholey is! Bygolly! Legree! Eliza! Come back hyeh dis minyit!Unc' Tawm's drowndin'!"

Topsy was making a terrific commotion. While shescreeched for help she ran circles on the river-bank, tossingher hands wildly. If she had put some of her aimlessenergy into helping Uncle Tom, the kinky-headed oldnegro in the water would have been a whole lot better off.He was floundering and thrashing and making a gooddeal of noise himself.

"Hit's ovah mah haid!" he spluttered. "Ah's done gotde crampus en mah lef' laig an' Ah's monsus bad off!Bl-r-r-r! Dat's twicet Ah's gawn down, en de nex' timeAh's gwine down tuh stay. Doan' put yo'se'f out none—doan'scramble so ha'd yo' lose yo' bref. Hit's only acoon whut's drowndin', so take yo' time gittin' hyehan'——"

Uncle Tom swallowed a bucket of water, more or less,just then, and his language was submerged.

"Mercy sakes!" cried Eliza breathlessly, hurrying backthrough the brush, closely tagged by Little Eva and Legree."Do something, somebody! Oh, I wish we had arope. Hang onto the box, Uncle Tom," she added encouragingly;"we'll get you out!"

"Oh, biscuits!" scoffed Little Eva. "Stop t'rowin' yerselfaround like dat an' try ter float. De way yous handlesyerself, Uncle Tom, gives me a pain. Can't y' swim?"

Legree was carrying a blacksnake whip.

"Here," he yelled, posting himself on the edge of thebank and reaching out to throw the whip-lash toward theold negro, "grab hold of that and I'll snake you ashoretoo quick for any use."

Uncle Tom was beyond talking, but he shook the waterfrom his eyes, saw the whip and grabbed it. ThereuponLegree laid back on the handle and pulled. Uncle Tomwas brought upright, his feet on the river-bed. The watercame just above his knees, and he waded ashore.

"Well, de old geezer!" exploded Little Eva. "Say,give me a pair o' high-heeled shoes an' I'll walk acrost datroarin' torrent widou' never wettin' me kicks. How much[Pg 2]water does it take ter drown yous, Uncle Tom? Oh, sister,what a jolt."

Little Eva began to laugh.

"Dat's right," gurgled Uncle Tom, splashing aroundon one foot to get the water out of his ear, "laff, laff an'show yo' ignunce. Dat didun' git away f'um me, nohow,"and he threw a small tin box on the ground in frontof Legree.

Eliza stooped and picked up the box.

"You take care of that, Eliza," said Legree. "UncleTom must have been careless. What were you and Topsywalking along by the river for?" he added, turning to theold negro.

"We reckons we mout hook er fish," explained Topsy,pointing to the ground where a stick with a fish-line attachedto its end had been dropped.

"Ah'm gettin' pow'ful hongry," complained Uncle Tom,"en Ah doan' see how we-all's gwine tuh eat if we doan'ketch er fish er kill er possum, er somepin lak dat. Mahgoodness, but Ah'm holla cleah down tuh mah shoes. Ifa piece ob bresh hadun' switched dat box out'n mah han',Ah wouldn't hab got en de ruvver. Anybody dat wantstuh kin tote dat 'ar box. Ah done had enough ob it."

"Cheer up, Uncle Tom," said Eliza. "When we get tothe next town we'll have something to eat."

"Huccome yo' allow dat, Miss 'Liza? Whah we git demoney, huh?"

"I've got a ring," answered Eliza, with a little break inher voice, "and I'll pawn it."

"No, you don't, Eliza," said Legree. "I've got a watch,and I'll pawn that."

"Wisht I had somet'in' t' soak," said Little Eva. "Brisco'shead wouldn't be a bad t'ing, eh? Say, mebby Icouldn't hand dat mutt a couple o' good ones if he washandy!"

Legree brought his hand around and boxed the boy'sears—for "Little Eva," in this case, was a boy of nine.

"Stow it," growled Legree, who happened to be theboy's father. "You can talk a lot without saying much,kid. Come on, everybody," he added. "The quicker weget to Fairview the quicker we eat. You and Topsy keepin the road, Uncle Tom, and don't lag behind."

"How's Ah gwine tuh git dried off?" fretted UncleTom. "De rheumatix is li'ble tuh come pesterin' erroun'if Ah ain't mouty keerful wif mahse'f."

"Walk fast, Uncle Tom," said Legree, starting backtoward the road.

"Ah kain't walk fast," said the old man; "hit's all Ahkin do tuh walk at all, kase Ah's mighty nigh tuckered.Dishyer walkin'-match is monsus tough on er ole man,sho' as yo's bawn. Ain't dey no wagons in dis country?Whaffur dey got er road if dey ain't got no wagons?Ah'd give a mulyun dollahs if Ah had it fo' a mu-el en awagon."

Topsy pushed close to Uncle Tom's side, grabbed hiswet sleeve and helped him along. In a few minutes theybroke away from the river-bank into the road.

Little Eva didn't seem to mind walking. He prancedalong with a pocket full of stones, and every once in awhile he stopped to make a throw at a road-runner or achipmunk.

Trees and brush lined the road on each side, growingso thickly that it was impossible to see very far into thetimber. Eliza and Legree, talking over the difficulties inwhich they found themselves and trying to plan some wayfor surmounting them, were pretty well in advance, whileUncle Tom and Topsy were pretty well in the rear. LittleEva was dodging around in between, now and then shyingat something with a stone.

The strange little party had not proceeded far beforethe boy heard a noise in the brush. Heedless of what hemight find in such a wild country, he jumped into thethicket. And then he jumped out again, yelling like aComanche.

"Run!" he piped frenziedly, tearing along the road."Dere's somet'ing chasin' me an' it's as big as a house an'has a mout' like a church door. Sprint! Sprint fer yerlives!"

The other four gave their immediate attention to LittleEva, and then changed it to something that rolled out ofthe undergrowth directly behind them.

"A bear!" yelled Legree. "Hunt a tree, kid! Everybodyclimb a tree!"

This is exactly what everybody proceeded to do. LittleEva shinned up a sapling, Legree gave Eliza a boost intoa scrub oak, and then started for a neighboring pine himself,and Uncle Tom displayed a tremendous amount ofreserve force, considering his age and his recent experience.

"Ah knows dis trip is gwine tuh be de deaf ob me," hefluttered, getting astride a limb and hugging the trunk ofthe tree with both arms. "Mah goodness!" he chattered,craning his neck to get a good look at the cause of the disturbance."Go 'way f'um hyeh, you! We-all doan' wantno truck wif you."

The bear was a grizzly—not a large grizzly, but plentylarge enough. There were lots of bigger bears in thatpart of Arizona, but this was the biggest one Fate had torun in among those unlucky "Uncle Tommers."

Having gained a position about half-way up and downthe line of treed actors, the bear sat down in the road andproceeded to enjoy the situation.

"Are you all right?" sang out Legree from the top ofthe pine: "is everybody all right?"

"If bein' hung up like dis is wot yous call all right,dad," answered Little Eva, "den it's a lead pipe dat we'sall t' de good. But, say, I ain't feelin' real comfertablein me mind."

"Shoo dat animile away, Mistah Legree," begged Topsy."Hit ain't right tuh make us stay hyeh lak dis whenwe's all tiah'd out."

"Go right up to de beah, Legree," suggested UncleTom, "en tie dat whip erroun' his neck an' strangle de lifeouten him. Beah meat is mighty nigh as good as possum,an' we kin git fo' er five dollahs fo' de pelt."

"Oh, dear!" murmured Eliza. "I do wish he'd goaway. I guess he's thinking more about making a mealoff of us than letting us make one from him."

"Dey trabbles in paihs," called Uncle Tom in tremblingtones, by way of enlivening the situation. "Hit's laksnakes, en wherebber yo' finds one yo' sholey is gwine tuhfin' anudder."

"Ah hears de odder!" screamed Topsy. "He's champin'down de road lak er singed cat. Heah him! Oh, mahgolly! We's all as good as daid—we's all gwine tuh beet up."

Strange noises were coming from along the back track,coming rapidly and growing louder and louder.

"Dat odder one's bigger 'n a efelunt!" palpitated UncleTom, climbing a couple of limbs higher. "All Ah hopesis dat he ain't big enough tuh reach up en take me outende tree. Ah's a gone nigg*h, Ah feels hit en mah bones."

[Pg 3]

The bear heard the approaching noise, and it seemedto puzzle him. He sniffed the air, shook his head forebodingly,and then dropped down on all fours and ambledinto the brush.

The next moment, to the astonishment of the fouractors, a sparkling red automobile rushed into sight, comingfrom the direction of Ash Fork and headed towardFairview.

A youth in leather cap and jacket was in the driver'sseat; beside him was a young German in a "loud" suit anda red vest.

"Pretzel!" yelled Little Eva; "I'm a jay if it ain't Pretzel!"

"Saved!" cried Eliza.

The big red touring-car came to a halt in about thesame place where the bear had recently held the fort.

The faces of the two boys in the car were pictures ofamazement as they stared at the odd assortment of actorshanging in the trees.

"Vell, py shinks," exclaimed the Dutch boy, "dis vas ajeerful pitzness und no mistake. It iss der fairst time Iefer knowed it bossiple to pick actor-peoples oudt oof derdrees. Vat you t'ink oof dot, Motor Matt?"

CHAPTER II.

THE RED FLIER GETS A LOAD.

Motor Matt didn't know what to think. The queerestlot of people he ever saw were dropping out of the treesand hurrying toward the automobile.

First, there was a young woman of seventeen or eighteen,wearing a dust-coat and gauntlets. There was alook of intense relief on her pretty face.

Following her came a tall, slimly built man, whoseclothes suggested the ruffian, but whose face was anythingbut vicious. He carried a blacksnake whip.

A boy trailed after the man. He wasn't a handsomeboy, by any means, but his eyes were bright and sharpand he had a clever look.

From the other way along the road came an old darkyin tattered, soggy clothes. A young negro girl hurriedalong beside him.

"Well," breathed Motor Matt, "if this ain't a brain-twisterI don't want a cent. Who are they, Carl? Oneof them seems to know you."

"Sure I knows him," spoke up the boy. "Got wise t'Carl Pretzel in Denver. 'Pretzel an' Pringle, MusicalMarvels.' W'ere's Pringle, Dutch?"

"Don't say someding aboudt him," answered Carl. "Ihaf scratched him off my visiding-list, yah, you bed you.Pringle iss some pad eggs, und ve don'd ged along miteach odder. Matt, dis vas Liddle Efa, who blays mit aUngle Dom's Capin Gompany. Ven he geds his leedlecurly-viggies on, he looks fine—schust like some girls, yes.Who iss der odder peobles, Efa?"

"Dis is me fader, Dutch," answered the boy; "he's deguy wot licks Uncle Tom in de show. De loidy is Eliza,an' say, she's got 'em all skinned w'en it comes t' jumpin'acrost de river on cakes of ice. Dat's Uncle Tom,scramblin' into de auto wit'out waitin' f'r an invite, an' degoil is Topsy."

"Young man," said Legree, stepping forward and addressingMotor Matt, "we're what's left of Brisco's UncleTom's Cabin Company. Brisco took all the funds and leftus in the lurch at Brockville, the station west of Ash Fork.The constable took our tent, and properties, and even thebloodhounds. We were left with the clothes we stood in,and that's all. Marks, and St. Clair, and the rest, made araise and rode back to Denver in the train. They didn'thave enough to help us out, and so we've started to walkas far as Flagstaff. When we get there, we're going toget up some sort of an entertainment and see if we can'tpull down enough hard cash to see us through to Denver.Brisco owes all of us money. Barrin' the kid, here,he beat each one of us out of more'n a hundred dollars.But we're goin' to get him; you see if we don't."

A grim look came to Legree's face.

"Veil," said Carl, "be jeerful und don'd vorry. I hafder same kindt oof pad luck, den I met oop mit ModorMatt und der luck dook a shange. Meppy yours vill dakea shange, too."

"We're going to Albuquerque," spoke up Matt, "andif you don't mind being crowded we can give you a liftas far as Flagstaff."

A long breath of satisfaction broke from Uncle Tom.

"Dat's fine," said he. "Dis nigg*h am sholy tuckered.Why doan' yo'-all git intuh de wagon? Dat beah amli'ble tuh come snoopin' an' pesterin' back."

"Pear?" cried Carl. "Vat you say, huh? Iss dere apear aroundt here?"

"Dat's no dream, Dutch," answered the boy. "Wotdid yous t'ink it was chased us up dem trees?"

"Everythin's been goin' wrong with us ever since wehit Brockville," said Legree. "A lot more'll happen, too,but I reckon we're done with the bear. This machinescared the brute away. How'll you have us in the car,Motor Matt?"

"Little Eva, as you call him," said Matt, laughing alittle as he looked at the boy, "had better get in front herewith Carl. That will leave four of you for the tonneau.It won't be long until we get to Fairview, and we'll stopthere for dinner."

"Um-yum," said Topsy; "golly, but dat sounds good!Dinnah! Heah dat, Unc' Tawn?"

Uncle Tom smacked his lips and rolled up the whitesof his eyes.

"Doan' say a wo'd, chile," he cautioned. "Dis seemsjess lak er dream, dis ride in de debble-wagon, de dinnah,en all. Yo' speak too loud, Ah's fearin' Ah's donegwine tuh woke up."

With his load of stranded actors aboard, all rejoicingin the good luck that had brought Matt and Carl alongwith the automobile at that particular time, the youngmotorist cranked up, threw in the clutch and started.Hardly were they under good headway when a sharp crycame from Eliza.

"Stop! The box! I dropped it when I got up into thattree."

Matt stopped the Red Flier.

"Pox?" cried Carl; "vat iss dot?"

"Dat's whut got me into de ruvver," said Uncle Tom."Ah 'lows dat box is er heap mo' trouble dan hit's worf."

"If we ever get hold of Brisco," returned Legree, "it'llbe that box that does it for us. Wait here a minute, MotorMatt, and I'll go back and get it. I think I knowright where it is."

Legree got out of the car, went back along the road,and vanished among the bushes.

[Pg 4]

"Is der money in der pox?" asked Carl.

"We don't know what's in it," answered Eliza.

"Dot's keveer. How vill dot pox helup you ged holtoof Prisco?"

"Brisco always kept it by him," went on Eliza, "so weknow he thinks it's valuable. He told Legree, once, hewouldn't lose the box for ten thousand dollars."

"How did you come to get hold of it?" inquired Matt.

"That's the queer part of it. Brisco left the Brockvillehotel during the night——"

"An' I picked it up by de door, next mornin'," chimedin the boy. "Brisco must have dropped it when he madedat getaway. It was blacker dan a stack o' black cats,dat night, an' he wasn't able t' use his lamps."

"When Marks, and Harris, and St. Clair, and the restof the company left Brockville," continued Eliza, "theytold us to keep the box and not give it up until Briscopaid over what he owed. We lost our wages and everythingelse we had except the clothes on our backs."

"Dot's me," spoke up Carl; "I vas fixed der samevat you are. Den, pympy, Modor Matt come along mithimseluf, shpoke some jeerful vorts mit me, dook mefor a bard, und luck made a shange. Meppy dot iss howit vill be mit you."

"Seems lak he was a long time findin' dat dere box,"said Uncle Tom. "Ah's honin' fo' dat hotel in Fairview,an' fo' dat dinnah, an' fo' to dry dese clothes. MistahLegree is a monstus long time, an' no mistake."

"Stay here, all of you," said Matt, getting out of thecar. "I'll go back and see if I can help find the box. Ifit's so important, it won't do to leave it behind."

"I'll go 'long wit' yous," chirped the boy.

Before he could get out of the car, the sharp, incisivenote of a revolver echoed from the bushes at the trail-side,close to the place where Legree had vanished intothem.

Eliza stifled a scream.

"Mah goodness!" fluttered Topsy. "Somebody's donegone tuh shootin'!"

"It wasn't dad, dat's a cinch!" cried the boy. "Hedidn't have no gun!"

"Stay there!" called Matt to the boy, as he whirledand hurried on. "Stand ready to crank up the machine,Carl," he added, "in case we have to start in a hurry."Matt had dropped into the troubles of these forlorn"Uncle Tommers" with bewildering suddenness. Hehadn't had the remotest notion that there was going tobe any violence, or shooting, and the report of the revolverhad sent a thrill of alarm through him.

Had Brisco been tracking the unfortunate actors, andhad he attempted to make way with the tin box just asLegree was about to secure it?

As Matt drew closer to the thicket, he heard sharpand angry voices. One voice he recognized as belongingto Legree, and the other struck a strangely familiar notein his ear. He had heard that voice somewhere before—butwhere?

There were only two voices taking part in the talk, butthe man who had intercepted Legree was armed. Mattknew it would stand him in hand to be cautious, so, insteadof turning directly from the road into the brush,he darted for the timber some distance beyond the sceneof the altercation. Then, making his way back warily, hepushed through the bushes.

He made very little noise—so little that his approachwas not heard by either of the two men. Legree, however,was standing in such a position that he could nothelp seeing Matt. He was facing the other man, and thelatter had his back to the young motorist.

There was something familiar about that back, buteven yet Matt could not recall who the man was.

The fellow was roughly dressed. In his right hand hewas holding a revolver, pointing it squarely at Legree,and in his left hand he was holding a small tin box.

"If ye think ye can fool Hank Brisco," the man withthe weapon was saying, "ye're far wide o' yer trail. He'sgot a ottermobill, now, what kin shoot through the kentrylike a cannon-ball, an' I reckon thar'll be some Cainraised on this part o' the range afore many moons. Youtake my advice an' hike out o' here without tryin' termake Hank any trouble, er——"

Just at that moment Motor Matt's opportunity came.Flinging himself forward suddenly, he grabbed the revolverout of the ruffian's hand.

"Bully for you, Matt!" cried Legree.

The next instant Legree's blacksnake whip had curleditself about the ruffian's left wrist, girdling the skin likea loop of fire.

The man roared out an oath. The pain must havebeen intense, for his fingers curled away from the boxand he caught his wrist with his other hand.

Matt stared. When the ruffian had turned and rushedinto the woods, cursing and vowing vengeance, Mattcontinued to stare.

"Ever seen that man before, Matt?" asked Legree,surprised at the boy's manner.

"I should say so!" exclaimed Matt. "Let's get backto the car. You've got back the box, but we haven'tseen the last of this—not by a long shot."

CHAPTER III.

THE STOLEN RUNABOUT.

Shouts of relief went up from those in the Red Flierat sight of Matt and Legree sprinting down the road,Legree with the box and Matt with the revolver.

"Hoop-a-la!" jubilated Carl; "be jeerful, eferypody.Here dey come alretty, und mit more as dey vent toged!"

"Fo' de lan' sake!" chattered Topsy; "Ah sholy expectedsome one had done been kilt."

"Git right in de kyah," urged Uncle Tom, "so we kingit erway f'om dis hyeh place. Beahs, en robbahs, enoddah spontaneous excitements is monstus tryin' to ernigg*h wif er empty stummick. Ah doan' lak shootin'nohow."

"Was dat some guy t'rowin' a bullet at yous, dad?"inquired Little Eva. "How close did he come t' ringin'de bell?"

"How many were there?" cried Eliza; "are they followingus?"

Matt jumped into his seat, and Legree scrambled forthe tonneau.

"Take this, Legree," called Matt, and dropped the revolverover the back of the seat.

Carl, who had been posted at the front of the machine,had already "turned over" the engine. As she[Pg 5]took the spark Carl crawled to his place beside Matt, andthe Red Flier glided away.

The young motorist was silent for a while, listeningas Legree told how he had gone searching for the boxand found it in the hands of a scoundrel whom he hadnever seen before. The Unknown had fired a revolver,but it had been more to intimidate Legree and keep himat a distance, for the bullet had not come anywhere nearhim. Legree finished with an account of how Matthad come up behind the ruffian and had saved theday.

"Dot's der vay Modor Matt does pitzness," said theadmiring Carl. "You bed my life he vas some virlvindsven he leds himseluf oudt."

"The name of the man who ran off and left yourcompany stranded was Hank Brisco, was it?" askedMatt.

"That was his name, Matt," replied Legree. "But whowas that tough-looking citizen that had me cornered,there in the thicket?"

"I'll have to tell you something that happened to Carland me, a few days ago, in order for you to understandthat part of it," answered Matt. "This touring-car belongsto Mr. James Q. Tomlinson, a wholesale jewelerwho lives in Denver. He and his driver, Gregory, havebeen touring the Southwest in it. A gang of thieves,among whom was a fellow called Hank, and anothercalled Spangler, robbed Mr. Tomlinson on the trail, severalmiles west of Ash Fork. Carl and I got mixed upin the trouble, and we had some exciting times racing theRed Flier against a high-powered runabout that thethieves stole from a wealthy cattleman named Lem Nugent.

