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remarked that he was going over to the hotel after his
dinner. . . - : ‘
“Say, cull,” returned the boy, “I like yer nerve, all
right, an’ I marks yous up f’r de entry, but how yous
goin’ t’ git under de wire?. Dere’s t’ree o’ dem guys, an’ °
dey’ve got a lot’o’ artillery. How we goin’ t’ git away
wit’ de car if dey don’t want us to?”
“I don’t know,” replied Matt, “but we’ve got-to do
it somehow.” . - a,
“Yous is a reg’lar lollypaloozer, Motor Matt, an’ I’d
back yous t’ win _any ole day, but dis looks like too big
a load, -But yous can count on me. Dad’ll tell yous dat
I’m big f’r me age an’ no mutt in a getaway, so jest set
»syer pace.an’ I’ll push on de reins.”
“How far is it to the place where the automobiles were
, left?”
“We're close t’ dere now. I’m wonderin’ w’y Brisco
dropped yous widin a short walk o’ de hang-out—dat is,
if he was fixin’ t’ stay at (le place?”
“IT don’t know,” answered Matt; “but that’s what he
did and it’s enough for me. I’ve got to recover that car, -
Josh. If I don’t, and if anything happens to it, I’d look
nice making my report to Tomlinson, wouldn’t 1?’
“Tf yous hadn’t picked up dat bunch o’ tramps on de
road yous wouldn’t have got into dis fix.”
“Ym not sorry I helped you out, Josh.” _
“Sure not. Yous ain’t dat kind, Motor Matt. All de
same, yous would have been peggin’ along to’rds Albu-
querque, nice as yous please, if it hadn’t been for dat
crowd o’ Uncle Tommers. Dere’ll be doin’s in Fairview
in de mornin’, w’en dad finds out yous ain't w’ere yous
ought t’ be.”
“What can your father do?” . ,
“He can do a lot w’en he gits started. Don’t yous
never tink he’s a slow one, Matt.” | .
Matt knew that Legree could keep a cool head in a
pinch, but, for all that, he didn’t see how he could do
anything when he didn’t have money enough even to
pay his board-bill. ,
“Mr. Tomlinson has a lot of confidence in me,” said
Matt; “and, if that car is wrecked, Ill have ”
“Sh-h-h!” whispered Josh, coming to a wary halt and
laying a hand on Matt’s arm. “Look ahead, dere. See
dat black splotch on de side o’ de hill by de road?”
“Yes,” answered Matt, straining his eyes in the direc-
tion indicated. we
“Dat’s de brush dat hides de openin’. Are we bot’
goin’ t’ blow in dere an’ try t’ make a run wit’ de red
car?”
“We can’t do the trick in such a hurricane way as that.
We've got to lay some other plan. I'll go in and look the
ground over, Josh, and maybe I can get hold of an idea.”
“Tl try t’ git holt 0’ one, too, wile I’m waitin’ fer
yous. Don’t make much noise w’ile yous is in de bushes,
Matt, or dem terriers’ll pepper yous.” .
“I’m going to sneak into the place as quietly as I can.
I don’t think they'll hear me.” .
‘Leaving the boy:a little way from the dark patch of
verdure clinging to the face of the hill, Matt went on
carefully. As he approached closer to the vague blot
it gradually took form under his eyes.
The wall of the hill seemed to be cracked through from
crest to base and wrenched apart until it formed a nar-
row opening. Up both sides of the opening grew the
MOTOR STORIES.
On account of-the darkness, Matt. could: not make a
very close examination of the queer-fissure, but he saw
enough to convince him that Nature had contrived’ a
secure retreat for Brisco and Spangler. - :
The bottom of the opening, Matt judged, was all of ,
ten feet in width. Dropping down on his hands and
knees, he began crawling through the middle of the break,
parting the bush branches from in front. of: him as he
advanced, . 1 i
So wary was he that he made very little noise.
He had gone perhaps a dozen feet through the brushy
tangle, when a glow of light struck on his eyes. This
acted as a sort of beacon, and served-.to guide him the
rest of the way.. A dozen feet more brought him to the
opposite side of the opening and to the edge of the
‘bushes.
_ Crouching silently on the ground he proceeded to sur-
vey the peculiar niche in front of him. © ~-
Josh’s description, likening the place to a “well,” was
quite appropriate. The niche was circular in form and
its walls arose steeply to a height of at least. fifty feet.
In the shadow of the walls the place was very dark, but
the. glowing lamps of an.automobile enabled Matt to see
enough to send a chill.of disappointment. through him.
, There was only one automobile in the niche!.
And that one was the runabout! ;
- Brisco and Spangler must have emerged and gone off
somewhere with the Red Flier.
Had they takenit away to destroy it? oo,
The three horses were not far from the runabout. They
were secured to some bushes, and could be heard pawing.
and stamping. : ~
Matt could also hear something else, and that was the
snoring of a man in deep sleep:
After a moment’s hesitation he continued to creep on-
ward, redoubling his care and vigilance,
_ He was upon'the man before he was fairly aware of
it, one of his groping hands coming in contact with an
outstretched foot. r .
The snoring ceased with an explosive grunt and Matt
drew back breathlessly.
The man did not rouse up.
slightly he continued to snore.
Making a détour, Matt got around the man—whom he
knew was not Brisco or Spangler, and consequently must
be Klegg—and reached the runabout. meta
Pausing there, the young motorist let his mind circle
about this new. phase of the situation.
If he couldn’t get the Red Flier, why not take the run-
Shifting’ his position
‘about? That would afford himself and Josh: a quick
means for making the return trip to Fairview. Besides,
no matter what happened to the Red Flier, there was
something to be gained in getting the runabout away
from the thieves. me
Close to the car was a heap of horse-trappings. Matt
felt about among the saddles, bridles and blankets until -
he had found two coiled riatas. « oo
Could he, by. quick work, get one of the ropes around
Klegg’s hands before he was thoroughly awake and able
to struggle? Josh would have been of use in stich an
attempt, and Matt decided that he could not make it suc-
cessfully unless he did have the other to help. He would
go back after Josh, he decided; but first he would look
over the runabout and make sure it was ready for the
bushes, their branches spreading out and forming a thick+ road. M . .
Laying the ropes in the front of the car, he arose to
screen, |
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