"Mr. Tomlinson recovered his stolen property andwent on to Albuquerque with his driver, Gregory, hiringme to take the touring-car from Ash Fork to Albuquerque.That's how we happened to come along in time to helpyou out, Mr. Legree."

"If this man, Tomlinson, got back his stolen property,"asked Legree, "what became of the thieves?"

"Two of them, Hank and Spangler, got away with thecattleman's car. The stolen runabout can go like a bluestreak, and is lighter and faster than the Red Flier.Now, the man that tried to get the tin box, back therein the thicket, was none other than Spangler; and theother villain, who was called by the name of 'Hank,' wasthe fellow who left you in the lurch at Brockville."

"Shiminy grickets, how t'ings vill turn oudt mit demselufs,vonce und again!" clamored Carl. "Domlinsonvould like more as he can dell to haf dose fellers ketched,and Nuchent vants pooty pad dot he geds his car packsome more. He vill gif fife huntert tollars to any vonevat vill findt der car, und he vill gif fife huntert more forHank, und der same for Spangler." Carl leaned towardMatt with his eyes almost popping from his head. "Bard,"he asked, "can ve scoop it in?"

"I'd like to get back that runabout for Mr. Nugent,"said Matt, "but I don't know as we ought to take thetime to go fooling along on our way to Albuquerque."

"Vell, Misder Domlinson say dot dere vasn't anyhurry."

"He also said," continued Matt, "that he wouldn't trustthis car with everybody. If we should get to tearingaround after Hank and Spangler, and damage the Flier,we would find ourselves in a hole."

"You hadn't better bother trying to take us to Flagstaff,then," put in Legree, "for as long as we've gotthis tin box Brisco is going to keep on trying to get holdof it. If he chases us with that stolen runabout, whichyou say is a faster car than the Red Flier, you're goin'to run some risks with this machine."

"If we work it right," said Matt, "I guess we can getyou people to Flagstaff without being bothered much byHank and Spangler. It's queer, though, to have it turnout that those two scoundrels are mixed up in thesetroubles of yours."

"Ah's done had trouble enough," wailed Uncle Tom,"en Ah doan' know how Ah could stand any mo'. Ah'ser pretty ole nigg*h tuh go traipsin' erroun' afteh robbahs,en drappin' intuh rivvers, an' climbin' trees tuhsabe my hide from beahs. All de same, Ah 'lows someob dat money fo' ketchin' dat 'ar Brisco would comemouty handy. But Mistah Legree, yo' listen hyeh. IfBrisco sets sich er pow'ful store by dat 'ar box, mebbyhe'd buy hit offen de lot ob us, payin' us whut he owesjess tuh git holt ob hit. Why not, sah, entah intuh prognosticationswif him wif de view ob settlin' ouah compunctionsin er pleasin' manner?"

A shadow of a grin wreathed itself around Legree'slips.

"Well, Uncle Tom," he answered, "it's hard to prognosticatewith a chap who's so hard to find as Brisco is."

"Vere vas Hank vile Spangler vas looking for der pox,Matt?" asked Carl.

"That's a conundrum, Carl."

"Und vere vas der runaboudt?"

"Another conundrum."

"Vell, ditn't Spangler ride to der blace vere he comefor der din pox in der runaboudt?"

"I didn't see anything of the machine, but I was afraidit was somewhere around—which is the reason I was insuch a hurry to make a fresh start for Fairview."

"Ve don'd vas shased py der runaboudt, anyvay, unddot means dot it vasn't some blace around vere Spanglervas."

"Chee!" came from Little Eva, as he pointed ahead."Dere's de burg wot we're headin' fer. I'm a jay if itdon't look almost big enough fer two 'r t'ree people t'live in."

From the rising ground on which the Red Flier andits passengers found themselves, at that moment, Fairviewcould be fairly viewed. Perhaps there were twenty-fiveor thirty houses in the place, the main street beingbordered by half a dozen stores.

"Doan' yo' go an' tell me dar ain't no hotel," falteredUncle Tom.

"No matter how small a town is, Uncle Tom," returnedEliza, "travelers can always find a place to stay. Ourhardest work will be, I think, to discover some one whowill lend money on our jewelry."

"I'll furnish the jewelry, Eliza," said Legree. "Thiswatch of mine is worth enough, I think, to furnish uswith food and lodging while Motor Matt gives us a liftto Flagstaff."

"If you're out of cash," spoke up Matt, in his usualgenerous style, "I'll foot the bills. Some time, when youget on Easy Street, you can pay me back."

Uncle Tom's anxiety over the prospect fell from himlike a wet blanket.

"Yo's a gemman, Mistah Motah Matt," he declared,"yo' is what Ah calls a puffick gemman. Ah'm mos'lyindependent in dese money mattahs—dis is de fust time[Pg 6]since Ah can remembah dat Ah habn't had all ob twodollars in mah clo's—so hit is mouty spognoocious tuhmah pride, sah, to be fo'ced tuh accept a loan. Still,sah, Ah brings mahse'f to hit bekase yo' is so willin'an' so spendacious. In retu'n fo' dat, Mistah MotahMatt, Ah becomes on de spot yo' official mascot. Yassuh.Ah takes yo' luck en mah own han's, an' evah timewhat yo' do anyt'ing, Ah agrees tuh make yo' a winnah."

"Much obliged, Uncle Tom," laughed Matt.

"Go on wif yo'!" cried Topsy. "Why didun' yo' mascotdat 'ar company so dat Brisco couldn't do lak whathe done? Mascot! Yah, yah, yah!"

"Laff," returned Uncle Tom tartly, "laff an' show yo'ignunce! What yo' unnerstan' about luckosophy an'mascots? Yo' mouty triflin' an' tryin', dat's what yo' is.Wait twell yo' see what Ah does fo' Motah Matt."

During this talk, the Red Flier had glided down a longslope into the little town. It did not take long to traversethe main street, and as they jogged onward all eyeslooked carefully for a hotel.

Finally they saw a sign with a picture of somethingthat looked like a four-leaved clover. Under the picturewere the printed words, "Shamrock House."

"Dat 'ar fo'-leaved clovah means luck," averred UncleTom.

"It's supposed to be a shamrock, Uncle Tom," saidEliza, "and not a clover-leaf."

"Ah knows dat," went on Uncle Tom, "but hit sho'means luck. Ah done got de feelin'."

Motor Matt and Carl Pretzel "got the feeling," too, foraround at one side of the hotel they saw another automobile.There was no one around the car. Carl nearlydropped off his seat.

"Vas I plind mit meinseluf," he whispered, "or iss itder real t'ing vat I see? Matt, dere iss der shtolen runaboudt,mit nopody aroundt! Fife huntert tollars sayingit righdt oudt loud, 'Come, oh, come, somepody und pickme oop!'"

Matt was astounded; yet there was not the least doubtabout the runabout being the same car that had beenstolen.

"Is that the automobile Brisco ran away with?" demandedLegree, leaping energetically out of the tonneau."That's the one!" declared Matt.

"Then come with me, Matt, you and Carl," said Legree,starting for the hotel door. "Keep behind, though. I'marmed, now, and can meet Brisco in his own way if heshows fight."

CHAPTER IV.

THE COAT IN THE RUMBLE.

Matt, while following Legree toward the front of thehotel, was doing some quick thinking to account for thissurprising discovery of the runabout.

Very likely Brisco and Spangler were planning to recoverthe tin box. It must have been these plans thathad brought them eastward from the vicinity of Ash Fork.

Spangler had been dropped on the road to intercept thestranded players and get the box, while Brisco had comerecklessly into Fairview. Possibly Brisco had been compelledto come into town after gasoline and oil.

"Ah doan' want tuh be erroun' if dar's goin' tuh beany shootin'," palpitated Uncle Tom, rolling out of thetonneau with more haste than grace. "Ah used tuh bea reg'lar fire-eatah, en mah youngah days, but Ah dunkinder got ovah hit. Topsy, yo' an' Miss 'Liza come rightalong wif me, dis instinct. We'll go off whah dar's ersafe place fo' me tuh do mah mascottin' fo' Motah Matt."

Eliza and Topsy hurriedly descended from the car.Little Eva was already on the ground, but instead ofgoing around the hotel with Eliza, Topsy, and UncleTom, he strolled over to the runabout. In their excitement,the others did not miss the boy.

There were two windows in the hotel office—one inthe front wall, a dozen feet from the door, and one justaround the corner in the side wall. The window in theside wall overlooked the runabout.

Matt, doing some quick figuring, jumped at the conclusionthat Brisco, taken by surprise by Legree, wouldmake a bolt through one of the windows, both of whichwere open.

Close to the front window an eave-spout entered arain-water barrel. Matt did not believe Brisco, if hetried to escape by a window, would come out at the front,but at the side, where he would be nearer the runabout.With this idea in mind, Matt placed Carl behind thewater-barrel, while he went around the corner.

Through the window on that side the young motoriststole a cautious look.

Two men were leaning over a counter in the office.One was plainly an Irishman, and the proprietor of theplace, and the other was as plainly Hank Brisco. Mattknew Brisco too well to be mistaken in him. NeitherBrisco nor the Irish proprietor had heard the approachof the Red Flier, nor the entrance of Legree into theoffice.

With a grim smile on his face, and the revolver in hishand, Legree was leaning against the wall, just insidethe door, waiting for Brisco to turn around.

"Begorry," the proprietor was saying, "fifty cints agallon f'r th' gasoline is all I'm afther chargin' yez. Oiknow av robbers around here who'd be chargin' yez adollar a gallon, but that's not the way wid TerenceO'Grady. Fifty cints is th' most Oi'll take from yez.Fifteen gallons at fifty cints is sivin-fifty; then wandollar f'r oil makes eight-fifty. Eight-fifty from tin laveswan an a half, an' there yez are. Will yez shtay f'r dinner?Faith, we've as foine a male t'day as yez iver puttooth in, an' a dollar is all ut will cost yez."

"I reckon I'll stay, O'Grady," replied Brisco, pickinghis change off the counter and sliding it into his pocket.

Then he turned, and met the leveled weapon of Legree.Brisco's astonishment was ludicrous to behold. AndO'Grady was fully as startled.

"Phat th' blazes d'yez mean by thot?" and O'Gradyjumped over the counter and stood glaring at Legree.

"I'll explain," said Legree, with a coolness that filledMatt with admiration, "but while I'm talking, O'Grady,don't get between the point of this weapon and that man,there."

"Is ut a hould-up?" demanded O'Grady.

"Not at all. The man behind you knows me, and heknows that he owes me a hundred and twenty dollars."

"I don't know anything of the kind," replied Brisco,every whit as cool as Legree. "You've made a mistake,my man; and, besides, even if I did owe you money,you're trying to collect it in the wrong way."

"Roight yez are!" put in O'Grady. "Shtick thot pisthol[Pg 7]in yer pocket an' go off wid yez. This is a dacint, rayspectiblehotel, an' guns ain't allowed in th' place at all,at all. Av yez don't hike, begorry, Oi'll call in th' townmarshal."

"Call the marshal," said Legree; "he's the man I'd liketo have here. That fellow who just bought gasoline andoil at this place is one of the gang who robbed Tomlinson,the Denver jeweler, over west of Ash Fork, and stolethe automobile belonging to Nugent, the cattleman——"

Brisco began to laugh.

"What do you think of that, O'Grady?" he cried."Why, that car you just helped me fill with gasoline isTomlinson's car! I'm taking it east for him. Who thisman is, or what game he's trying to play, is more than Iknow."

Brisco was edging around toward the side window.

"Look out, Mr. Legree!" called Matt, through theopening. "He's trying to get where he can drop outhere."

Matt's words caused Brisco and O'Grady to swervetheir glances in his direction. A glint darted into Brisco'seyes at sight of Matt. Hank Brisco had good reason toremember the young motorist.

"This looks like a put-up job, O'Grady," said Brisco,still keeping the whip-hand of himself.

"Well, begob," cried O'Grady, "no pack av blackguardscan come into th' Shamrock Hotel an' shtir up throublef'r me customers. Clear out av here," he added, brandishinghis fists, "or Oi'll be afther gittin' busy wid mehands."

"Is that man the one who helped rob Tomlinson, Matt?"asked Legree, nodding his head toward Brisco.

"He's the one," answered Matt. "I'd know him anywhere.Don't let him——"

Just at that moment, O'Grady, wofully deceived, butthinking he was doing exactly what was right, kicked achair at Legree.

The chair struck Legree's shins with a force that hurledhim back against the wall.

"Now, then," roared O'Grady to Brisco, "make a runav it! Oi'll take care av this boonch av meddlers!"

With that, he hurled himself upon Legree and the twobegan to struggle, falling over the chair and droppingheavily on the floor.

They were directly across the doorway, and Briscosprang for the front window and pushed himself throughit.

"Shtop a leedle!" whooped Carl, dodging around therain-water barrel; "you don'd got avay so easy as dot,und—— Himmelblitzen!"

Brisco had grabbed the barrel. That happened to bethe dry season and the barrel was empty. Giving it awhirl, he threw it against the Dutch boy with a forcethat took him off his feet.

Thrashing his arms wildly, Carl laid himself down onthe rolling barrel and went caroming off toward the road.

Meantime, Matt, seeing that Brisco was making for thewindow guarded by Carl, had rushed around to the frontof the hotel. He reached the scene of the scrimmage justin time to be grabbed by O'Grady.

The racket in the office had brought O'Grady's Chinesecook from the kitchen; and, while the Chinaman continuedthe tussle with Legree, the proprietor of the hotelhad rushed out to see what more he could do for the manwho had paid him so well for gasoline and oil.

"Oi've got yez, yez meddlin' omadhoun!" shoutedO'Grady. "Oi'll tach yez t' come interferin' wid dacintpeople!"

With that he flung his arms around Motor Matt andhung to him with all his strength.

"Hang onto him, O'Grady!" cried Brisco, dashing forthe runabout.

"Niver yez fret!" panted the Irishman reassuringly;"good-by t' yez. Next toime yez come we'll give yezbetther treatment; there won't be so many hoodlumsaround t'——"

"Let go!" shouted Matt. Then, suddenly freeing hishands, he struck the deluded Irishman a quick blow.

O'Grady's hands relaxed for an instant. That instantgave Motor Matt his opportunity, and he tore himselffree.

About the same moment, Legree, hatless, angry, andchagrined, came running out of the office.

"Where's Brisco?" he demanded.

Just then the question was answered by Brisco himself.The runabout, leaping around the corner of thehotel, shot toward the road, a mocking laugh from Briscotrailing out behind.

"Not this time, Legree!" called Brisco, over his shoulder."Look out for me, from now on—you and MotorMatt!"

The runabout was headed westward. In the rumblebehind, lying partly over the rumble-seat, was a dust-coat.It undoubtedly belonged to Brisco, and he musthave thrown it aside while attending to the automobile,a few minutes before.

While Motor Matt and Legree stood staring at thereceding car, the coat lifted a little and a hand was waved.

"Great Scott!" cried Matt; "it's that boy."

Legree, far from showing any consternation, leanedagainst the wall of the building and laughed softly.

Matt was amazed.

"What's the matter with you, Legree?" he demanded.

"I'm just enjoying a situation that has a bad outlookfor Brisco," was Legree's queer answer.

"It has a bad outlook for the boy, too," said Matt.

"Don't worry about Little Eva. I know him betterthan you do, and he'll take care of himself."

At this moment the Chinaman came out of the hoteloffice and handed the revolver to O'Grady.

"Oi've had about all Oi want av this rough-house!"shouted O'Grady, his temper badly warped by the disturbanceand the blow Matt had dealt him. "Yez will shtayroight here, bedad, until Oi can have th' Chink go aftherth' town marshal. Go f'r Jennings, Ping," he added,flourishing the weapon in the faces of Matt and Legree,"an hustle. We'll make this slab-soided roosther laughon t'other soide av his face befure we're done wid him."

CHAPTER V.

MATT BEGINS A SEARCH.

Carl, having untangled himself from the barrel, brushedoff his clothes and rubbed his sore spots, came bristlingup to O'Grady.

"You vas grazy," he cried, "so grazy as I don'd know.Oof you hatn't fooled mit us, t'ings vould haf peen tifferent.Ve lose vone t'ousant tollars py vat you do![Pg 8]Yah, so helup me! Pud avay der gun und ged reasonaple."

"Huccome dat 'ar resolver change han's lak what Ahsee?" inquired Uncle Tom, stepping gingerly around thecorner of the hotel. "Didun' Ah do yo no good, mascottin'fo' yo', Motah Matt?"

Eliza and Topsy followed Uncle Tom, peering aboutthem excitedly and evidently expecting to find Brisco aprisoner.

"Something went crossways, Uncle Tom," said Matt."Brisco got away, and he took the stolen car with him.Mr. O'Grady, here, the proprietor of the hotel, didn'tunderstand the case and helped the wrong side."

By that time O'Grady was himself beginning to thinkthat he had made a mistake. The sight of the big redtouring-car, and of the odd assortment of passengerswho had arrived in it, afforded him food for thought.So he was thinking, lowering the revolver meanwhileand grabbing Ping, the Chinaman, by the queue to keephim from going after the marshal.

"Where did th' lot av yez come from?" O'Grady finallyinquired.

"Ash Fork," replied Legree.

"Them colored folks come wid yez?"

"Yes."

"Well, mebby Oi did make a bobble, Oi dunno. Tellme something more about ut."

Briefly as he could, Legree told of the robbery of Mr.Tomlinson and of the stealing of the cattleman's car,then wound up the recital by describing how Brisco hadrun off and left his theatrical company, and how MotorMatt had picked up those who were tramping along theroad and was giving them a lift as far as Flagstaff.

O'Grady seemed to take more stock in Motor Matt thanin any of the others. He watched the boy out of the tailsof his eyes while listening to Legree.

"Faith," said he, "yez are a har-r-d hitter, me lad.Oi'm feelin' th' rap yez give me this minyit, an' me jaw'llbe lame f'r a wake; but sure Oi desarved ut av so be Oi'mraysponsible f'r th' mon gittin' away. A good custhomerhe was, an' Oi make ut a rule t' trate good custhomerswid ivery consideration. Oi supplied him wid gasolineout av me private barrel, an' sint th' Chinee f'r oil whichOi let him have at double th' proice Oi paid f'r ut. Byth' same token, Oi felt loike tratin' th' mon white, d'yezsee? Now, av yez won't say annythin' more about th'fracas, sure Oi won't, an' we'll let bygones be bygones.Was yez all thinkin' av takin' dinner at th' Shamrock?"

"Dat 'ar was de notion we had, boss," spoke up UncleTom eagerly.

"Then, begorry, Oi'll make yez a special rate av sivindollars f'r th' six av yez."

"I'll give you three," said Matt.

"T'ree ut is," was the prompt rejoinder. "Th' ladiescan go t' th' parlor, an' th' gintlemen will foind a wash-benchby th' kitchen dure. Hurry up wid th' meal, Ping,"the proprietor added to the Chinaman.

O'Grady handed the revolver to Legree, excused himselfand went into the hotel.

"It don't take him long to forget the trouble he madeus," remarked Legree, with a wink. "He's wise, too, inbeing willing to overlook the matter if we are."

Motor Matt couldn't understand Legree. He didn'tappear to be worried in the least about the boy; on thecontrary, he seemed pleased with the situation.

"Where's the kid?" inquired Eliza.

"He went away with Brisco," replied Legree.

Startled exclamations came from Eliza, Uncle Tom, andTopsy.

"Don't fret about him," went on Legree, with a calmconfidence that was too deep for Matt, "for he'll comeback. I'll have to stay here and wait for him, of course,and if Matt feels as though he has to pull out for Flagstaffbefore the kid gets here, why, we'll have to comealong the best we can."

"The boy's in danger," said Matt, "and I'm not goingto leave Fairview until I try to do something for him."

"Don't go to any trouble, Matt," returned Legree, "forI tell you again the kid's able to look out for himself.This work of his may result in the capture of Brisco andthe recovery of the stolen car. After we eat, I'm goingto find a cot, lie down, and take a snooze. I've got thatcoming to me, I think, considering what I've been throughto-day. Let's hunt up that wash-bench and get ready fordinner."

Matt was in a quandary. He knew, by his own experience,that Brisco was a desperate man, and Legree'sfirm conviction that the boy would keep out of troublelooked like the craziest kind of misjudgment.

Following the dinner, to which they all did ample justice,Uncle Tom curled up on a door-step in the sun, Legreefound a hammock in the shade, and Eliza and Topsydisappeared inside the hotel. Matt led Carl off to theRed Flier.

"It's a queer layout, Carl," said Matt, nodding hishead in the direction of the hotel. "Hasn't it struck youthat way?"

"Vell," returned Carl, running his fingers reflectivelythrough his mat of tow-colored hair, "I vas making somereflections on der soobjeck. Leedle Efa don't seem tocut mooch ice mit Legree, hey? Or meppy he cut a wholelot dot ve don'd know aboudt."

"You knew the boy in Denver?" went on Matt.

"Yah, aber I forged vat his name vas, or vat he dit.Und I ditn't know vedder he hat a fader."

"Well, I don't think we ought to go on to Flagstaffuntil we find out something as to what becomes of theboy."

"Me, neider; aber how ve find oudt, hey?"

"We'll take the Flier and see if we can't track the runabout."

"Und oof ve come too close py der runaboudt, denvat?"

"We'll take some old bottles along. If the runaboutshows up and tries to chase us, we'll make a run of itand smash the bottles in the road behind us."

Carl chuckled. That was an expedient to which MotorMatt had already had recourse—and with brilliant success.

"Pully! I vill go findt der pottles, Matt, vile you gedder macheen retty."

Carl went off toward a junk-pile back of the wood-shed.By the time Matt had made the Red Flier ready,Carl was back with an armful of bottles.

"Ve vas on der high gear dis drip, you bed you," observedCarl, dumping the bottles into the tonneau. "Ilike dose oxcidements, yah, so. It vas goot for der nerfsund makes a fellow jeerful like nodding."

As they got into the car, ready for the start, Eliza camehurrying out of the hotel. She carried the box in herhand and made straight for the automobile.

"Where are you going, Matt?" she asked breathlessly.

[Pg 9]

"We're not intending to run off and leave you," Mattlaughed. "We want to see if we can't find out somethingabout Little Eva, as you call him. It don't seem rightto let the boy be carried off like this and not try to dosomething to help him."

"He's a queer kid," said Eliza thoughtfully. "He andLegree were only with the company about two months,and they both had a queer way about them, sometimes.But if Legree isn't worried I don't know why we oughtto be."

"I don't know, either," said Matt, "but I am, all thesame. Carl and I are going to see if we can't follow thetrail of the runabout for a ways. I don't think we'll begone more than an hour or two."

"May I go along?"

"Why, yes, if you want to; but hadn't you better leavethat box here?"

"Legree told me to keep it by me all the time," answeredthe girl.

"Probably he didn't intend for you to take it out intothe hills. Well, never mind. If it's so mighty valuableI guess Legree would be taking care of it himself. Jumpin, Eliza."

The girl climbed into the tonneau, and Carl closed thedoor. Matt started at low speed, getting into the roadat the same place where Brisco had driven the runabout.The trail of the broad wheels was well defined in thedust, and led along the course followed by the Red Flierin coming into town.

"Prisco vent oudt like ve come in," said Carl. "I'mvonderin' in my mindt oof he vent pack py Ash Fork?"

"Give it up, Carl," answered Matt. "I don't knowwhere he went. There's a whole lot about this businessthat's the rankest kind of guesswork."

"Sure! Liddle Efa vas foolish mit himseluf for geddingindo der car; und he vas foolish some more forshtaying der car in ven he mighdt chump it off. Abermeppy he hat his reasons, hey?"

"He must have had a reason for doing such a recklessthing, but he don't know Brisco so well as we do."

"He ought to, Matt," spoke up Eliza; "he was withthe company for two months."

"At that time," Matt answered, "Brisco had the bestpart of his character uppermost. Carl and I have seenthe worst side of him, and he's the biggest scoundrel outof jail."

"Vorse as dot!" averred Carl.

The tracks of the car led up the slope, out of the valleythat contained the town, and on along the Ash Forkroad.

Matt held the Flier down to an easy pace. For severalmiles the little party had a pleasant ride, without anyexcitement whatever. But there was plenty of excitementin store, and when it arrived it came suddenly.

A turn in the wooded road brought those in the carabruptly into a long, straightaway stretch. The instantthey were able to look along the trail beyond the turn, athrill shot through the nerves of all of them.

Three mounted men were coming toward the car at atearing clip. Evidently they had heard the pounding ofthe motor and had put their horses to top speed.

"Prisco!" shouted Carl; "und dere iss Spangler, too.Durn aroundt, Matt! Durn aroundt so kevick as dernation vill let you! Shiminy grickets, aber dis vas sutten!"

Motor Matt had recognized two of the riders as Briscoand Spangler, even before Carl had given his frightenedyell.

Where had Brisco exchanged his seat in the runaboutto the saddle of the horse? And why had he changed,and where had he left the car?

All this darted through the young motorist's mind ashe halted the Flier, reversed, and began backing to makethe turn.

CHAPTER VI.

LOSING THE BOX.

Matt had not dreamed of being pursued by horsem*n.The Red Flier would have no difficulty in running awayfrom anything on hoofs, and certainly she could leavethese three riders behind providing she could turn andget under headway before being overhauled.

Brisco, Spangler, and the other man were dangerouslyclose before Matt got the Red Flier turned the otherway. Just back from the bend there was a grassy hill,along the foot of which the road ran smoothly. It wasan excellent place for speed, and Matt jumped from firstto second, and from second to third with masterful quickness,considering the fact that he had to be careful aboutstripping the gear.

As the car leaped away, like a spirited horse under thespur, Brisco was alongside the tonneau. A scream fromEliza called the attention of both boys. Matt, of course,was busy with his driving and could not turn to see whatwas the matter. Carl, however, got on his knees in hisseat, face to the rear. What he saw brought an angryshout from his lips.

Brisco, leaning from his saddle, was reaching over theside of the tonneau. He had caught hold of the tinbox, and Eliza, hanging to it with both hands, wasstruggling to keep him from securing it.

"Leaf dot alone!" yelled Carl, floundering to get tothe girl's aid; "dot pelongs to Modor Matt!"

Carl was excited, but it wasn't excitement alone thatcaused him to say the box belonged to Matt. He knewBrisco was after a box he had once owned himself, andCarl had a hazy idea that if he said the box belonged toMatt it might be left alone.

The gathering speed of the car carried it away fromBrisco; and, as Brisco's one hand was stronger thanthe girl's two, the box remained with him.

Carl got into the tonneau, head over heels and with acrash like the breaking of a dozen windows—for he fellinto the heap of useless bottles. When he picked himselfup, the three riders, with jeering laughs, had pointed theirhorses the other way.

"It's gone, Matt!" cried the girl wildly; "the box isgone! Brisco snatched it out of my hands!"

"Vat a luck it iss!" growled Carl, holding one hand tohis face, where it had been cut by a piece of glass. "Igot pack here so kevick as I couldt, Miss Eliza, aber dotPrisco feller was kevicker as me. Donnervetter! Matt,ve come oudt to look for dot poy und ve lose der pox!Dot vill be some nice t'ings to dell Legree."

"Oh," cried the girl, half-crying; "I shouldn't havecome! Even if it was all right for me to come I oughtto have left the box at the hotel. Now we'll never beable to get our money from Brisco!"

[Pg 10]

Matt slowed down the car and took a look rearward.The three men were out of sight beyond the turn.

"Don't worry about it, Eliza," said Matt. "If any oneis to blame, I'm the one. There's something queer aboutthat tin box. If it's so valuable, why didn't Legree takecare of it himself? Why did he trust it to you?"

"Before I had it," returned the girl, "Uncle Tom wascarrying it. He lost it in the river, and had to jumpin after it."

"More carelessness on Legree's part! Uncle Tom, asI figure it, is about the most irresponsible member of yourparty, and yet Legree allowed him to carry a box which,Brisco had said, was worth ten thousand dollars. It don'tlook reasonable to me."

"Dot's vat it don'd!" exclaimed Carl. "Aber Priscovanted dot pox pooty pad to go afder it like vat he dit.Meppy it vas vort' a lod to him, und nodding to Legreeand der rest oof der parn-shtormers."

"Just because it was valuable to Brisco is the veryreason I should have been more careful with it," wenton the girl. "We might have made him pay us what heowed us, and then we could all have gone back to Denver.Now—now——"

The girl began to cry.

"Say," wheedled Carl, "I vouldn't do dot. You don'dhelup nodding novay oof you cry. Don'd fret aboudt derolt pox. Matt und me vill gif you der money to go pyTenver. Jeer oop a liddle."

"Take my word for it, Eliza," said Matt, as the girllifted her head and got better control of her feelings,"that box isn't worth a whole lot or Legree wouldn'thave taken chances with it like he did. I'm sorry Briscogot away with it, of course, and I'm going to hurry backto Fairview and do something I ought to have done before—andthat is, find an officer and put him on Brisco'strack."

"Dot von't amoundt to nodding, Matt," said Carl, climbingback into the front seat. "Prisco vill ged off derhorse und indo der runaboudt und der officer mighdtas vell dry to ketch some shtreaks oof greased lighdning."

"It may be, Carl," speculated Matt, "that the runabouthas broken down. I don't believe Brisco and Spanglerwould be able to fix the machine if anything very seriousgot the matter with it. Perhaps they had to leave thecar and take to horses."

"Vat's deir game, anyvay? Dot's vat I vant to know.Oof deir game vas to ged der pox, den it vas all ofer,und ve don'd haf nodding to do mit Brisco und Spanglersome more. Py shinks! Dot knocks us oudt oof at'ousand tollars, Matt."

"All Legree was keeping the box for," quavered thegirl, "was so that Brisco would follow us and try to getit. That would give us a chance to make Brisco pay whathe owed us."

"Legree ought to have hung onto the box himself,"insisted Matt.

"Prisco iss too schlick for Legree," asserted Carl.

"I wish I understood what Brisco and Legree are upto," muttered Matt. "There's more to this than appearson the surface."

"Yah, I bed you," agreed Carl, wagging his head. "OofI knew as mooch as I vould like, den I vould tell you allaboudt it, vich I don'd. Den dere iss Efa. His monkey-doodlepitzness makes der t'ing vorse."

A quarter of an hour later the Red Flier drew up inits old berth alongside the hotel. Eliza got out and ranhurriedly to tell Legree what had happened to the tinbox.

"I'm sorry for Eliza," said Matt, climbing slowly overthe brakes as he got out of the car. "She's a nice girl,and it's too bad she has to feel all cut up over the waythe box was taken from her. I've got a notion thatLegree is fooling them all—and you and me into thebargain, Carl."

"How you t'ink so, Matt?" asked Carl, opening his eyeswide.

"I don't know how he's doing it, or why he's doing it,but it's just a hunch I've got."

"How long ve going to shtay here?"

"I don't want to pull out until we learn somethingmore about this business. There are parts of it that havea crooked look to me."

At that moment Legree issued from the hotel. Hedid not act at all excited, although he must certainlyhave learned from Eliza what had happened.

"Eliza's been telling me what a time you've had," saidhe. "The principal thing is that Brisco has left the carand got onto a horse. I was surprised to hear that. Ican't imagine why a rascal, who's as badly wanted as heis, should leave a swift automobile and take to horseback."

"I should think, Mr. Legree," remarked Matt, "thatyou would be more interested in the loss of that box thanin anything else."

"Not at all. In fact, I haven't thought so much ofthat box since the lot of us left Ash Fork. It was a goodthing to hang onto, but it wasn't so terribly important.I've told Eliza not to feel bad over what happened. I'dfeel worse myself if the kid hadn't got away in thatrunabout, like he did."

All that Legree said merely made the whole situationdarker for Matt. And for Carl, too. The Dutch boystood blinking at Legree, and running his fingers throughthe tangle of tow he called his hair.

"You were keeping the box in the hope that Briscowould came after it and give you a chance at him,weren't you?" demanded Matt.

"Yes," answered Legree.

"Well, now that Brisco has got the box you can't expecthim to come after it."

"Hardly," and Legree gave a short laugh. Noting theperplexity of the two boys, he went on: "You miss onepoint, Matt, in sizing up this situation. We're not donewith Brisco—not by a long chalk. It isn't the box, butwhat was in it, that Brisco is anxious to get."

"Wasn't there anything in the box?" queried Matt.

"No, and there hasn't been since we left Ash Fork. Iopened the box on the q. t. in that town and took outwhat it contained. That object is in my possession. Iintend to stay in this town, Matt, until Brisco is captured.I don't care anything about Spangler; Brisco isthe man I want. If you've got time, you can stay andhelp me; and you can keep all you get for recovering therunabout for yourself."

"What will you get for your work?"

"Why, I'll send Brisco over the road. The contentsof that box will do it!"

Matt and Carl were dumfounded. The situation wasclearing a little, but not much.

[Pg 11]

CHAPTER VII.

A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE.

"Do you know this cattleman in Ash Fork who hadthe runabout stolen from him?" asked Legree.

"I know him by sight," answered Matt; "I'm not acquaintedwith him."

"Are you sure that he will pay five hundred dollarsfor the recovery of his automobile?"

"He said he would, and he's able to do it. And he offersto pay five hundred dollars apiece for the captureof Brisco and Spangler."

"Then there's a chance for you to make fifteen hundred.I'd advise you to stay here and do it."

Matt leaned against the car and went into a brownstudy.

Mr. Tomlinson had not required him to get to Albuquerquein a hurry. He could take a reasonable amountof time for the trip. But Mr. Tomlinson did expect thecar to be brought safely to its destination. Would Mattin any way endanger the car by staying a short time inFairview? That was the question that bothered him.

"I t'ink, Matt," said Carl, "dot I could use some oofdot fifdeen huntert. Vy nod shtay und dry dem a virl?"

"If I stay, Legree," observed Matt, "I won't be calledon to use the Red Flier for chasing Brisco and Spangler,will I? The car doesn't belong to me and I can't takeany chances with it."

"You can do as you please about that, Matt. I'mafter Brisco. If you get Spangler and the runabout,you'll have to do it in your own way. Spangler andBrisco, though, seem to be working together, just now,so my work ought to help you."

"Why not get an officer here and——"

"Do you want to divide with an officer what the cattlemanis willing to pay?"

"You know a lot that you're not telling me, Legree,"said Matt quietly.

"Well," grinned Legree, "when it comes to that, I knowa lot that I'm not telling anybody—just now. You'veheard more from me than any one else—excepting thekid."

"I think I'll lay over here until to-morrow," saidMatt.

"Hoop-a-la!" exulted Carl. "Be jeerful, everypody.I t'ink, Matt," he added, "dot I vill infest my haluf oofdot fifdeen huntert tollars in gofermend ponds, und——"

"Don't invest it till you get it, Carl," interposed Mattdryly. "Pull off your coat, now, and we'll wash up thecar and fill the tanks."

For two hours the boys were more than busy. Whilein Motor Matt's hands, the machine was always as carefullygroomed as a race-horse. Not only that, but afterthe day's run he made it a point to go over the machinerywith a wrench and pliers, tightening up everything thathad worked loose and making sure that every part wasin complete working order.

The water-tank was filled. Ten gallons of gasolinewere needed for the gasoline reservoir, but before hebought any from O'Grady, Matt tested it carefully witha hydrometer. Finding it nearly the same grade as hehad been using, he funneled it into the tank, not onlystraining it through wire gauze but through thin chamoisskin as well. The oil supply was also replenished.

When the boys were through, the Red Flier was asspick and span as when it had come from the shop. Notonly that, but it was fit to take the road at a moment'snotice and make a record run.

To Matt's regret, there was no place in town wherethe car could be housed for the night. There were twoor three old barns, but they were so foul and uncleanthat he would not take the machine into them. He preferredto leave it outdoors all night, sleeping in the tonneauand guarding against tampering.

When supper was announced, Carl watched the carwhile Matt ate; and when Matt had finished, Carl wentin for his own meal.

Uncle Tom, feeling much better now that his physicalnecessities had been relieved, walked out to the car withMatt when he left the dining-room.

There was something on the old negro's mind. Heseemed flustered and backward about getting at it. Finallyhe broached the astonishing proposition, leading up to itby degrees.

"Ah's done let out ob er job by de scan'lous actions obdat 'ar Brisco, Marse Matt," said he moodily.

"Hard luck, Uncle Tom," answered Matt sympathetically."Where do you live when you're at home?"

"Ah's one ob dem 'ar rolling stones, en Ah ain't had nohome sense Ah was knee-high tuh a possum, no, suh. Fo'de las' few houahs, Marse Matt, Ah's been kind ob cogitatin'en mah haid an' I 'bout come tuh de conclusiondat yo' outlook in life is juberous, yassuh. Yo's a puffickgemman, but yo' take so many chances dat yo' prospecksam sholy juberous."

"How can I help that, Uncle Tom?" asked Matt, enjoyingimmensely the old darky's vagaries.

"Ah knows how dat kin be fixed, sah," went on UncleTom. "What yo' has got tuh hab is a official mascot,sah, tuh be wif yo' all de time an' wuk off de hoodoo.Ah 'lows, sah, dat I could fill dat job. How much yo'willin' tuh pay fo' an official mascot by de monf?"

That was too much for Motor Matt. Laying back inthe tonneau he laughed till he shook.

"Doan' laff, Marse Matt," begged the old fraud; "hit'sa mouty complexus bizness. Tu'n hit ober in yo' mind,sah, en if yo' t'ink Ah'm wuth mah bo'd an' keep, jessconsidah Ah'm engaged."

"Why, Uncle Tom," said Matt, "I haven't much morethan enough to board and keep myself, so I guess myprospects will have to continue to be 'juberous.'"

"Doan' say dat, sah; t'ink it ober. Ah'll hold mahse'fopen fo' de engagemunt."

Uncle Tom stumped back into the house, and Mattkicked off his shoes and snuggled down under a blanketwhich O'Grady had furnished him.

Half an hour later, Carl came out with a blanket of hisown.

"What are you going to do, Carl?" asked Matt, rousingup and peering at his friend through the gloom.

"Dis iss some games vot two can blay ad, my poy,"chuckled Carl. "I vill shleep py der machine mit you."

"Go on!" scoffed Matt. "What's the use of denyingyourself a good bed when you can just as well have one?"

"Vell, I dredder shtay mit you. Don'd say nodding,pecause it vasn't any use. My mindt iss made oop, yah,you bed you."

"All right, then," said Matt. "Curl up on the steering-wheeland enjoy yourself."

The front seat, of course, was divided into two sections,so it was impossible for Carl to stretch himself out in it;[Pg 12]however, he wrapped his blanket around him and crowdeddown between the seat and the dash, head and shouldersover the foot-board on one side, and his feet tangled upin the foot-pedals and levers on the other.

Just as Matt was getting to sleep a wild honk, honk!brought him up like a shot out of a gun.

"What's that?" called Matt.

"Dot vas my feets," explained Carl coolly. "I hit demagainst dot rupper pag vat makes a noise. Oof der carvas vider, den I vouldn't be too long for der blace vat Iam. Meppy I puy somet'ing else don gofermend pondsmit dot money. Meppy, yah—so——" and Carl's wordsdrifted off into a snore.

Matt settled down again, and this time nothing disturbedhim.

Carl had some bad dreams that night. He thought hisfeet were caught in a giant clothes-wringer, and that alocomotive was hitched to his head. Some one wouldrun him through the wringer, flattening him out up tothe knees, and then the locomotive would back up andpull him out again. When his dreams had tired him outwith that set of incidents, they shut him up in a littletin box, and three men on horseback played football withhim; other experiences, too numerous to mention, followed,and at the wind-up Carl thought he dropped severalmiles through the air and smashed through a skylight.Starting up with a groan, he rubbed his eyes and lookedaround.

It was morning. Carl was sitting up on the ground,chilled and chattering.

At first he thought that skylight episode was not adream, and he looked up to see the place he had comethrough. Instead of seeing anything so unsubstantial,his eyes encountered the face of Legree.

"You sleep like a log, Carl!" exclaimed Legree."Where's Motor Matt? What's become of the automobile?"

Then, in a flash, Carl's hazy mind connected with thetangible things surrounding him when he went to sleep.

"Vy," he cried, struggling to his feet and staringaround, "I vas in der car mit Modor Matt! I vent toshleep in it mit him."

"I know you did; but where are Matt and the carnow?"

Carl rubbed his eyes again, and then took a morecareful look about him.

He was standing in the very place where the car hadstood. But there was no sign of the car! And no signof Motor Matt!

The blanket Carl had taken into the Red Flier withhim was lying crumpled on the ground, a dozen feetaway.

"Vell, py shinks!" gasped Carl. "I don'd like dot. Idon'd like some shokes vere sooch a monkey-doodle pitznessiss made mit me. Modor Matt nefer made dotshoke."

"There's no joke, Carl," answered Legree; "I wish togracious it was a joke. The Red Flier left here some timeduring the night. No one heard it. No one knew itwas gone until I looked out of the window of my room.You were lying on the ground here, but neither the carnor Matt were in sight. Do you think Matt would pullout and leave you?"

"Leaf me? Matt? Vell, he vas my bard, und howyou figure oudt dot he do dot? No, py shinks! Oof heain'd here he vas dook off, und oof he vas dook off id vasdot Prisco und Spangler vat dit it!"

With that, Carl went over to the well and sat down. Hewas still confused, but slowly the realization of what hadhappened was growing upon him. And as the realizationgrew, his temper mounted with it.

CHAPTER VIII.

SPIRITED AWAY.

Carl was not the only one who had been troubled withdreams that night. Motor Matt floundered through oneof the worst nightmares he had ever had. The wholescheme of the thing was rather vague, but mighty depressing.He seemed to be engaged in some tremendousstruggle, striking away and countering a thousand ormore huge fists that leaped at him out of the gloom. Oneby one he put the clenched hands out of business, andwhen he had conquered the last of them he opened hiseyes in bewilderment.

The humming of a motor was in his ears. It was theRed Flier's motor, he could tell that instinctively. Thestars were overhead, the cool, damp smell of the nightwas all around, and the glow of the acetylene lamps wasglimmering and dancing in advance. The car was movingbriskly through the silence.

Matt had a queer, sick feeling at the pit of his stomach.Counting out the time he raced the limited train on hismotor-cycle, collided with a freight-wagon and was laidup for a fortnight, he had never been confined to his bedfor a week in his life.

He wondered what ailed him, and his mind was sluggishand slow in working out the problem.

He had felt just as he did then once before. That wasthe time he had been drugged and taken out of Phœnixto keep him from racing with the Prescott champion,O'Day.

Had he been drugged now? If so, why, and by whom?

By degrees the cool air cleared his befogged brain. Hewent back over the chain of events, picking it up where hehad dropped it.

The queer party of stranded actors—the arrival atFairview—the escape of Brisco from the hotel—the rideinto the hills to look for the boy—the pursuit by the horsem*nand the loss of the tin box—all these events draggedthrough Matt's mind. He and Carl had gone to sleepin the automobile. Why was the car moving? Had Carl,giving rein to some wild impulse, cranked up the car andstarted for a night ride?

Matt stirred. "Carl!" he called, "what are you tryingto do?"

Matt became aware, then, that there was some onebeside him in the tonneau.

"Carl, hey?" came a jeering voice, as a strong handreached over and pushed Matt back in the seat. "Yegot another guess comin'. Thar ain't no Dutchman along,this trip."

"Tuned up, has he?" asked a voice from the frontseat.

"Yep; he's got back ter airth, Hank."

"Surprised?" The man in front laughed hoarsely as heasked the question.

[Pg 13]

"Waal, kinder. He thought his Dutch pard was erlong."

Matt, while this talk was going forward, realized witha shock that the two men in the car were Brisco andSpangler. Brisco was in the driver's seat, and Spanglerwas in the tonneau.

With a quick gathering of all his strength, Matt flunghimself toward the door of the tonneau. His first unreasoningimpulse was to get away from his captors. Thecar must have been going forty miles an hour, and theroadside was lined with sharp stones. If Matt had succeededin his desperate attempt, he could hardly have escapedwithout serious injury; but his rash move wasnipped in the bud. Spangler, who was in the tonneau forthe purpose, grabbed Matt and hurled him back into theseat.

"None o' that!" he growled. "Want ter break yerbloomin' neck? Not as I keer much about yer neck, butHank an' me hev got diff'rent plans fer ye."

Matt was still dizzy and weak. The nausea at hisstomach was leaving him slowly, but it made him feelas limp as a rag and utterly helpless.

"Did you men run away with this car?" he asked.

"Looks that-away, don't it?" returned Spangler.

"Where's Carl?"

"Didn't hev no time ter bother with the Dutchman, sowe left him behind."

"Was he hurt?"

"Hurt? Nary, he wasn't hurt. We ain't opinin' terhurt anybody this trip so long as we hev our way. TheDutchman was snoring like a house afire. All we didwas ter lift him out o' the keer an' lay him on the ground.We give him a smell o' somethin' on a han'kercher, jestter make him snooze a leetle harder, that's all."

"You drugged both of us, then?"

"That was the easiest way ter keep ye from makin' ernoise."

"Where are you taking me?"

"Ye'll know afore long."

It was a rugged road they were traveling, and theRed Flier negotiated it with many a juggling bump.Mountainous rocks, half-screened by bushes and trees,glided by, and there were dusky gashes and seams, andnow and then a splash of falling water.

Rougher and rougher grew the trail, and the recklessdriving of Brisco caused Matt's nerves to thrill withfears for the car.

"You'll rack the car to pieces if you keep driving likethat!" Matt called sharply.

"What's it to you?" taunted Brisco.

"It means a whole lot to me. This car belongs to Mr.Tomlinson, and I've promised to take it safely to Albuquerque."

"Be hanged to you and Mr. Tomlinson!" snarledBrisco. "We'll fix this car before we're done with it.If you ever take it to Albuquerque, you'll have to scoopup the pieces and tote 'em there in a lumber-wagon.That's part of what we're going to do to play even withyou and him!"

Matt's heart skipped a beat, and a cold chill ranthrough his body. Could the villains really mean todestroy the Red Flier?

"You'd better think well about what you do," warnedMatt. "If you ruin this car, Mr. Tomlinson will neverlet up on you till he puts you where you belong."

Spangler brought his hand around in a sweeping blow.Matt dodged the hand so that the stroke was only a glancingone.

"Shut up!" he cried savagely. "Ye ain't here ter makeany threats, 'r throw any bluffs."

At that moment, Brisco brought the car to a stop, puttingon the brakes so suddenly that the wheels locked andslid.

"I reckon this'll be far enough," said Brisco, turningin his seat. "Make him get out, Spang."

"Hear that?" cried Spang. "Open the door and gitdown."

"What's this for?" returned Matt, making no move toobey.

For answer, Spangler, with an oath, seized him by thecollar and jerked him roughly out of the tonneau.

Matt was unable to make any resistance. As he stoodin the road, the jagged uplifts by which he was surroundedseemed to swim about him in circles.

Spangler got back in the car, as Matt staggered to abig boulder and leaned against it, and Brisco backed thecar around until it was headed along the back course.

"Wait!" cried Matt, as a thought of what all thismight mean to him took shape in his brain.

"We're going to wait—and for just about a minute,"returned Brisco.

"Are you going to steal that car?" asked Matt, "justas you stole Nugent's?"

"You're too much of a meddler," snapped Brisco. "Ifyou could go along and mind your own business, you'dbe a whole lot better off. You had to tangle up withTomlinson, back there at Ash Fork, and you hadn't anycall to butt in. If it hadn't been for you, we'd 'a' wonout on that game and been all to the good. I don't reckonwe'd have bothered you at all, though, if you'd beencontent to carry out your orders and push on to Albuquerque.But you couldn't do that; oh, no. You're tryingto be first aid to the weak and down-trodden whereveryou run into them, so you had to mix up with that bunchof stranded actors.

"When I drove the runabout into Fairview after gasolineand oil, I dropped Spangler off to lay for the trampsand get that tin box. You had to butt in, as per usual.I got away from Fairview by the skin of my teeth, pickedup Spang at the place where he was waiting, and wewent on to where our other pard had some horses. Weside-tracked the runabout there, and slid back towardFairview, intending to push through the timber—a movewe couldn't make in the car. Then"—and here a swirlingoath dropped from Brisco's lips—"we dropped into yourlittle trap."

"What trap?" demanded Matt.

"Oh, no, you don't know a thing about that, do you?You weren't moseying out there just to give us a chanceto lift that tin box, were you? And you hadn't the leastnotion it was empty, had you? If you hadn't turned thattrick, my bantam, we wouldn't have turned this one.We're going to settle with you, all right. This is a partof the country that isn't traveled once a week, and you'reseventy-five miles from Fairview. By the time you getback to town, we'll have got what was in that box, andhave smashed the Red Flier into a heap of jack-straws.I know a nice little cliff alongside the road, and whenwe're through with the car we'll lash the wheel, openher up and let her go over the edge! I reckon that'llcook your goose with Tomlinson. He didn't calculateyou were going to use his car transporting a lot of[Pg 14]stranded actors, and mixing up in their affairs on the wayto Albuquerque."

For a space, Motor Matt's heart stood still.

"You wouldn't dare do that!" he shouted.

"Wouldn't I?" and a reckless, mocking laugh camewith the words. "From what you know of me don'tyou think I would? Hope you'll have a nice, easy walkto Fairview, Motor Matt! There'll be some surprises instore for you when you get there. Good-by!"

Spangler also shouted a jeering farewell.

The car got in motion, the humming slowly decreased,and the glow of the tail light winked suddenly into darkness.

Motor Matt had been abandoned.

But, worse than that, the two scoundrels who had spiritedhim away from Fairview were bent on the wantondestruction of Mr. Tomlinson's car!

CHAPTER IX.

AN UNEXPECTED MEETING.

Motor Matt came nearer being utterly cast down, atthat moment, than ever before in his life. Weak and sickas he was, perhaps his discouragement was not to bewondered at. Sinking down at the foot of the boulderagainst which he had been leaning, he began finding faultwith himself.

It was all right to pick up the stranded actors andcarry them on to Fairview. That was merely a kindnessfor which no one could blame him. But to jump intotheir troubles, at a time when he was engaged in workfor Mr. Tomlinson and was not, strictly speaking, hisown boss, that gave the affair another look. Now, becauseof his desire to help Legree, Eliza, and the rest,there he was, hung up in the hills seventy-five miles fromFairview, with the Red Flier in Brisco's hands andpointed for the scrap-heap.

Mr. Tomlinson would be perfectly justified in layingthe destruction of the car to Matt's own disregard oforders. And it was Mr. Tomlinson who had selectedMatt to take the Red Flier to Albuquerque because hewas satisfied the car would receive better care in hishands than in any other!

There was enough in these reflections to make MotorMatt dissatisfied with himself. But he was not, and neverhad been, a "quitter." And the one cry of his soul hadalways been for Fate to keep him from joining the ranksof the "quitters."

As a matter of fact, Motor Matt was a self-reliantAmerican boy, and there was never the least danger ofhis going over to the useless crowd of mistakes and failures.Naturally, he might make a misplay now and then—runningbehind just enough to keep him "gingeredup" for ultimate success in the big things.

While he crouched at the foot of the boulder, the coolair clearing his brain and the sick feeling leaving him, hefell to planning for turning the tables against his enemies.

What was there he could do, afoot and seventy-fivemiles from town?

At first, the prospect seemed utterly hopeless; but Mattknew that a brave heart and a firm will had time andagain snatched victory from seeming defeat.

He would start for Fairview. Possibly, although theroad was not much traveled, he might have the good luckto encounter some freighter who would give him a lift.

Without losing a moment longer, he got up and startedoff in the direction taken by Brisco and Spangler.

He wondered, as he swung along, what Carl wouldthink when he came to himself and found the car missing—andMatt gone with it. And what would Legreethink? And Eliza?

But what those in Fairview might think was a minorconsideration. The great point was the recovery of theRed Flier before the car's captors could wreck the machine.

Brisco was the only one of the two scoundrels whocould run a car, and even Brisco's knowledge was superficial.An hour's instruction, from the driver of Nugent'srunabout, was all Brisco had had.

Brisco now had two stolen cars and he could run onlyone of them—unless, indeed, the third man he had pickedup knew something about motors.

Matt, perhaps, had walked a mile through the gloomyhills, when he heard a noise as of some one in the roadahead. He halted, half-fearing that Brisco and Spanglerwere coming back.

But that could not be, he reasoned. If they had wantedto come back, they would have used the car—and thenoise Matt heard was of footsteps.

He listened, straining his ears and eyes. Only oneman was coming. He could not see, but hearing alonetold him there was but one.

Backing into the deep shadow of a nest of boulders, hecontinued to wait.

The man, whoever he was, was coming hurriedly.Sometimes he ran, and occasionally he stumbled. As hedrew closer, Matt saw that he was a small man, and as hecame closer still the figure resolved itself into that of amere boy.

"Hello!" called Matt, stepping out into the road again.

The figure gave a startled jump.

"Chee!" it cried. "Say, who's dat?"

Matt's pulses quickened, and a glow of hope ranthrough him.

"Hello, kid!" he shouted. "What're you doing here?"

"I'm a jay if it ain't Motor Matt!" came delightedlyfrom the boy as he dashed forward. "How's dis f'r acome-off? Say, it sure knocks de wind out o' me!Where'd yous come from, yerself? Was yous on datautomobile wid Brisco an' Spang?"

By then the boy was close enough to grab Matt's handand give it a shake.

"Yes," answered Matt; "I was on the car with themand they let me out and turned back."

"How'd de mutts come t' git yous on de mat, hey?"

Matt explained how he had been spirited away.

"Well, on de level," breathed the boy, "dat's de rummestmove I ever connected wit'. Raw? Oh, sister!"

"Now tell me something about yourself," said Matt."Why did you get into that car? And where have youbeen since you left Fairview?"

"Easy, cull! T'ings is bein' pulled off in such a bunchit's hard t' straighten dem out. Le's do de ham-restin'act, right here on dis nice bunch o' rocks, while we china little."

They sat down, side by side.

"You must have had some reason, Eva, for hiking outwith Brisco like you did, and——"

[Pg 15]

"Cut out de 'Eva.' Fergit de styge name. I was on'ydat back o' de tin lamps, an' no more of 'em fer mine.Call me Josh. Not dat I'm a josher, understan', 'cause Iain't. An' here's somet'in' else I'm battin' up t' yous:Dere's a few t'inks rattlin' around in me block dat I can'tlet yous in on. Not bekase I ain't willin' meself, butbekase it ain't on de program. See?

"First off, Matt, I crowded into dat car becase de ideelooked good t' me. Dat's all yous is t' know about datf'r now. I rode t' w'ere Brisco stopped de car an' tookon Spang—about de place w'ere dad an' yous had deset-to on account o' dat box.

"Den we moved on ag'in, me still under de coat an'wonderin' how long I could keep shy o' de lamps o' demtwo dubs. You can bet yer lid, Matt, I didn't breatheon'y when necessary. I was de sly boy, all right. W'enwe pulled up ag'in, we was clost t' t'ree horses, all saddledan' bridled, an' wit' a beer-faced guy on one o'dem.

"De runabout was backed into de brush, an' Brisco an'Spang got onto two o' de horses an' all t'ree o' datstrong-arm bunch pulled deir freight back down de road.It was right den I wished dat I knowed how t' workdem cranks an' t'ings so'st I could make dat car gow'ere I wanted. But I didn't know de tail lamp from decarburetter, so I jess had t' lay low an' wait.

"W'en dem jays got back, dere was yer Uncle Johnright under de coat, same as usual, an' still holdin' hisbreat'. If one o' de mugs lifted de coat, I was plannin'to work me pins an' head right into de weeds, like anot'erbear was on me trail.

"But dey didn't look under de coat, none of dem. Deywas too mad. Chee! but dey was r'iled! Blatter, blatter,blatter, dey went, swearin' like a plumber wot's burnedhisself wit' his torch. Say, de air was blue an smelt likede odder place. If dey'd piped me off den, dey'd havetook me skelp, all right.

"From de spiel dey was givin' each odder, I hookedonto de infermation dat dey'd got de box an' dat derewasn't not'in' in it—w'ich I knowed all de time. Deywas crowdin' all deir swear-words onto Motor Matt.Yous had fooled dem, dey said, an' dey was goin' t' sawoff even if it took a leg.

"Brisco give de mug on de horse his orders to go t'some place w'ere Brisco an' Spang would go foist an'wait. Wid dat we started up ag'in—me on de job an'still sayin' me prayers back'ards, for'ards, an' sideways.I couldn't see where we went, but we was goin' f'r ahunderd years, seemed like, I was dat worked up t'inkin'I might git nabbed. Den we stopped, backed t'roo somebrush, an' stopped ag'in, dat time t' stay.

"I had drawn into me shell, listenin' w'ile Brisco an'Spang was rammin' around de place w'ere we was. Aftera w'ile, deir bazoos seemed t' move off, an' I stuck outme coco an' piped de layout.

"We was in a well. Anyways dat's how it looked. Dewell was about fifteen feet acrost, steep rocks all aroundan' on'y one place w'ere dere was a break. De break waschoked up wit' brush, an' I'm wise right off dat we'dbacked t'roo it w'en we come into de well.

"I see anot'er nice little clump of brush off t' de right,an' it looked so invitin' dat I slipped out from under decoat an' ducked f'r it.

"I was in dat clump w'en de odder bloke, who deycalled Klegg, blowed in t'roo de break wid de hosses; an'I was still dere w'en night come down, an' de t'ree ofdem lighted up de runabout an' went away w'id it.

"Couldn't git in de back seat den, kase Klegg was dere,so dey bumped off into de night an' left me in de wellwit' de t'ree horses.

"I kinked me thinker all up t'ryin' t' guess whedderI'd better stay right dere or borry one o' dem horses an'ride some place. Well, I didn't ride, not knowin' anygood place t' ride to. Couldn't even make a guess whichway de town was.

"I went out t'roo de brush an' moseyed around in dedark till chugetty-chug! along come dat runabout ag'inan' backed t'roo de brush into de well. But dere wason'y one man in it, an' it was Klegg. W'ere was Briscoan' Spang? Dat was wot fretted me. W'ile I was frettin',along comes dat red tourin'-car. I made out Briscoin front, an' Spang in de rear—an' dere was some oddermug in de rear wot I couldn't get next to. De tourin'-carwent on past de well.

"Chee, but I was rattled! Wot was happenin', I says t'meself, an' w'y was it happenin'? De tourin'-car comeback ag'in an' in it was Brisco an' Spang, but de odderguy had been left somew'ere. De tourin'-car was backedinto de well, w'ere de runabout had gone, an' I started disway t' see wot I could find. Say, Matt, I was knockedstiff w'en I found yous! Great, ain't it, how luck takesa shoot, once in a w'ile? If dat—— Wot's de matterw'id yous? W'ere yous goin'?"

Matt had jumped up, grabbed Josh by the arm and waspulling him down the road.

"Come on!" said he. "We haven't got any time tolose!"

CHAPTER X.

A DARING PLAN.

"Say," panted Josh, as he and Matt traveled rapidlyalong the road, "put me wise to dis move, can't yous?Wot's in yer block, Matt?"

"Do you know what Brisco intends to do with the RedFlier?" asked Matt.

"He's layin' in a supply o' benzine-buggies t' start agarage, 'r somet'ing, ain't he?"

"He ran off with that touring-car just to play evenwith me, Josh. He says I've meddled with his affairslong enough, and that he's going to run the Red Flierover a cliff just to pay me back for using the car to helpyou people."

"Wouldn't dat frost yous?" muttered Josh.

"And he said I was seventy-five miles from Fairview,"went on Matt, "and that by the time I had walked to thetown he would have finished his business there."

"Brisco has got anodder guess comin'. He ain't sowarm. Dad can show him a t'ing 'r two, an' don't yousfergit dat. Chee! Dat guy's de limit. But wot's yergame, cull?"

"You say that both cars are in that 'well,' as you callit?"

"Dat's w'ere dey was w'en I started for here."

"Well, I'm going to get the Red Flier away from thatoutfit!"

Matt spoke as confidently as though he had merely[Pg 16]remarked that he was going over to the hotel after hisdinner.

"Say, cull," returned the boy, "I like yer nerve, allright, an' I marks yous up f'r de entry, but how yousgoin' t' git under de wire? Dere's t'ree o' dem guys, an'dey've got a lot o' artillery. How we goin' t' git awaywit' de car if dey don't want us to?"

"I don't know," replied Matt, "but we've got to doit somehow."

"Yous is a reg'lar lollypaloozer, Motor Matt, an' I'dback yous t' win any ole day, but dis looks like too biga load. But yous can count on me. Dad'll tell yous datI'm big f'r me age an' no mutt in a getaway, so jest setyer pace an' I'll push on de reins."

"How far is it to the place where the automobiles wereleft?"

"We're close t' dere now. I'm wonderin' w'y Briscodropped yous widin a short walk o' de hang-out—dat is,if he was fixin' t' stay at de place?"

"I don't know," answered Matt; "but that's what hedid and it's enough for me. I've got to recover that car,Josh. If I don't, and if anything happens to it, I'd looknice making my report to Tomlinson, wouldn't I?"

"If yous hadn't picked up dat bunch o' tramps on deroad yous wouldn't have got into dis fix."

"I'm not sorry I helped you out, Josh."

"Sure not. Yous ain't dat kind, Motor Matt. All desame, yous would have been peggin' along to'rds Albuquerque,nice as yous please, if it hadn't been for datcrowd o' Uncle Tommers. Dere'll be doin's in Fairviewin de mornin', w'en dad finds out yous ain't w'ere yousought t' be."

"What can your father do?"

"He can do a lot w'en he gits started. Don't yousnever t'ink he's a slow one, Matt."

Matt knew that Legree could keep a cool head in apinch, but, for all that, he didn't see how he could doanything when he didn't have money enough even topay his board-bill.

"Mr. Tomlinson has a lot of confidence in me," saidMatt; "and, if that car is wrecked, I'll have——"

"Sh-h-h!" whispered Josh, coming to a wary halt andlaying a hand on Matt's arm. "Look ahead, dere. Seedat black splotch on de side o' de hill by de road?"

"Yes," answered Matt, straining his eyes in the directionindicated.

"Dat's de brush dat hides de openin'. Are we bot'goin' t' blow in dere an' try t' make a run wit' de redcar?"

"We can't do the trick in such a hurricane way as that.We've got to lay some other plan. I'll go in and look theground over, Josh, and maybe I can get hold of an idea."

"I'll try t' git holt o' one, too, w'ile I'm waitin' feryous. Don't make much noise w'ile yous is in de bushes,Matt, or dem terriers'll pepper yous."

"I'm going to sneak into the place as quietly as I can.I don't think they'll hear me."

Leaving the boy a little way from the dark patch ofverdure clinging to the face of the hill, Matt went oncarefully. As he approached closer to the vague blotit gradually took form under his eyes.

The wall of the hill seemed to be cracked through fromcrest to base and wrenched apart until it formed a narrowopening. Up both sides of the opening grew thebushes, their branches spreading out and forming a thickscreen.

On account of the darkness, Matt could not make avery close examination of the queer fissure, but he sawenough to convince him that Nature had contrived asecure retreat for Brisco and Spangler.

The bottom of the opening, Matt judged, was all often feet in width. Dropping down on his hands andknees, he began crawling through the middle of the break,parting the bush branches from in front of him as headvanced.

So wary was he that he made very little noise.

He had gone perhaps a dozen feet through the brushytangle, when a glow of light struck on his eyes. Thisacted as a sort of beacon, and served to guide him therest of the way. A dozen feet more brought him to theopposite side of the opening and to the edge of thebushes.

Crouching silently on the ground he proceeded to surveythe peculiar niche in front of him.

Josh's description, likening the place to a "well," wasquite appropriate. The niche was circular in form andits walls arose steeply to a height of at least fifty feet.In the shadow of the walls the place was very dark, butthe glowing lamps of an automobile enabled Matt to seeenough to send a chill of disappointment through him.

There was only one automobile in the niche!

And that one was the runabout!

Brisco and Spangler must have emerged and gone offsomewhere with the Red Flier.

Had they taken it away to destroy it?

The three horses were not far from the runabout. Theywere secured to some bushes, and could be heard pawingand stamping.

Matt could also hear something else, and that was thesnoring of a man in deep sleep.

After a moment's hesitation he continued to creep onward,redoubling his care and vigilance.

He was upon the man before he was fairly aware ofit, one of his groping hands coming in contact with anoutstretched foot.

The snoring ceased with an explosive grunt and Mattdrew back breathlessly.

The man did not rouse up. Shifting his positionslightly he continued to snore.

Making a détour, Matt got around the man—whom heknew was not Brisco or Spangler, and consequently mustbe Klegg—and reached the runabout.

Pausing there, the young motorist let his mind circleabout this new phase of the situation.

If he couldn't get the Red Flier, why not take the runabout?That would afford himself and Josh a quickmeans for making the return trip to Fairview. Besides,no matter what happened to the Red Flier, there wassomething to be gained in getting the runabout awayfrom the thieves.

Close to the car was a heap of horse-trappings. Mattfelt about among the saddles, bridles and blankets untilhe had found two coiled riatas.

Could he, by quick work, get one of the ropes aroundKlegg's hands before he was thoroughly awake and ableto struggle? Josh would have been of use in such anattempt, and Matt decided that he could not make it successfullyunless he did have the other to help. He wouldgo back after Josh, he decided; but first he would lookover the runabout and make sure it was ready for theroad.

Laying the ropes in the front of the car, he arose to[Pg 17]his feet, softly removed the tail lamp from its bracket,and flashed it into the rumble.

The coat, used so cleverly by the boy, was still there,crumpled on the floor as though by a man's feet. Passingon to the forward part of the car, the pencil of lightjumped from point to point, Matt's eyes followingcritically.

Everything seemed to be shipshape and in good order.

A small object on one of the front seats caught theyouth's attention. It was pushed well back into the anglewhere the back joined the seat, and Matt picked it upand held it in the glow of light.

It was a small bottle, and the label bore the writtenword, "Chloroform."

Matt stifled an exclamation. Undoubtedly it had beensome of that bottle's contents which had helped Briscoand Spangler get the better of him, in Fairview, and runoff with the touring-car.

Then a startling expedient darted through Matt's mind.Turn about was fair play. With the aid of the drug hecould clear a passage for the runabout, and without resortto any violence.

Setting the lamp down on the front seat, Matt drew thecork of the bottle, took a handkerchief from his pocketand proceeded to wet it with the chloroform. Then, re-corkingthe bottle and laying it aside, he went down onhis hands and knees and started toward Klegg.

A lightening of the sky over the steep walls thathemmed in the niche told of coming day.

The darkness would be a help to Matt and Josh in gettingto the road and away, and if advantage was to betaken of night Matt knew he would have to hurry.

But he was well equipped to carry out his plans now,and lost no time in getting about them.

CHAPTER XI.

ON THE ROAD.

Kneeling beside Klegg, Matt leaned over and held thesaturated handkerchief close to his face. The fumes werestrong, and seemed to strangle him. With a gurglinggrunt he shifted his position.

Matt moved the handkerchief and again held it overhis face. This time Klegg sputtered a little, but did notchange his position. Evidently the narcotic was beginningto have its effect. After a moment, Matt allowedthe handkerchief to drop on Klegg's face. He left itthere for two or three minutes and then threw it aside.Klegg was breathing heavily and seemed to be completelyunder the influence of the drug.

Catching hold of the blanket on which the man waslying, Matt began to pull it toward the wall of the niche.

"Chee!" whispered a voice close to Matt's side. "Wotkind of a smell is dat, cull? Wot yous done to Klegg?"

"I thought you were going to wait outside, Josh?" answeredMatt.

"Dat's wot I t'ought, but yous was so long in comin'dat I took de notion t' come in an' look yous up. Wot'sde play?"

"I found a bottle of chloroform in the runabout, andit must have been out of that same bottle that Brisco tookthe stuff that put me to sleep. Thought I'd see how itworked on Klegg."

"Yous is a jim dandy, Matt!" laughed Josh delightedly."But w'ere's Brisco an' Spang?"

"They're not here, and neither is the touring-car."

"Tough luck! Yous figgerin' on makin' a getawaywit' de runabout?"

"Yes. We might use that for a quick run to Fairviewand get the sheriff to hunt up Brisco and Spangler. I'llgo with the sheriff and use the runabout. It's a fastercar than the Flier, and we may be able to catch the twothieves before they wreck Mr. Tomlinson's car."

"Yous has got a head on yous, Matt, an' no mistake,"said the boy admiringly. "An' yous pulled all dis offyerself! Well, say, if yous ain't a winner dis heat yousought t' be. Dat's right—on de level an' no stringin'.Dad would like t' have a guy like yous t' work wit' allde time. An' so would Little Eva, de child wonder. Butit's gittin' daylight, Matt, an' if we're goin' t' pull ourfreight, let's be at it."

It was already light enough so that they could seewithout the lamps. These were extinguished, and thenMatt put the tail lamp back in its place, started the engineand got into the driver's seat.

On the low gear they moved slowly across the bottomof the niche.

Josh was still laughing softly to himself.

"Chee, cull, but I'd like t' be around w'en Brisco an'Spang find dat Klegg feller!" he chuckled. "Dat wouldbe as good as a circus. Dis is almost too good t' betrue, ain't it?"

"It will be, Josh," replied Matt, "if I can only get backthe Red Flier."

"Dem coves'll be careful o' dat odder machine whendey find dis one has been took away from dem."

"I know that—providing they find out the runabout isgone before they destroy the Flier."

Setting the runabout at the bushes, Matt drove throughthe undergrowth, Josh keeping the branches out of hisface while he attended to the steering.

"On de road ag'in!" jubilated the boy, as they emergedfrom the mouth of the opening and turned to the left.

"All I wish is," answered Matt, "that I knew we weregoing right."

"Dere's on'y two ways t' go, cull. One's up to'rdsw'ere you was dropped by Brisco an' Spang, an' t'odder'sde way we're headin'. It's a cinch we're hittin' it offabout proper. W'ere d' youse t'ink dem odder muttswent wid de tourin'-car?"

"I'm afraid they took it off to carry out their threatand make junk of it."

"I hope yous ain't got it right. If dey did dat, it 'u'dput yous in a bad hole. Yous couldn't make Tomlinsontake dis car f'r de odder, could yous?"

"Hardly. This car belongs to Nugent, in Ash Fork."

Something was rattling about the car, and it got ontoMatt's nerves. Halting for a moment, he located the difficulty.The screw-cap of the gasoline-tank was loose.Taking a wrench out of the tool-box he tightened thecap, then dropped the wrench in the rumble and returnedto his seat.

"Yous don't like t' hear anyt'ing rattle, hey?" queriedJosh.

"Makes me nervous," laughed Matt. "Now hold ontoyour teeth, Josh. I'm going to let her out!"

"De quicker we kin go de better. Let's see how fastde ole gal kin travel."

They whirled around a turn in the narrow valley. The[Pg 18]unexpected was lying in wait for them, for they cameupon Spangler, on foot and walking toward the niche.

Josh gave a startled yell. Spangler, dumfounded atsight of the runabout, charging toward him with MotorMatt and the boy in front, stood as though rooted to theground.

"Down, Josh!" cried Matt, advancing the spark; "getdown behind the dashboard!"

As Matt spoke he sounded the horn. Spangler climbedout of the way with more haste than grace, and the runaboutdashed past him.

"Yi-yip-ee!" tuned up the boy, waving his hand mockingly."D'radder do dat dan git run down, hey?"

"Drop!" yelled Matt, and in a tone that made Joshcrumple down between the seat and the dash.

Bang!

Matt had expected a bullet, and he was not disappointed.But it went wide.

Bang!

The next one came closer, but still left a safe margin.

There was no more shooting. Wondering at it, Joshrose up and looked backward.

"Now wot d'youse t'ink o' dat!" he cried. "Wot's datmug doin' dat for?"

"What's he doing?" asked Matt.

"W'y he's hustlin' a big stone into de middle o' deroad. See 'im work! Chee! Wot's de meanin' o' dat?"

The car whipped around another turn, wiping Spanglerand his strange activities out of sight. Josh droppeddown on the seat.

"That's got a bad look," said Matt, coaxing the runaboutto a still faster gait. "We've got to get out of thisas quick as we can."

"Chee!" cried the boy, holding to the seat with bothhands, "we're goin' fast enough. Gid-ap! Wow! wota spurt! Don't let anyt'ing slip a cog, cull. If de olebenzine-buggy hit a rock an' stopped, I'd go right on f'ra couple o' miles afore I landed. Oh, wot a clip! We'vegot de Cannonball Limited licked t' a frazzle!"

Then they took another turn, the rear wheels skiddingand Matt deftly catching the motor up and sending thecar onward. The runabout did not follow the curve ofthe road, but made an angling turn—a hair-raising stuntcopied after Oldfield, the daredevil racer.

Josh gave a yell, and came within a hair of beingheaved over Matt and into the road.

Then, with a muttered exclamation, Matt cut off thepower, applied the brakes and quickly reversed, backingfor the side of the road.

It all happened so quick that it took the boy's breath.

"Wot's dat fer?" he asked.

Matt was whirling the wheel and starting the car onthe back track.

"Brisco is heading us off," he answered—"Brisco inthe Red Flier!"

Josh turned to stare along the road.

Matt was right.

Brisco, still a long distance off, was whooping it up intheir direction.

"Wouldn't dat crimp yous?" gasped the boy, awed atthe gathering perils. "Dey've got us f'r fair, Matt! W'ydidn't yous keep on an' give Brisco de go-by?"

"There wasn't room enough in the road to pass!" flungback Matt.

"Dat's w'y Spang was rollin' dem stones in de road!He knew dat Brisco was comin', and dat he'd git us betweenhim an' de rock-pile. Chee! We're It, dis time, an'no mistake."

Matt, his face white and set and his gray eyes snapping,was leaning over the steering-wheel, watching everyfoot of road as they swept over it.

"We've got to pass that rock-pile before it gets toobig!" said he through his teeth.

"Den w'ere'll we go?"

"Anywhere, just so we keep away from Brisco. Thiscar is a faster one than the Red Flier. We can showhim our heels at any stage of the game."

They fairly flew, and rocks rushed past them as thoughhurled by some giant hand.

"There'll be some danger when we get to the placewhere Spangler is waiting, Josh," said Matt. "I'll slowdown and you can get out, if you want to."

"Wot d'youse take me fer?" cried the boy. "I'm widyous, Matt, win 'r lose. See? Make yer ole play. IfUncle Josh ain't wit' yous at de finish, den call him aquitter an' mark him off'n yer callin'-list."

Hurling onward, and skidding around the turns, Mattkept straining his eyes constantly ahead.

Their source of peril was now wrapped up in Spangler.If his pile of boulders did not block the road completely—ifthere was a chance for the runabout to get past thestones, or over them, there was still a fighting chance forescape.

Half a minute later, as the car reached out for theplace where Spangler had been at work, Matt's heartwent down into his boots.

Spangler was nowhere in sight, but he had worked togood purpose.

A few big boulders were cunningly placed so as tomake the road impassable. With a despairing cry, Mattbrought the runabout to a quick stop.

CHAPTER XII.

A CLOSE CALL.

"Pile out, Josh, and get busy with those rocks!" yelledMatt.

It was a forlorn hope, for the pounding of the RedFlier could be heard around the turn, coming up handover fist. Long before the way could be cleared, Briscowould be upon them.

And what had become of Spangler. Where had hegone? And why had he gone?

That was a conundrum, and Matt had no time to giveto conundrums just then.

Josh, eager to do all he could, was tugging and strainingat the rocks.

"It won't do, Josh!" shouted Matt. "Run for thoseboulders at the side of the road and wait for me."

To think quickly in an emergency was Motor Matt'slong suit. Many a time his cool head had helped himout of a bad difficulty.

While he was shouting to the boy he was running backto the car. Snatching the wrench from where he haddropped it in the rumble, Matt went to work with lightninglikeenergy on the cap of the gasoline-reservoir.

In record time he had the cap off. Bending down hescooped up a handful of sand from the road and dumpedthe most of it into the reservoir, then, as quickly as he[Pg 19]had removed the cap, he replaced it, flung the wrench intothe car and jumped for the boulders.

Hardly was he back of the big stones that clusteredalong that edge of the valley, when the Red Flier shovedher nose through a cloud of dust and came scorchingonward.

Brisco must have been astounded to see the runabout,deserted and at a halt in the road. The way, of course,was blocked for him as well as for the runabout, and hehalted the Red Flier at a good distance from the othermachine, leaped out and came running to the other car.

The stones in the road probably gave him a prettygood idea of what had happened, for he immediately beganlooking around him as though expecting to see someone—possibly Matt and Josh.

"Spang!" he whooped. "Where are you, Spang?"

"Here!" answered Spangler, appearing suddenlyaround the bend.

"What you been doing?" demanded Brisco.

"The dickens is ter pay, an' no mistake!" stormedSpang. "That young cub of a Motor Matt found outwhar we'd cached the runabout, an' blamed if he didn'tgo in an' snake it right out from under Klegg's——"

"Thunder!" broke in Brisco. "Don't you reckon I sawthe whelp? He was bearing down on me like a hurricane,slamming the runabout through for all she wasworth."

"He went past here gally-whoopin'," answered Spang,"while I was makin' fer that hole in the hill. Comemighty nigh runnin' me down at that. I got out o' theway, faced around an' sent a couple o' bullets arter him,but the brat's too lucky ter stop any lead——"

"Depends on who throws the lead," snarled Brisco.

"I kin throw it with ary man that walks! But I didn'ttake time ter throw much. I calculated the runaboutwould come up ferninst you, Hank, afore it got out o'the valley, an' that King would have ter turn around an'chase back this way. So what does I do but begin pilin'stones whar they'd do the most good. Jest got enoughdown ter do the biz, an' went ter see what had happenedter Klegg. Great jumpin' sand-hills! What d'ye thinkthat infernal kid done ter him?"

"What?" fumed Brisco.

"Doped him, by thunder! Doped him out er the samebottle we used last night! Klegg's up thar in the notch,dead ter the world!"

"What did you leave the hang-out for?" roared Briscoangrily. "Didn't I tell you, when I left, to stay therewith Klegg? If you'd done as I said, this wouldn't havehappened."

"I come out ter see if that kid was moseyin' down thevalley," was the sullen rejoinder from Spang. "Ye saidI was ter watch out an' make sure he didn't blunder outerthe notch."

"Well, you made sure, didn't you?" taunted Brisco."Where'd Legree's kid spring from? How'd he come tobe along with King?"

"How'd I know? Think I'm a mind-reader?"

"Deuced funny thing! He was with King, and I'dlike to know where he came from, and how he got here.There's a nigg*r in the fence, I'll bet. Where'd thoseboys go?"

"I don't know that, nuther."

"Did they pass you and go up the valley?"

"Nary, they didn't!"

"Then they must be hiding around here somewhere!Let's get 'em. If I lay hands on Motor Matt again hewon't get off so easy."

There was only one place in that vicinity where anyone could hide, and that was among the scattered rocksnot far from where the runabout was standing.

Brisco and Spangler, making a hasty survey of the surroundings,at once hit upon the boulders as the placefor them to look.

"They're over thar," cried Spangler, "an' I'll bet moneyon it."

As he spoke, he started at a run for the side of thevalley, pulling a revolver as he went.

"Don't do any shooting," called Brisco, starting afterSpangler, "just grab 'em and hold 'em."

"We'll tie King in that thar automobile when we run itover the cliff!" yelped Brisco viciously. "We'll l'arn himter play his tricks on us!"

Matt and Josh had heard all this conversation. Theywere not standing still, either, but were busily findingsome place where they could stow themselves away.

A fight with the two armed men was to be avoided, ifpossible. Matt knew that he and Josh would stand littlechance in such a one-sided combat; and Matt had formedplans which he was eager to be carrying out.

A little way up the steep hillside there was a ledge,with a recess back of it.

Matt's quick eye picked out the spot, and he climbedbriskly, hauling Josh along after him. The bouldersshielded them from view while they were getting to theledge, and Matt pushed Josh into the recess, and thenrolled into it himself. From this position Matt was ableto peer over the ledge and keep track of the movements ofBrisco and Spangler.

"Are they comin' dis way, cull?" whispered the boy.

"Yes," answered Matt.

"Got deir guns ready, eh?"

"Of course, Josh. Scoundrels like Brisco and Spangleralways draw and shoot if you give 'em half a chance."

"Dey're hot at de two of us, an' dey'll sure lay out terdo us up."

"We'll have to fight, if they force it on us."

"Wot kin we do?"

"There's a stone on the ledge. If they come too closeI'll push it down on them."

"Better give dat dere stone a push right off, bekase——"

"Hist!" cautioned Matt.

Silence fell between the boys. Matt drew in his head,fearing he would be seen. He listened intently, however,and could tell by the scrambling feet below just how nearBrisco and Spangler were coming. When they came tooclose, Matt was intending to push the stone down on them.

"Beats the deuce where those whelps went to!" grumbledthe voice of Brisco.

"They must be here. Thar wasn't any place else theycould go. I wasn't gone from the road more'n five minits,Hank."

"They wouldn't have had time to get past you?"

"Nary, they wouldn't. They're here, I tell ye; theymust be."

"The whole side-hill is under our eyes. If you cansee the cubs you can do better than I can."

"Seems like there was a shelf up thar a ways. Mebbythey're on the shelf?"

"Gammon! That shelf isn't wide enough for a chipmunkto sit on."

[Pg 20]

"Anyways, I'm goin' up an' take a look."

Matt got ready to push out and roll the stone off theshelf. Before he could do that, however, a shout fromBrisco halted him.

"Say, you! There were three horses in the hang-outwith Klegg!"

"What o' that?" answered Spangler.

"Why, those boys have gone there and are getting thehorses."

"How could they go thar, Hank? They didn't passme."

"They might have got there when you didn't see them.While we're wasting time here, I'll bet something handsomethey're getting out those horses. Come on! Don'tlose another second fooling around among those rocks!"

"Waal, I don't reckon——"

"Come on, I say!" roared Brisco.

The two men were heard scrambling down the slope,getting farther and farther away.

Back in the little recess Matt could hear the boy chucklingand talking to himself.

"Come on, Josh!" whispered Matt, starting up. "Becareful, though! This is our day for luck, all right."

"Well, I guess!" answered the boy, rolling over theledge. "Chee, but dey're a pair o' dough-heads. Goodt'ing f'r us, too. What next, Matt?"

"We'll get to the Red Flier, turn it the other wayalong the trail, and ride back to Fairview."

"Oh, Lucy!" giggled Josh. "Fer a kid dat ain't hadnot'in' t' eat since yesterday mornin' I'm feelin' somefine! We gits de Red Flier, after all, an' dem guys isbeat, hands down."

They were proceeding down the hillside while Joshwas talking. When Matt reached the boulders that linedthe road, he looked out.

Brisco and Spangler, hurrying as fast as their legscould carry them, were just vanishing around the bend.

"Now for the Red Flier—and Fairview!" said Matt,running out from among the boulders and laying a directcourse for the red car.

"Dat's de talk, cull!" laughed Josh, hustling alongafter Matt.

Certainly it looked as though they were to have everythingtheir own way, for a while at least—but they werenot so lucky as they thought.

CHAPTER XIII.

CAR AGAINST CAR.

It may be that Matt and Josh made too much racketgetting down the rocks, or that Brisco had a premonitionthat something was wrong. Be that as it might, however,yet Brisco and Spangler turned back a minute afterthey had gone charging around the bend.

Motor Matt, at that moment, was bending to the crankof the Red Flier, and it was Josh who excitedly announcedthe approach of their two enemies.

The boy had done his jubilating too soon, and the sightof Brisco and Spangler filled him with panic.

"Oh, chee!" he fluttered. "Dey're after us, Matt, likea couple o' grizzlies! Wow! Let's duck f'r de rocksagin!"

"Get into the car!" shouted Matt, giving the crank awhirl.

One beauty of the Red Flier was the quickness withwhich the machine caught up its cycle; and it had beenthe same with Matt's twin-cylinder motorcycle. Half aturn of the pedal was enough for the little Comet, andone pull of the crank did the business for the red car'smotor.

While the machine popped its defiance of Brisco andSpangler, Motor Matt ran around and vaulted into hisold familiar place. He felt at home—much more so thanhe had when driving the runabout.

Neither Brisco nor Spangler wasted any time with theirrevolvers. Both knew that the runabout was a fastermachine than the Red Flier, and both felt confident thata quick start after the boys and a few minutes' chasewould tell the tale.

Spangler scrambled into the car. Brisco slipped as herounded the front of the runabout to turn over the engine,fell sprawling and hit his head on the handle of thecrank.

He was not very much hurt, apparently, although fromhis flow of language his temper must have been severelyinjured. Besides, he had lost ten seconds—no very seriousmatter, considering the usual speed of the runabout—butBrisco was anxious for a rapid start and a quickfinish for the chase.

As he yanked the lever savagely, the popping from upthe road sounding like the rapid discharge of a Gatlinggun. Motor Matt had turned the Red Flier with his customarycelerity, and was off on the high gear with themuffler cut out.

"By thunder," howled the frantic Spangler, "oncet Iketch that Motor Matt I'll wring his neck fer him!"

"I'll help you," answered Brisco vindictively. Therewas a patch of skin gone from his forehead and a littledribble of red was flowing down his cheek.

"If they wasn't out o' sight," growled Spangler, "I'dpepper 'em."

"What's the use of peppering them?" scowled Brisco."We'll climb right over 'em in less'n five minutes."

"Do it!" cried Spangler, as they shot ahead recklessly.

"Do what?" asked Brisco, just missing a boulder by ahair's breadth.

"Why, climb over 'em," snorted Spangler. "Run 'emdown an' shove 'em inter the rocks! Let's hev a smash,with that young whelp right in the middle of it. He'smade us trouble enough!"

"Don't be a fool, Spang!" returned Brisco. "If weran into them we might smash the runabout. We've gotuse for this machine—after we clean up on Legree andthis Motor Matt."

"That's so, too," said Spangler. "We may hev usefer it even if ye don't clean up on Legree. With anotherpair o' shoes an' tubes, an' a place whar we kin keep asupply o' gasoline an' oil, an' them steel bottles o' compressedair, we could circle all around through this hereSouthwestern kentry, takin' our toll wharever we wantedter pick it up."

"Sure we could, and we will!"

"I'm glad o' one thing," observed Spangler.

"What's that?"

"Why, thar won't be any more glass throwed in theroad, same as thar was during t'other chase we had withthat Red Flier. King had a lot in the red car, if ye remember,an' I dumped it all out."

[Pg 21]

"We'll nip 'im this time," said Brisco, through histeeth.

"We got ter, that's what. If we don't—— Tear an'ages, Hank! Be keerful!"

The runabout had been hurled at a curve. There wasno lessening of the speed, and the entire machine slidsideways to the edge of the road, banging into the rockswith a force that pitched Spangler against the dashboard.He came within one of going clear over upon the hood.

"Get back in your seat and hang on!" yelled Brisco."We haven't commenced to run yet."

After that Spangler had no time to talk—he was toobusy holding himself in the car.

Meanwhile the Red Flier had been streaking it throughthe hills, Josh keeping a pair of keen eyes on the backtrack, and Matt giving his entire attention to the roadahead.

"Chee, wot a bump!" cried Josh.

He had seen the runabout skid across the road, takea welt at the rock wall and then leap onward like a bulletfrom a gun.

"What's the matter?" shouted Matt.

He had to shout, for the wind of their flight caught thewords out of his teeth and flung them, a mere wisp ofsound, far to rearward.

"Brisco tried t' knock over a hill wit' his hind wheels,"yelled Josh, "an' Spang tried t' turn a handspring overde bonnet. Wow! but dey're goin some, Matt!"

"So are we," screamed Matt, "Fifty-eight miles anhour."

"Ever race dat runabout afore?"

"Yes."

"W'ch winned?"

"The Flier—by a fluke. I scattered glass in the road—therunabout got into it and went lame."

"Got any glass along now?"

"Yes, in the tonneau; but——"

"None dere now, cull."

"Then Brisco must have thrown it out. It'll all right,though. This is going to be our race."

"We'd better keep our lamps skinned f'r Fairview. It'son'y seventy-five miles from w'ere we started, an we'regoin' so fast we might run past de place an' never seeit."

Josh felt hilarious. His panic was leaving him and hisusual nerve was coming back.

"How's the runabout coming?" roared Matt.

"Gainin'!" whooped the boy. "Oh, sister, how she'scomin'! Wisht I had some glass."

"She'll never catch us, Josh!"

"How's dat?"

"Because I've fixed her so she won't."

"I hope yous ain't shy in yer calkilations, Matt. Demblokes'll sure kill us if we drops into deir hands."

"Watch her, Josh! Tell me when her speed slackens,or when anything goes wrong."

"She ain't slackenin' none yet, an' nuttin' ain't gonewrong."

"Well, watch and tell me."

Matt couldn't understand why the runabout wasn't beginningto develop trouble in the vicinity of the needle-valve.But it would come, sooner or later. Some of thesand was bound to get through the supply-pipe in time.

The valley had widened considerably, and now it beganto develop dips and rises which afforded Matt opportunityfor nursing the motor and preventing overheating.He could cut off the power on the down grades andgive the throbbing cylinders a breathing spell.

Brisco had no such fine ability or discrimination. Hetook everything on the high gear.

"Still gainin'!" announced Josh.

"How far are they behind?"

"A hundred feet. It's a wonder dey don't shake somebullets out o' deir guns dis way. One of 'em's tootin'his bazoo at us."

"What does he say? Can you hear?"

"He says ter stop 'r he'll put a bullet into one o' ourtires. Chee! If he does dat——"

Matt snatched one hand from the steering-wheel.

Honk, honk! he answered derisively.

Sping!

The warning report was followed by the whistle of abullet. It did not come anywhere near the Red Flier,but spatted harmlessly into the valley wall.

Josh laughed wildly and waved his hand. The spiritof the race was surging through his veins and had wipedout all sense of fear.

"Wow!" he shouted. "Yous ought t' seen dat! Spanghas been holdin' on t' de seat wit' bot' hands, but helet go wit' one t' fire at us. De runabout jumped sidewaysan' he lost his pepper-box overboard. Come clostt' goin' hisself! Say, I wisht he had!"

The runabout was devouring the distance in remarkablestyle. It was now only twenty-five feet behind, andso near that the sand and pebbles kicked up by the flyingrear wheels of the red car struck in the faces of Briscoand Spangler.

Spangler lowered his head. Brisco jerked the gogglesdown over his eyes.

"Stop!" he roared, "or I'll run into you!"

Honk, honk! tooted Matt defiantly.

Brisco swore and gritted his teeth. With his temperat fever heat, what did he care how he injured the runaboutjust so he evened his score with Motor Matt?

Closer and closer came the runabout. Josh measuredthe decreasing distance with his eyes.

"Ten feet! Five, Matt, five! She's up t' us, now—lookout!"

Not knowing what was to happen, Josh curled overthe back of the seat and hung on with both hands.

There was a slight jar, followed by a sudden slewingon the part of the runabout, a quick lessening of speedand the whirr of a racing engine.

"Dey're stoppin'!" shouted the boy; "somet'ing hasgone wrong wid de odder car!"

"I knew something would happen!" shouted Matt, ashe slowed his speed a little to give the Red Flier a bitof a rest.

CHAPTER XIV.

DOWN THE MOUNTAIN.

"Dat engine o' deirs went wrong just at de right timet' save our bacon, Matt," said Josh.

Matt tossed a look backward. The runabout was ata stop, and Brisco was on the ground, tinkering frantically.

"If he knows what to do," said Matt, "he'll be ableto come on again. But he'll have more trouble; and he'll[Pg 22]continue to have trouble until he takes time to overhaulhis fuel-tank."

"What did yous do?" asked the boy.

"Mixed a handful of sand with his gasoline."

"W'en?"

"While we were hung up in front of those rocksSpangler had laid for us."

"Didn't dat geezer see yous?"

"I got out of the way before Brisco showed up; andSpangler, at the time, was away looking for the manin the notch."

"Chee, but you're a wonder! Motor Matt heads depercession an' carries de banner! Yous t'ought o' alldat while I was hustlin' t' git behind dem rocks! Didyous t'ink we was goin' t' have a race?"

"I didn't know but we might. Anyhow, I thought itgood policy to fix the machine so it wouldn't be reliable.What's the news from the rear, Josh?"

"Brisco is gittin' back in his seat."

"Is he coming on?"

"Dat's wot."

"Fast as ever?"

"I don't see no diff'rence in de runnin'."

"Well, something is sure to go wrong, just as it didbefore. One grain of sand clogged the needle-valve,Josh, and there's a thousand more grains to come downthe supply-pipe. Face around a minute. The road forkshere. Which one shall we take? Do you remembercoming this way?"

The boy flopped around in his seat. The Red Flierwas rushing toward a place where the road forked.Both roads were bordered by rocky walls, and both hadthe appearance of being equally well traveled—whichwasn't saying much for the travel, at that.

"I don't remember nuttin'," answered the boy, "bein'scart stiff all de w'ile I was in de runabout. I'd say got' de right. Dat's always a good t'ing t' do."

"If we had the least notion which way Fairview laywe could shape our course a little better. But we don'tknow, so we'll take chances and go to the right."

There was a slowing of speed while Matt made theturn. For a long distance this fork was a straightawaystretch and fairly level. Matt and Josh were congratulatingthemselves on the fact that they had made a fortunatechoice, when suddenly they whirled out on avista that surprised them.

At the end of the straightaway stretch, a suddenangle brought the side of a steep mountain under theboy's eyes. The road could be seen clinging to themountain's side, describing horseshoe after horseshoe—edgingits way between dizzy chasms and high cliffs.

"Wow!" gasped Josh, and collapsed in his seat. "Righthere's w'ere we fall off de eart'."

Matt took another look behind. The runabout, withthe stern, relentless face of Brisco over the wheel, wassurging toward them.

"Here we go!" called Matt. "Hang on, Josh!"

"I'm glued! Yous can't shake me!"

The boy was game, and Matt flung the Red Flier atthe mountainside and down the ribbon of treacherousroad.

There were places where a cliff overhung the trail,and the wheels on the left almost scraped the rocks, whilethose on the right barely tracked on the brink of a gulf.

The boy's face went white, but his eyes glimmeredbrightly. He looked back from time to time and sawthe runabout sliding after them.

A quick fear had rushed to Matt's brain. Oddlyenough, it was not a fear for his own safety, for heknew the Red Flier and knew what he could do with it;but the runabout! If that trickle of sand cut off thepower and caused the machine to slew ever so slightly,it would go over the chasm's edge and carry Brisco andSpangler with it!

The world would have been better off, perhaps, ifsuch a mishap had come to pass; but Matt did not wantit that way. His own instrumentality in the matterwould have been too hideously clear.

And yet, if something did not happen to the runabout,the machine might collide with the Red Flier and driveit over the brink.

Matt knew he must keep ahead. Never had he drivenmore masterfully than then. His nerves were steady,his brain alert, and every inch of that curving, treacherousdown grade was covered by his eyes.

It was more like falling down a hill than riding down.The Red Flier quivered like a thing of life, seeming torealize what was expected of it, and responding nobly.

Far off, over the level plain at the mountain's foot,could be seen the little cluster of houses that representedFairview. It glowed in the morning sun like a toy villageon a toy map.

As the road curved, struck a short straightaway, thencurved again, the town swept vividly into view and againas quickly vanished.

At the most desperate part of the trail a rock hadcrumbled from the wall and rolled to the edge of thechasm. There it lay, almost under the nose of the rushingcar.

The boy cast a despairing look into Motor Matt's set,determined face. All he saw was a swift gleam of thegray eyes.

Crash!

The car, skilfully guided so that it touched the inwardside of the boulder, forced it from the edge and sent itbounding and smashing downward into the gulf.

A sharp breath tore through the boy's lips. Confidenceagain took possession of him. After that escape, whatdifficulty could come up that Motor Matt was not ableto conquer?

Matt seemed to be made of steel. With one foot onthe brake and both hands on the wheel, he kept rigidlyto his work.

"How're they making it behind, Josh?" he called.

The boy knelt in his seat and looked back up the steepincline.

Fortune was riding with Brisco that day. But forthat he must have been hurled from the trail in a dozenplaces.

Driving a car was comparatively new work for him,and the chances are that never before had he been onsuch a dangerous piece of road. Yet he was naturallya man of iron nerve, and would not hold back whereMotor Matt led.

Spangler, from his appearance, was as frightened aman as there ever was in Arizona. A gray pallor hadspread over his face, and his eyes were fairly poppingfrom his head. Gripping his seat with both hands, he[Pg 23]braced himself with his feet against the forward dip ofthe car.

"Dey're slidin' after us, cull," reported the boy.

"Gaining?"

"Dat's wot, but not like dey did on de level road."

"The foot of the mountain is just ahead of us. Canwe get there before they overtake us?"

"Well, mebby we kin, but I wish de foot o' de mountainwas half a mile nearer dan wot it is."

Facing about in his seat, Josh looked at the foot of themountain for himself.

They were dropping toward it swiftly. There wereno more curves—nothing but a straight fall, a shootbetween bordering rocks and then a cheerful reach ofroad over the plain.

"We're in luck t' git out o' dis widout a broken neck,"said Josh. "Chee, but dat level place looks good t' me."

"The Flier's a dandy car!" declared Matt.

"She's got a dandy driver, an' dat's no dream. W'ere'dwe been widout Motor Matt at de steerin'-wheel? Yousis a four-time winner, an' dere's odders dat'll hear mesay it."

"The runabout will be hot after us as soon as we hitthe level ground again."

"Dey'll never ketch us, cull. I don't care how hot deycome, wit' yous handlin' de Flier."

With a final spurt the red car rushed through therocks, and, for the first time since it had taken that up-and-downtrail, both ends were on a level.

As they glided out onto the plain, Matt cast a lookbackward. There was a feeling of relief came over himat sight of the runabout charging through the rocks atthe mountain's foot.

But, as he looked, and just as the runabout was onthe point of striking level ground, there was a jerk tothe left, a crash, and a sudden stop.

Brisco pitched forward over the wheel, shot clear pastthe hood, and doubled up and rolled along the stonytrail.

Spangler went out on the left side, ricochetting into theair and turning a couple of grotesque somersaults. LikeBrisco, when he dropped, he lay still.

A sharp breath escaped Matt's lips. Turning the RedFlier, he started back until he had come almost uponthe silent form of Brisco; then he brought the Flier toa halt and jumped out.

"Chee, Moses!" muttered Josh, awed by the abrupttermination of the chase. "Do yous t'ink dem guys iskilled, Matt?"

"That's what we've got to find out," flung back Matt,hurrying to Brisco and kneeling down beside him.

Human enmity seemed a paltry thing to Matt as hishand went groping over Brisco's breast, feeling for theheart-beats. A thrill of satisfaction shot through himas he found that Brisco was alive.

Hurrying on to Spangler, he was immensely relievedto find that worthy sitting up in the road and drawinga hand over his dazed eyes.

"What—what happened?" faltered Spangler.

"Nothing to what's going to happen now, Spangler,"answered Matt, and picked up the second and last revolverwhich the ruffian had had about him.

"There ought to be some ropes in the runabout, Josh,"called Matt. "Go and get them."

CHAPTER XV.

MOTOR MATT'S TEN-STRIKE.

Josh hustled for the runabout. One of the coiledropes Matt had put in the car was hanging over a lamp,and the other had been thrown into the road. Takingthe one off the lamp, the boy hurried back to the placewhere Matt was training the revolver on Spangler.

"Fine bizness!" laughed Josh. "Wot d'yous want met' do, Matt? Put a bow-knot on his lunch-hooks?"

"Stand up, Spangler!" ordered Matt.

Spangler got lamely to his feet. He was still confusedand bewildered.

"Somethin' hit us," he mumbled. "From the way Iwas throwed it must hev been a landslide. Whar'sHank? Is he killed?"

"Brisco will get along, I guess," said Matt. "Put yourhands behind you, Spangler."

Just then, for the first time, it began to dawn onSpangler that Matt was making a prisoner out of him.The ruffian, although practically uninjured, had beenbadly shaken up. Nevertheless, he was in condition toresist, and he leaped backward, swearing.

"If ye think ye kin rope, down an' tie me," he cried,"jest bekase that thar machine bucked an' dumped meinter the road, ye got another——"

"Come this way!" cut in Matt.

The words, hard and keen, jumped at Spangler like somany knife-points. Motor Matt meant business, andshowed it in every movement.

Spangler stepped forward.

"That's far enough," snapped Matt. "Now put thosehands behind you."

With the open end of his own gun staring him in theface, there was nothing for Spangler to do but to obey.His hands went meekly behind him.

"Can you tie a good hard knot, Josh?" asked Matt.

"T'ink I ain't good f'r nuttin'?" protested the boy.

Passing behind Spangler, he used the free end of therope for a few moments and then stepped back with therest of the coil in his hands.

"If he gits dem mitts out o' dat he's a good 'un," announcedJosh. "W'ere d'yous want him, Matt?"

"In the Red Flier. Step lively, Spangler. We've gotto look after Brisco."

"Get ap!" clucked Josh, shaking the rope.

With a black scowl on his face, the baffled Spanglermade his way to the touring-car.

"Get in on the back seat," went on Matt.

Spangler obeyed the order.

"Now, Josh," pursued Matt, "cut the rope and tie apiece of it around his feet."

The boy finished the work expeditiously, and when heand Matt drew away from the Red Flier they left Spanglerhelpless and fuming in the tonneau.

Brisco was still lying where he had fallen, and he wasstill unconscious. Matt made a more thorough examinationof him. His pulse was stronger and, so far as Mattcould discover, there were no broken bones.

"Wot keeps 'im in a trance?" asked the boy. "He's[Pg 24]stayin' a long time in de Land o' Nod for not havin'nuttin' wrong wit' 'im."

"Pick up his revolver, Josh," returned Matt briskly,"and then sit down beside him and wait till he gets hiswits back. Don't let him get away from you."

"Get away from me? Not on yer life, cull. I'd raddertake dis mutt into Fairview dan pull down a t'ousan' inde long green. Dad wants him."

Paying no attention to the boy's rather obscure remark,Matt went to the runabout. He was expecting to find themachine badly smashed, and was happily disappointed.

Both front lamps were broken, and the mud-guard overthe right wheel forward had been ripped away. Theguard had fallen between the wheel and the rock, andundoubtedly had kept the wheel from being dished. Thetire was punctured and the jolt had disabled the motor.For all that, however, the machine, with a few temporaryrepairs, could travel on its own wheels if not under itsown power.

Brisco had not yet corralled his wits. Aided by Josh,Matt dragged the man off to one side, where he wouldbe out of the way; then, cutting about six feet of ropefrom the other riata, he threw it down where Josh couldget at it.

"When Brisco wakes up, Josh," said Matt, "just holdhim steady till we put that rope on him."

"Wot yous goin' t' do, Matt?" inquired the wonderingJosh. "Yous is busier dan a monkey wit' his hand in acoconut."

"We're going to haul the runabout into Fairview,"said Matt. "But I've got to patch her up first."

Getting into the Red Flier, Matt backed her as closeto the disabled car as he could; then, hitching onto therunabout with the ropes, he pulled it down onto the levelplain.

With a jack taken from the touring-car he swung therunabout's wheel off the ground. The mud-guard, havingbeen ripped off, was not in his way. After locating thepuncture and marking it with chalk, he unscrewed thewing-nuts, pushed out the security-bolt, and then, withlevers, dug out the inner tube.

Perhaps he was an hour getting the hole patched up,tire back in place and reinflated. When he was through,the runabout was ready to be dragged to Fairview.

"How's Brisco?" asked Matt, putting on his leathercoat, which he had thrown off while working with therunabout.

"Same as wot he was, cull," replied Josh. "He ain'ttwitched an eye-winker."

"He may be shamming," said Matt, "in the hope ofmaking a bolt for his liberty. We'll put him in thetonneau. You can ride with him and watch him everyminute. I'll take Spangler in front with me."

"We're goin' t' take de hull outfit into Fairview?"grinned Josh.

"That's the idea."

"A whale of an idee it is, too, an' no stringin'. Reg'larline-up o' crooks an' stolen automobiles, wit' Motor Mattin charge o' de bunch. Wow! It's de biggest come-easydat I ever mixed up wit'. Mebby dere won't be rejoicin'w'en we goes pokin' into town wit' all dis load.Well, I guess yes."

Between them, Matt and Josh succeeded in carryingBrisco to the touring-car and getting him into the tonneau.

Spangler, having been transferred to one of the frontseats, had been chewing the cud of reflection.

"Looky here, Motor Matt," said he, "ye ain't got nocall ter kerry me ter Fairview. Think o' Klegg, downan' out an' mebby dyin' back thar in that notch. If anythin'happens ter him ye'll be responsible. Better turnme loose an' let me go back an' take keer o' him."

"Don't do so much worrying over Klegg," answeredMatt. "I intend to have him looked after. Just as soonas we get to Fairview I'll have the sheriff, or some otherofficer, go to the notch and see that Klegg gets all theattention he deserves."

"Waal, even at that, ye ain't got no call ter lug meinter town. I ain't done a thing. Brisco was the fellerthat had it in fer you. It's him ye want ter git even with,an' not me."

"You didn't have a hand in robbing Mr. Tomlinson,did you?" said Matt sarcastically. "There are a lot ofother things you've done, too, and I'm going to turn youover to Lem Nugent, the man who owns the runabout,as soon as we reach Fairview. It won't take long to getNugent up from Ash Forks."

"Yous is a game loser, I don't t'ink," scoffed the boy."W'ere's yer nerve, Spangler?"

"Say," said Spangler, giving his attention to Josh,"where did you butt inter this game?"

"I rode out o' Fairview wit' Brisco," grinned Josh."He give me a ride."

"Give ye a ride?" echoed Spangler.

"Sure, on'y he didn't know it. I was under de coat inde back o' de runabout; an' I was still dere w'en yousmutts went t' dat hole in de wall. 'Course yous didn'tsee me. Yous was too mad at Motor Matt t' see anyt'ing."

The whole situation rushed over Spangler with demoralizingclearness. He was able to understand howJosh and Matt, by the exercise of pluck and brains, hadsucceeded in balking the plans of Brisco.

Spangler swore heartily. It seemed to be his onlymethod for easing his feelings.

"The worst move we ever made," he muttered savagely,"was takin' Motor Matt out o' town last night. Ididn't want ter do it, but Brisco had made up his mind,an' that settled it. We ain't got no one ter blame but[Pg 25]ourselves fer what's happened. Go on. The quicker wegit ter Fairview an' hev this thing over with, the betterI'll be suited."

Spangler, resigning himself to the situation, sank backin his seat.

Matt went around to the rear of the car to make theropes attaching it to the runabout more secure. As nearas he had been able to discover there was a level road allthe way to Fairview. They were coming into the townfrom the north and east, and not along the Ash Forkroad, where there was a hill to be descended in order toreach the valley.

Having reassured himself about the ropes, Matt returnedto the side of the Red Flier and mounted therunning-board. Looking over the side of the tonneau,he swept his gaze over Brisco's unconscious face.

"I can't understand what keeps him that way, Josh,"said Matt.

"Mebby he's badly shook up inside," answered the boy."Wot he needs is a doctor."

"Well, he'll have one before long. Stay right besidehim and watch him every minute. If he's playing possumwith us, we want to make sure he don't gain anythingby it."

"I'm right on de job," said Josh.

Matt climbed into his seat and started on the lowgear. There was a creaking of the ropes as they took thepull, and the runabout started.

Everything worked smoothly, and Matt, with a loadworth fifteen hundred dollars, set his face toward Fairview.

CHAPTER XVI.

MORE TROUBLE FOR THE "UNCLE TOMMERS."

The disappearance of Motor Matt and the Red Fliermade Carl Pretzel not only bewildered but furiouslyangry. He was angry at Brisco and bewildered to accountfor the way he had pulled off his night raid.

"Oof dot feller inchures a hair oof Modor Matt'sheadt," wheezed Carl, shaking his fist in the air, "I villcamp by his drail, py chimineddy! I vill go on somevar-paths! I vill make him be sorry for vat he dit, yah,so helup me!"

Leaving Carl to rant and vow vengeance, Legreerushed over to the railroad-station and sent a message.The message, owing to financial embarrassment on thepart of Legree, had to go collect.

"Lem Nugent, Ash Fork.

"Come at once to Fairview. Important developmentsregarding your automobile.

Motor Matt."

Legree signed the message with Matt's name becausehe knew the cattleman wouldn't know anything about aman named Legree; and he also felt sure that MotorMatt's name would secure the cattleman's instant attention.

On his way back to the hotel he inquired for thesheriff. Fairview was too small to have a sheriff, butthe town had a deputy sheriff. The deputy, however,was just then attending his father's golden-wedding, inFlagstaff, the marshal had gone with him, and the townwas without an officer.

As if this was not sufficiently discouraging, when Legreegot back to the hotel he found a very disquietingstate of affairs.

The Uncle Tommers had been chased out of the hostelryby O'Grady and Ping Pong, his Chinese cook. Theywere gathered in a forlorn group in front, and CarlPretzel was with them.

"Mistah O'Grady, sah," Uncle Tom was saying withall the dignity he could work up, "Ah's de official mascotob Motah Matt. While Ah's been stayin' in yo' 'stablishment,Ah's been mascottin' fo' him. He will come back,yo' ma'k what Ah say. Gib us ouah breakfus en yo'sho gits yo' money!"

"Begorry, yez have got into me f'r all yez are goin'to," yelled the proprietor. "It's a passel av thramps yezare, iv'ry wan av yez! Av th' marshal was in town,Oi'd have yez all in th' cooler. Get out, befure Oi sicth' dog on yez! Scatther!"

"What's the matter here?" demanded Legree, pushingto the front.

"Py chincher," flared Carl, "dot Irish feller t'inks vevas vorkin' some shkin games on him. He vas grazieras a pedpug, und he von't gif us some preakfast."

"En we's all hongry es sin," piped Uncle Tom plaintively."Ah been mascottin' fo' Motah Matt twell Ah'sdat fa*gged Ah dunno whut Ah's about, no, sah."

"I tried to get him to take my ring, Legree," put inEliza, "but he won't. He says we're only a lot of deadbeats, and never intend to pay him."

"Ah tole him," spoke up Topsy, "dat Ah'd wuk in hiskitchum fo' de price ob a breakfus, an' he wouldn' hab it.Ah's honest, dat's whut Ah is. Ah nebber stole a centfum anybody en mah life."

"See here, O'Grady," remarked Legree, "Motor Matthas money and he has offered to pay our expenses whilewe're stopping with you. I'll have money myself in a fewdays, and then I'll pay you. You're not taking anychances on this crowd."

"Faith, an' yez are roight about thot," scowledO'Grady. "Oi'm takin' no more chances wid yez. MotorMatt! Why, he run aff lasht noight! Sure, he did! Heshneaked away so he wouldn't have t' pay me f'r yerkape. Oi'm keen enough t' see thot!"

"Py shinks," whooped Carl, dancing around and wavinghis fists, "don'd you say dod some more. I can lick der[Pg 26]feller vat says somet'ings aboudt Modor Matt like dot.Ven he say he pay, he mean vot he say, und he do it,too. Yah, you bed you! Modor Matt vas my bard, undhe don'd vas leafing a bard in der lurch like vat you say."

"Av Motor Matt is yer pard," said O'Grady, "bedadbut it's sthrange yez haven't money. Git out, Oi say!Oi'm done wid yez."

"I tell you," went on Legree, "I'll have money myselfin a few days."

"Yez can't make me belave any co*ck-an'-bull shtorylike thot. Niver again will Oi take in anny wan widoutbaggage. Shoo! Clear out befure Oi git violent."

In O'Grady's present temper there was no reasoningwith him, so Legree marshaled his comrades and ledthem off to a neighboring wood-pile, where they all satdown disconsolately.

"Ah's been accustomed tuh bettah treatment," mournedUncle Tom. "Ah's got de bigges' notion dat evah wastuh put a hoodoo on dat hotel. Ah could do hit, but Ahrestrains mahse'f till Ah gits odahs fum Motah Matt."

"Go 'long wif sich talk!" cried Topsy, out of patience."'Peahs lak yo' done put dat hoodoo on de rest ob us.Nuffin' ain't gone right sence we left dat 'ar Brockvilleplace."

"There'll be some one here from Ash Fork before long,who, maybe, will help us," said Legree. "Just be aspatient as you can, friends, and we'll hope for the best."

"All de patience in de worl', Mistah Legree," answeredUncle Tom, "'doan' fill a pusson's stummick. Mah goodness,Ah didun' know Ah was so pesterin' hongry."

"I tell you somet'ing," said Carl, "oof I knowed vichvay Modor Matt vas, I vould go und findt him. I vasmadt as some vet hens ofer dis pitzness. Here ve vas,hung oop on a vood-pile mit nodding to eat, und notknowing vere Modor Matt vent mit himseluf. ChonnyHartluck iss hanging aroundt mit us."

Leaving his disconsolate friends, Legree went back tothe railroad-station. There he waited for four hours forthe local train from Ash Fork. He was rewarded, however,by seeing a big man get off the train, stop on theplatform, and look around expectantly.

Legree walked up to the arriving passenger.

"Mr. Nugent?" he asked.

"You've hit it," replied the cattleman, staring thestranded actor up and down with an unfavoring eye.

"Ah! Well, sir, my name's Legree. I suppose you'relooking for Motor Matt?"

"Another bull's-eye for you. I came here on a telegramfrom Motor Matt saying that there had been importantdevelopments concerning my automobile that wasstolen from me near Ash Fork. Where's Motor Matt?"

"He is unavoidably absent just now," answered Legree,"but I am confidently expecting him to appear atany moment. To be frank with you, sir, I sent thattelegram and signed Motor Matt's name to it."

The cattleman became indignant.

"You're pretty fresh, seems to me!" said he. "Whatbusiness had you doing a thing like that?"

"Because I wanted you here. Your car was in townyesterday. One of the thieves brought it in for a supplyof gasoline and oil. Motor Matt and I tried to capturethe thief, but he got away from us and took the car withhim."

"Who are you, if you haven't any objection to answerin'a straight question?" demanded the cattleman.

"Step into the waiting-room with me for a few moments,"replied Legree, "and I'll explain."

They went into the waiting-room and were gone possiblyfive minutes. When they came out on the platformonce more, Nugent seemed to have developed a vastamount of confidence in Legree.

"Why didn't you tell Motor Matt what you've toldme?" asked the cattleman.

"I wasn't telling anybody that, Mr. Nugent," answeredLegree, "and I wouldn't be telling you now if I hadn'twanted to fix things with O'Grady so that I and myfriends can continue to remain at his hotel."

"I know O'Grady," said Nugent. "Come along withme and I'll fix things up for you."

They went to the hotel at once. O'Grady, tilted backagainst the wall in front, was smoking a pipe and keepinga sharp eye on the wood-pile.

Uncle Tom, with a red bandanna over his face, wasleaning back against the wood and was apparently asleep.All the rest were hovering listlessly about, waiting patientlyfor something to happen.

The sight of Lem Nugent, who was known throughoutall that part of the country, wrought a great change inO'Grady. The cattleman and the actor were approachingtogether, and seemed to be on cordial terms.

"O'Grady," said Nugent, after he had exchanged greetingswith the proprietor, "this gentleman is a friend ofmine, and his friends are my friends, understand? Takethem all in and give them the best you've got. And don'tbleed me, you shyster. I'll stand the damage, but I won'tbe robbed."

"Whativer yez say goes wid me, Lem," said O'Grady."Come on, all av yez," he cried, standing up and motioningtoward the wood-pile. "Oi'll have th' Chink puta male on th' table f'r yez to wanst."

Uncle Tom may have been asleep, but he heard thosewelcome words and was up like a shot.

"Ah was mascottin fo' dat very t'ing," he admitted,as he ran toward the hotel. "Layin' back dar wid mahbandannah ober mah face, Ah was wukin' lak er hiahedman, yassuh. Now, den, yo' Topsy, yo' see what Ah kindo when Ah lays mahse'f out!"

Just as they were starting into the hotel, a shout fromCarl brought them all to a halt and an about-face.

[Pg 27]

"Hoop-a-la!" yelled Carl, dancing around and throwinghis cap in the air. "Look vonce ad vat's coming!Vat dit I say? Here vas a drain oof cars, mit ModorMatt pringing dem in. Ach, himmel, I peen so habby asI can't dell! Modor Matt iss coming!"

Under the startled eyes of those in front of the hoteltwo cars could be seen coming along the road. The RedFlier, with Matt and three passengers, was in the lead,and towing behind was the runabout.

"My car, by thunder!" shouted Nugent, starting forthe road.

"And Spangler is with Motor Matt," cried the amazedLegree, "and Brisco, and the kid! How in blazes do youthink that happened?"

A disgusted look crossed Uncle Tom's face.

"How yo' t'ink dat happened!" he muttered sarcastically;"en me a-mascottin' fo' Motah Matt all de time!"

CHAPTER XVII.

CONCLUSION.

Whether O'Grady really thought Motor Matt hadtaken French leave during the night or not, is a question.Certainly he was as surprised to see Matt traveling intotown as were any of the rest of them.

All those around the hotel flocked to the road.

"Hello, Matt!" called Nugent, reaching up his hand."It looks like you'd been accomplishing something."

Matt's acquaintance with the cattleman had been ofexceedingly brief duration, and never before had he beenhailed by him in that cordial tone.

"How are you, Mr. Nugent?" he returned, taking thecattleman's hand. "How did you happen to come overthis way?"

"Got a telegram from you——"

"From me?" echoed Matt.

"I sent it, Matt," put in Legree, "and signed yourname to it. When you disappeared last night I knewsomething had to be done, and that there ought to be aman with money to do it. So I sent for Nugent."

"It's all right, my boy," said Nugent, "and I'm tickledto death because I came. You're bringing in my car, Isee, and the two fellows that took it away from me.Good! If we don't put 'em through for their crookedwork, my name ain't Nugent."

"You'll have to send for a doctor for Brisco," saidMatt. "He's been unconscious for two hours, and I don'tknow whether he's badly hurt or not. You see——"

At that moment Brisco proved that he was far frombeing badly hurt. With a jump he got out of the tonneauand started at a run toward the edge of town. UncleTom happened to be in his way, and was knocked heelsover head.

"Dere he goes!" yelled Josh excitedly. "Clear out o'de way so I kin git a shot at 'im!"

But Josh was not allowed to carry out his warlike intentions.Legree took after the escaping ruffian, overhauledhim before he had gone far, grabbed him by theshoulders, and hurled him to the ground.

O'Grady, rushing to Legree's assistance, lent a willinghand. Brisco had been a good customer of O'Grady's,but the situation had changed somewhat since the UncleTommers had been staying at the Shamrock Hotel.

"I reckon, Matt," remarked Lem Nugent dryly, "thatthe fellow ain't very badly hurt. How did you happento get hold of the scoundrels?"

"They were chasing us," answered Matt. "We werein the Red Flier and they were in your car. Brisco raninto the rocks, and he and Spangler were thrown out.Neither of them seemed very much hurt, and Josh and Icaptured Spangler before he had fully got back his wits.Brisco appeared to be all right, but he was unconscious.I had an idea that he might be shamming. Probably hecame to himself just as we got here, and thought thebest thing for him to do would be to make a break."

"His break didn't help him any," said Legree, as heand O'Grady came marching back with Brisco betweenthem. "Go up to my room, Josh," Legree went on, "andget those two plates. You'll find 'em under the northeastcorner of the carpet. Front room, boy."

"Dat's me," answered Josh, handing Brisco's weaponsto his father and bounding away.

"I'm going to tell you people something," proceededLegree, "that will no doubt surprise you. And I think,"he finished grimly, "that Brisco will be as much surprisedas anybody."

Josh presently returned with a couple of flat, squarepackages. Leaving O'Grady to take care of Brisco,Legree took the packages in his hands.

"A crook by the name of Denver Denny, alias JamesTrymore," went on Legree, "escaped from the authoritiesat Denver and came to this part of the country. DenverDenny was a clever counterfeiter, and worked in conjunctionwith Hank Brisco. At least, following the outputof the 'queer' as it trailed along in the wake of thatUncle Tom's Cabin Company, I came to that conclusion.

"Denny owned a set of very fine plates for the manufactureof bogus five-dollar silver certificates. When hewas captured in Denver those plates were nowhere to befound. I conceived the notion that they might be inBrisco's possession, and in order to make sure, I becameletter-perfect in the part of Legree, and Josh here got thepart of Little Eva by heart, and we arranged to joinBrisco's company of barn-stormers.

"We were with them for some time, watching Briscoall the while. Brisco was not shoving any of the 'queer'while we were with him, and I was inclined to think that[Pg 28]I had made a mistake in connecting him with Denny'soperations. However, Brisco had a little tin box, ofwhich he was very choice and careful. His solicitudefor that box aroused my curiosity. When Brisco pulledout between two days in Denver, and left his companystranded, by some freak of chance he dropped the box.Josh found it. We opened the box in Ash Fork andfound these two packages in it." Legree lifted the twoflat parcels so all could see. "I knew perfectly well thatBrisco would come after his box, so I continued to playthe part of a stranded actor, hoping to get my hands onhim.

"Fate was kind to us," and here Legree turned anddropped a friendly hand on the young motorist's shoulder,"by bringing Motor Matt along. He came to thefront gallantly and helped us. I should have capturedBrisco sooner or later, even without his aid, but he hasclosed the affair in hurricane fashion and saved the governmentlots of trouble."

Everybody, Uncle Tommers, Matt, Carl, and Briscoand Spangler, were astounded. Nugent was the solitaryexception, for Legree had revealed his identity to thecattleman in the railroad-station.

"These are the plates," went on Legree. "Brisco hadthem in the tin box."

"And you are——" began Matt, staring at Legree.

"A secret service man in the employ of the government."

A cry of fierce anger escaped Brisco. He made afierce attempt to get at Legree, but O'Grady restrainedhim.

"Faith," said O'Grady, with cheerful disregard of hispast actions, "Oi knowed yez was a bad egg th' minyitOi set eyes on yez."

"Dis," remarked Uncle Tom, with immense pride, "isde best job ob mascottin' whut Ah's done yit!"

"Better give up, Brisco!" called Spangler from thetouring-car. "They've got it on us an' we'll have tertake our medicine."

"Got it on us, yes," stormed Brisco, "but they wouldn'thave done it if it hadn't been for Motor Matt."

"Not so quick, I'll admit," said Legree amiably, "butI'd have caught you sooner or later, Brisco. In my reportI shall have something to say to the head of thedepartment about Motor Matt. I'd like to hear, though,just how he happened to make this haul."

"Josh helped me," said Matt.

"Not enough so yous could notice it," returned Joshpromptly; "Motor Matt was de man on de job fromstart t' finish. Yous take it from Little Eva, an' nostringin'."

The boy turned to Matt with a wide grin.

"Yous is wise t' why I went off wit' Brisco in datrunabout now, ain't yous? I wanted t' find out w'erehe had 'is hang-out so dad could turn a trick fer degov'ment. But yous cut out dad, Matt."

"Listen, vonce," cried Carl, who had been trying forsome time to get in a few words, "Matt's der pest efer.He prings luck venefer he goes mit anypody. Yah, dot'srighdt. I know, pecause he prought luck mit me."

Uncle Tom was disposed to butt in with an objection,but the cattleman had something to say.

"There's fifteen hundred of my money goes to somebodyfor all this," said he. "Who gets it, Matt?"

"Divide it up between all of us," answered the boygenerously. "The Uncle Tommers need it."

A shout of delight went up from the actor contingent.

"You can leave Josh in the division," said Legree, "butcut me out of it. I'm working for Uncle Sam."

Just at that moment the Chinaman stepped to the doorand announced dinner.

"We'll talk all this over while we eat," said Nugent."Come on, everybody."

Motor Matt and Carl, having lost more time in Fairviewthan they could well afford, started for Albuquerqueearly in the afternoon.

Eliza, Topsy, and Uncle Tom, now well supplied withmoney, were to proceed to Denver by train.

The secret service man and Josh were to remain inFairview for a few days with their prisoners, and thento take them to Denver for trial.

"Matt," said Carl seriously, as the Red Flier leapedonward toward Albuquerque, "I vas a lucky feller to hookoop mit you. Vone oof dose tays, oof you don'd go packon me, I vill vear tiamonts!"

"I'll never go back on you, Carl," laughed Matt; "butI'm a little 'juberous' about the diamonds."

THE END.

THE NEXT NUMBER (7) WILL CONTAIN

MOTOR MATT'S CLUE;

OR,

THE PHANTOM AUTO.

A Night Mystery—Dick Ferral—La Vita Place—TheHouse of Wonder—Sercomb—The PhantomAuto Again—Surrounded by Enemies—TheKettle Begins to Boil—Ordered Away—A NewPlan—A Daring Leap—Desperate Villiany—Tippoo—Inthe Nick of Time—A Startling Interruption—ThePrice of Treachery—The Luck ofDick Ferral.

[Pg 29]

NEW YORK, April 3, 1909.

TERMS TO MOTOR STORIES MAIL SUBSCRIBERS.

(Postage Free.)

Single Copies or Back Numbers, 5c. Each.

How to Send Money—By post-office or express money-order,registered letter, bank check or draft, at our risk. At your own risk if sentby currency, coin, or postage-stamps in ordinary letter.

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A SNOWBALL FIGHT.

By HORATIO ALGER, Jr.

The snow had fallen to the depth of six inches during thenight, filling in the yards and covering the door-steps,throughout the town of Conway. Among those who hailedthe arrival of the snow with joy was Frank Taylor, a boyof fourteen, the son of the Widow Taylor, who lived in amiserable little tenement not far from the mill. Why he wasglad to see the snow will soon appear.

Early in the morning he shoveled a path to the street,and then putting his shovel over his shoulder, said to hismother:

"I'm going over to Squire Ashmead's to see if he doesn'twant me to shovel paths in his yard."

"He's got a boy of his own," said Mrs. Taylor; "perhapshe will do it."

Frank laughed.

"Sam Ashmead is proud and lazy," he said. "You won'tcatch him shoveling paths. I think I shall get the job. Iwant to earn something so that you need not sit all daysewing. It is too hard for you."

"I ought to think myself lucky to get employment at all,"said the widow.

"I wish I could get steady work somewhere," said Frank;"but I've tried and tried, and it seems impossible."

"Willing hands will not want work long," said his mother.

"I hope not, mother. But I must be going, or somebodywill get the start of me."

While Frank is on his way to Squire Ashmead's, a fewwords of explanation may be given. His mother had been awidow for two years. Her husband had been a man of someeducation, having at times taught school, but he had neversucceeded in laying up any money, and his widow was leftalmost penniless. Frank, who was a stout boy, and a goodboy as well, had earned something by doing odd jobs, buthad failed to obtain permanent employment. The burdenof their joint support, therefore, was thrown upon hismother, who was very industrious with her needle, but wascompelled to labor beyond her strength. All this troubledFrank, who felt that, as a stout, strong boy, he ought to bearat least half the expense.

In due time he reached Squire Ashmead's, and was gladto see that the snow remained undisturbed.

He rang the bell, and asked if he might shovel the pathsthat were necessary.

Squire Ashmead was absent in New York, to which cityhe had gone the morning previous on business, but his wifeagreed to employ Frank.

He went to work with a will, and soon had a path dugfrom the front door to the gate. A path was also requiredfrom the back door to the stable, which was situated in therear of the house. This was quite a distance, and as Frankwished to do the work thoroughly, it required considerabletime.

He was about half through this portion of his task whena snowball whistled by his ear.

Looking round quickly, he saw Sam Ashmead standing atthe corner of the house, engaged in making a fresh snowball.

"Don't fire any more snowballs, Sam Ashmead," saidFrank.

"I shall, if I please," said Sam.

"I haven't time to fire back now," said Frank. "Wait tillI get through, and we'll have a match if you like."

"But I don't like," said Sam scornfully. "Do you thinkI would have a match with a beggar like you?"

"I am no beggar, Sam Ashmead," said Frank, "and ifI were I don't think I would beg of you."

"Oh, you're mighty proud," sneered Sam, "considering thatyou live in an old hut not half as good as our stable."

"Yes, I am poor, and I live in a poor house," said Frankcalmly, "but that isn't a crime that I know of. Some time Ishall live in a better house, I hope."

So saying, he went back to work, and began shovelingthe snow vigorously. He did not anticipate any furtherattack from Sam, but in this he soon found himself mistaken.

In the course of a minute he felt a pretty hard blow in thecenter of his back, and looking round saw Sam Ashmeadlaughing insolently.

"How does that feel?" asked Sam.

"That's the second snowball you've fired at me," saidFrank quietly, but there was a light in his eyes as he spoke."I advise you not to fire another if you know what is goodfor yourself."

"So you threaten me, do you? Suppose I fire again, what'sgoing to happen?" demanded Sam, with an unpleasant sneer.

"I think you will be sorry for it," said Frank.

Sam hesitated a moment, but only a moment. He was ayear older than Frank, and larger in size. Certainly heought to be a match for him. But he did not believe thatFrank would have the audacity to touch him, the son ofSquire Ashmead, the richest man in the village. He thereforedeliberately made another snowball, and firing it,struck Frank in the back of his head.

Frank no sooner felt the blow than he threw down hisshovel, and ran toward his assailant.

[Pg 30]

"Keep off, you beggar!" said Sam.

"It's too late," said Frank. "I warned you not to fireagain."

Sam placed himself in an attitude of defense, but foundhimself seized violently round the middle, and before hefairly knew what was going to happen he was lying in asnow-bank with Frank standing over him.

He struggled to his feet mad with rage, and "pitchedinto" Frank, as the boys express it, and endeavored to retaliatein kind. But Frank was watchful and wary, and evadingthe attack, seized him again when his strength was halfspent, and Sam found himself once more occupying an involuntarybed in the snow.

A third struggle resulted in the same way. Sam wasfurious, but he saw that Frank was more than a match forhim.

Just then a servant called out from the door:

"Master Sam, your mother says it's time for you to begoing to school."

To tell the truth, Sam was rather glad of the summons, asit gave him an excuse for retiring from the contest.

"I'll be even with you yet," he said, shaking his fist atFrank. "I'll let my father know how you insulted me, youyoung beggar!"

"If anybody has been insulted, I have," said Frank. "Youmust remember that you began it."

Sam scowled vindictively, and brushing the snow from hiscoat went into the house. Before Frank finished the pathat the back of the house he was gone to school.

Mrs. Ashmead sent out fifty cents to Frank for his morning'swork, with which he went home, well satisfied, wishingthat he might earn as much every day. He wondered a littlewhether Sam would tell his father what had occurred betweenthem. He did not speak of it to his mother, for shewas nervous, and would be troubled by it, as she receivedconsiderable work to do from the Ashmead family which shemight fear would be taken away.

On the afternoon of the next day, however, Frank receiveda note, which proved to come from Squire Ashmead. It ranas follows:

"Frank Taylor: Please call at my office to-morrow morningat ten o'clock.

James Ashmead."

This note Frank thought best to show to his mother.

"What does it mean, Frank? Have you any idea?" sheasked.

Frank thereupon told her the story of his difficulty withSam.

"It may be about that," he said.

"Oh, dear," said the widow. "I'm afraid he's very angry.I hope you will apologize, Frank."

"No, mother," said Frank, "I don't see why I should. Ionly defended myself from a bully. I should be ashamedto do anything else. I didn't hurt him, and didn't intend to,but I wanted to teach him that he couldn't insult me withouthaving to pay for it."

"I am afraid some harm will come of it," said the widowanxiously.

"Don't trouble yourself, mother," said Frank soothingly."If we do only what's right, God will take care of us."

Still it was with some anxiety that Frank made his waythe next morning to the office of Squire Ashmead. Thisgentleman was the agent of a large manufactory in the town,of which also he was a considerable owner, so that he receivedan income of over ten thousand dollars a year, whichmade him the most prominent and influential citizen in thetown.

When Frank entered the office, Squire Ashmead was conversingwith a stranger on business.

"Sit down," he said, turning to Frank. "I will be atleisure in a moment."

"Well," he said, after the stranger had departed, "Samtells me you and he have had a little difficulty."

"Yes, sir," said Frank. "I would like to explain how itoccurred."

"Very well. Go on."

It will be unnecessary to give the explanation, as it wasstrictly in accordance with the facts.

"Do you blame me for what I did?" asked Frank, at theend.

"No, I do not," said the squire. "Sam acted like a bully,and was properly punished. Let that pass. Now let me askyou how you and your mother are getting along?"

"Poorly, sir," said Frank. "If I could have steady work,it would be different, but that I cannot get. It troubles meto see my mother work so hard all day. I think it is toomuch for her."

"How would you like to come into my office?"

Frank's eyes sparkled.

"I should think myself very lucky, sir, to get so good achance."

"I want some boy whom I can trust, who can grow up tothe business, and after a time relieve me of a portion of mycares. I would take Sam, but I am sorry to say, though heis my own son, that he would not answer my purpose. Ihave heard good accounts of you from your teacher and thepeople in the village. I will take you at a salary of six dollarsa week, to be increased from time to time if you willsuit me. Can you come Monday morning?"

"Yes, sir," said Frank, "and I will do my best to give yousatisfaction."

"Very well, my lad. Good morning."

Frank left the office, feeling as if his fortune was made.His mother, who was awaiting the result of the interviewanxiously at home, was overwhelmed with astonishment atthe unexpected good fortune of her son. Sam was disagreeablysurprised, and tried to shake his father's resolution,but Squire Ashmead was a sensible man, and not to bemoved.

Frank commenced his duties the next Monday. He wasso faithful that he was rapidly advanced, and at twenty-onewas receiving twelve hundred dollars a year. Attwenty-five, on the sudden death of Squire Ashmead, he succeededto his agency, and now lives with his mother in themansion at which he once thought himself lucky to be permittedto shovel the paths. As for Sam, he squandered thehandsome property received from his father, and died atthirty from the effects of intemperate habits.

SECRETS OF TRICK SHOOTING.

When a champion rifle shot fires blindfolded at a wedding-ring,or a penny held between his wife's thumb andfinger, or, seated back to her, shoots, by means of a mirror,at an apple upon her head or on a fork held in her teeth,the danger of using a bullet is obvious. None, of course,is needed; the explosion is enough. The apple is alreadyprepared, having been cut into pieces and stuck together with[Pg 31]an adhesive substance, and a thread with a knot at the end,pulled through it from the "wings," so that it flies to bitswhen the gun is fired, is "how it is done."

Generally, the more dangerous a feat appears the morecarefully is all danger guarded against. In the "WilliamTell" act the thread is often tied to the assistant's foot.When, again, the ash is shot off a cigar which the assistantis smoking, a piece of wire is pushed by his tongue througha hollowed passage in the cigar—thus thrusting off the ashat the moment of firing.

A favorite but simple trick is the shooting from somedistance at an orange held in a lady's hand. Great applauseis invariably forthcoming when the bullet drops out onher, cutting open the fruit. It is inserted by hand earlier inthe evening.

Another popular trick is that of snuffing out lighted candles.Half a dozen are placed in front of a screen inwhich as many small holes are bored, one against eachcandlewick. At the moment of firing, a confederate behindthe screen sharply blows out each candle with a pair ofbellows. This trick was accidentally exposed one eveningby a too zealous assistant. The lady in the gallery pulledthe trigger, but the rifle failed to go off; the candle, however,went out just the same.

In most instances, where a ball or other object has to bebroken on a living person's head, blank cartridge is usedand the effect produced by other means. A special wig,with a spring concealed in it, worked by a wire under theclothes, is generally used, the confederate manipulating thespring simultaneously with the firing of the rifle. As theball is of extremely thin glass, a mere touch suffices toshatter it.

In these exhibitions some of the rifle "experts" invitegentlemen from the audience to testify that the weapon isindeed loaded. The cartridge shown looks very well, but itis a shell of thin wax blackened to resemble a leaden bullet.It would not hurt a fly.

REELFOOT LAKE.

The physical history of Reelfoot Lake, of night-riderfame, is not without a certain interest of its own. The lakecame into existence as the result of a series of earthquakes,which began in December, 1811, and continued until June,1812.

Some authorities say that the earthquakes merely heavedup a great ridge of land across the path of the ReelfootRiver, which runs into the Mississippi, and that this damcaused the water to back up and broaden out and form alake; but the favorite account in the neighborhood is to theeffect that the ground sank, springs were opened up, neighboringcreeks diverted from their course, and the overflowingwater of the Mississippi rushed in during the flood seasonof the spring of 1812.

It is said that for an hour and a half the waters of theMississippi flowed up-hill while filling up the depressioncaused by the earthquakes. Both accounts likely have thismuch of truth in them that the entire configuration of theground was changed by the earthquakes. Big Lake, west ofthe Mississippi, in Arkansas, is said to have been formed inthe same way at the same time.

Reelfoot Lake is sixteen or eighteen miles long, veryirregular in shape, and covers from 35,000 to 40,000 acres ofland. It varies in width from a mile in some places to fouror five miles in others. The northern end is extended by aseries of sloughs and bayous into Kentucky.

The most distinctive feature of the lake's appearance, thefeature which first impresses and stays longest with theobserver's fancy, is a certain grotesque effect, as if a set ofcrazy men had been operating a pile-driver there for thelast century, for the trunks, stumps, and stark branches ofdead trees stick out of it everywhere in desolate parody ofsome such human handiwork; far below the surface thefish dart among the boles and branches where the squirrelsfrolicked a hundred years ago.

There are beautiful spots here and there, but the effect,as a whole, is not beautiful; at its best, when the mist risesand myriad protruding tree trunks are white and ghostly inthe moonlight, it is weird; the general remembrance is ofsomething uncouth. It is a kind of sloven lake that haspreferred to sit down with its hair uncombed all day long,but at night it does manage to achieve a touch of wizarddignity.

A FLOATING SLUM.

Stand beside the imperial custom-house at Canton and letthe eye range down the river toward Hongkong. As far asthe sight can reach lie boats, boats, and again boats. Theseare no ordinary craft, mere vessels of transport plying hitherand thither, but the countless homes of myriad Chinese, inwhich millions of human beings have been born, have lived,and have died. They are the dwellings of the very poor,who live in them practically free from rent, taxes, and theother burdens of the ordinary citizen.

The Tankia—which means boat-dwellers—as the denizensof these floating houses are called, form a sort of caste apartfrom the rest of the Cantonese. The shore-dwellers regardthem as belonging to a lower social order; and indeed theyhave many customs, peculiar to themselves, which mark themas a separate community. How the swarming masses ofthem contrive to support existence is a mystery, but theirchief mode of employment is in carrying merchandise andpassengers from place to place.

WILD HORSES OF NEVADA.

Horses are cheap in Nevada. On the government ranges,where they are protected by game-laws, droves of wild horsesexist which in the aggregate are said to amount to fifteenthousand. Formerly there was a law in Nevada permittingthe shooting of these wild horses for their hides, but therewere hunters who were not particular, and the ranchersfound their domestic horses disappearing if they let them outon the range. So their shooting was prohibited, and sincethat time the droves have grown to be exceedingly troublesome.They can be domesticated, but they are not neededthere, and it costs too much to ship them East. It seemsa pity that, while so many sections could use them to advantage,the transportation problem makes it impossible toget them at a price which they are worth.

ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT!!

MOTOR STORIES

A New Idea in the Way of Five-Cent Weeklies.

Boys everywhere will be delighted to hear that Street & Smith arenow issuing this new five-cent weekly which will be known by thename of MOTOR STORIES.

This weekly is entirely different from anything now being published. It detailsthe astonishing adventures of a young mechanic who owned a motor cycle.Is there a boy who has not longed to possess one of these swift little machinesthat scud about the roads everywhere throughout the United States? Is there aboy, therefore, who will not be intensely interested in the adventures of "MotorMatt," as he is familiarly called by his comrades?

Boys, you have never read anything half so exciting, half so humorous andentertaining as the first story listed for publication in this line, called "Motor Matt;or, The King of the Wheel." Its fame is bound to spread like wildfire,causing the biggest demand for the other numbers in this line, that was everheard of in the history of this class of literature.

Here are the titles to be issued during the next few weeks. Do not fail toplace an order for them with your newsdealer.

No. 1. Motor Matt; or, The King of the Wheel.
No. 2. Motor Matt's Daring; or, True to His Friends.
No. 3. Motor Matt's "Century" Run; or, The Governor's Courier.
No. 4. Motor Matt's Race; or, The Last Flight of the Comet.

PRICE, FIVE CENTS PER COPY

AT ALL NEWSDEALERS, OR SENT POSTPAID BY THE PUBLISHERSUPON RECEIPT OF THE PRICE.

STREET & SMITH, Publishers, NEW YORK

THE BEST OF THEM ALL!!

MOTOR STORIES

IT IS NEW AND INTENSELY INTERESTING

We knew before we published this line that it would have a tremendous sale and ourexpectations were more than realized. It is going with a rush, and the boys who want toread these, the most interesting and fascinating tales ever written, must speak to theirnewsdealers about reserving copies for them.

MOTOR MATT sprang into instant favor with American boy readers and isbound to occupy a place in their hearts second only to that now held by Frank Merriwell.

The reason for this popularity is apparent in every line of these stories. They arewritten by an author who has made a life study of the requirements of the up-to-date Americanboy as far as literature is concerned, so it is not surprising that this line has proven ahuge success from the very start.

Here are the titles now ready and also those to be published. You will never have abetter opportunity to get a generous quantity of reading of the highest quality, so placeyour orders now.

No. 1.—Motor Matt; or, The King of the Wheel.
No. 2.—Motor Matt's Daring; or, True to His Friends.
No. 3.—Motor Matt's Century Run; or, The Governor's Courier.
No. 4.—Motor Matt's Race; or, The Last Flight of the "Comet."

TO BE PUBLISHED ON MARCH 22nd

No. 5.—Motor Matt's Mystery; or, Foiling a Secret Plot.

TO BE PUBLISHED ON MARCH 29th

No. 6.—Motor Matt's Red Flier; or, On the High Gear.

TO BE PUBLISHED ON APRIL 5th

No. 7.—Motor Matt's Clue; or, The Phantom Auto.

TO BE PUBLISHED ON APRIL 12th

No. 8.—Motor Matt's Triumph; or, Three Speeds Forward.

Price, Five Cents To be had from newsdealers everywhere, or sent,postpaid, upon receipt of the price by the publishers

STREET & SMITH, Publishers, NEW YORK

Transcriber's Note:

Added table of contents.

Cover image may be clicked to view larger version.

Retained some inconsistent hyphenation (e.g. "motorcycle" vs."motor-cycle").

Retained some inconsistent spellings in dialect (e.g. "becase" vs."bekase").

Page 3, added missing comma after ""Vell, py shinks." Added missingapostrophe after "doan" in "Why doan' yo'-all git." Removed unnecessaryquote after "Matt stopped the Red Flier."

Page 4, removed unnecessary quote after "Legree was about to secure it?"

Page 5, changed "as she pointed" to "as he pointed."

Page 10, "would came after it" looks like a typo but has been retainedin case it is intentional dialect.

Page 14, removed unnecessary quote before "Matt's pulses quickened."

Page 18, added missing period after "Josh turned to stare along theroad."

Page 19, changed "Mat" to "Matt" in "Matt was intending to push thestone."

Page 20, the sentence "As he yanked the lever savagely, the poppingfrom up the road sounding like the rapid discharge of a Gatling gun."seems incorrect, but it is reproduced as originally printed.