CHAPTER X.
A DARING PLAN.
"Say," panted Josh, as he and Matt traveled rapidly along the road,"put me wise to dis move, can't yous? Wot's in yer block, Matt?"
"Do you know what Brisco intends to do with the Red Flier?" asked Matt.
"He's layin' in a supply o' benzine-buggies t' start a garage, 'rsomet'ing, ain't he?"
"He ran off with that touring-car just to play even with me, Josh. Hesays I've meddled with his affairs long enough, and that he's going torun the Red Flier over a cliff just to pay me back for using the car tohelp you people."
"Wouldn't dat frost yous?" muttered Josh.
"And he said I was seventy-five miles from Fairview," went on Matt,"and that by the time I had walked to the town he would have finishedhis business there."
"Brisco has got anodder guess comin'. He ain't so warm. Dad can showhim a t'ing 'r two, an' don't yous fergit dat. Chee! Dat guy's delimit. But wot's yer game, cull?"
"You say that both cars are in that 'well,' as you call it?"
"Dat's w'ere dey was w'en I started for here."
"Well, I'm going to get the Red Flier away from that outfit!"
Matt spoke as confidently as though he had merely remarked that he wasgoing over to the hotel after his dinner.
"Say, cull," returned the boy, "I like yer nerve, all right, an' Imarks 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 wegoin' t' git away wit' de car if dey don't want us to?"
"I don't know," replied Matt, "but we've got to do it somehow."
"Yous is a reg'lar lollypaloozer, Motor Matt, an' I'd back yous t' winany ole day, but dis looks like too big a load. But yous can count onme. Dad'll tell yous dat I'm big f'r me age an' no mutt in a getaway,so jest set yer pace an' I'll push on de reins."
"How far is it to the place where the automobiles were left?"
"We're close t' dere now. I'm wonderin' w'y Brisco dropped yous widina short walk o' de hang-out--dat is, if he was fixin' t' stay at deplace?"
"I don't know," answered Matt; "but that's what he did and it's enoughfor me. I've got to recover that car, Josh. If I don't, and if anythinghappens to it, I'd look nice making my report to Tomlinson, wouldn't I?"
"If yous hadn't picked up dat bunch o' tramps on de road yous wouldn'thave got into dis fix."
"I'm not sorry I helped you out, Josh."
"Sure not. Yous ain't dat kind, Motor Matt. All de same, yous wouldhave been peggin' along to'rds Albuquerque, nice as yous please, ifit hadn't been for dat crowd o' Uncle Tommers. Dere'll be doin's inFairview in de mornin', w'en dad finds out yous ain't w'ere yous oughtt' be."
"What can your father do?"
"He can do a lot w'en he gits started. Don't yous never t'ink he's aslow one, Matt."
Matt knew that Legree could keep a cool head in a pinch, but, for allthat, he didn't see how he could do anything when he didn't have moneyenough even to pay his board-bill.
"Mr. Tomlinson has a lot of confidence in me," said Matt; "and, if thatcar is wrecked, I'll have----"
"Sh-h-h!" whispered Josh, coming to a wary halt and laying a hand onMatt's arm. "Look ahead, dere. See dat black splotch on de side o' dehill by de road?"
"Yes," answered Matt, straining his eyes in the direction indicated.
"Dat's de brush dat hides de openin'. Are we bot' goin' t' blow in derean' 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 tolay some other plan. I'll go in and look the ground over, Josh, andmaybe I can get hold of an idea."
"I'll try t' git holt o' one, too, w'ile I'm waitin' fer yous. Don'tmake much noise w'ile yous is in de bushes, Matt, or dem terriers'llpepper yous."
"I'm going to sneak into the place as quietly as I can. I don't thinkthey'll hear me."
Leaving the boy a little way from the dark patch of verdure clinging tothe face of the hill, Matt went on carefully. As he approached closerto the vague blot it gradually took form under his eyes.
The wall of the hill seemed to be cracked through from crest to baseand wrenched apart until it formed a narrow opening. Up both sides ofthe opening grew the bushes, their branches spreading out and forming athick screen.
On account of the darkness, Matt could not make a very closeexamination of the queer fissure, but he saw enough to convince himthat 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 themiddle of the break, parting the bush branches from in front of him ashe advanced.
So wary was he that he made very little noise.
He had gone perhaps a dozen feet through the brushy tangle, when a glowof light struck on his eyes. This acted as a sort of beacon, and servedto guide him the rest of the way. A dozen feet more brought him to theopposite side of the opening and to the edge of the bushes.
Crouching silently on the ground he proceeded to survey the peculiarniche in front of him.
Josh's description, likening the place to a "well," was quiteappropriate. The niche was circular in form and its walls arose steeplyto a height of at least fifty feet. In the shadow of the walls theplace was very dark, but the glowing lamps of an automobile enabledMatt 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 theRed Flier.
Had they taken it away to destroy it?
The three horses were not far from the runabout. They were secured tosome bushes, and could be heard pawing and stamping.
Matt could also hear something else, and that was the snoring of a manin deep sleep.
After a moment's hesitation he continued to creep onward, redoublinghis care and vigilance.
He was upon the man before he was fairly aware of it, one of hisgroping hands coming in contact with an outstretched foot.
The snoring ceased with an explosive grunt and Matt drew backbreathlessly.
The man did not rouse up. Shifting his position slightly he continuedto snore.
Making a detour, Matt got around the man--whom he knew was not Briscoor Spangler, and consequently must be Klegg--and reached the runabout.
Pausing there, the young motorist let his mind circle about this newphase of the situation.
If he couldn't get the Red Flier, why not take the runabout? That wouldafford himself and Josh a quick means for making the return trip toFairview. Besides, no matter what happened to the Red Flier, there wassomething to be gained in getting the runabout away from the thieves.
Close to the car was a heap of horse-trappings. Matt felt about amongthe saddles, bridles and blankets until he had found two coiled riatas.
Could he, by quick work, get one of the ropes around Klegg's handsbefore he was thoroughly awake and able to struggle? Josh would havebeen of use in such an attempt, and Matt decided that he could not makeit successfully unless he did have the other to help. He would go backafter Josh, he decided; but first he would look over the runabout andmake sure it was ready for the road.
Laying the ropes in the front of the car, he arose to his feet, softlyremoved the tail lamp from its bracket, and flashed it into the rumble.
The coat, used so cleverly by the boy, was still there, crumpled onthe floor as though by a man's feet. Passing on to the forward part ofthe car, the pencil of light jumped from point to point, Matt's eyesfollowing critically.
Everything seemed to be shipshape and in good order.
A small object on one of the front seats caught the youth's attention.It was pushed well back into the angle where the back joined the seat,and Matt picked it up and held it in the glow of light.
It was a small bottle, and the label bore the written word,"Chloroform."
Matt stifled an exclamation. Undoubtedly
it had been some of thatbottle's contents which had helped Brisco and Spangler get the betterof him, in Fairview, and run off with the touring-car.
Then a startling expedient darted through Matt's mind. Turn about wasfair play. With the aid of the drug he could clear a passage for therunabout, and without resort to any violence.
Setting the lamp down on the front seat, Matt drew the cork of thebottle, took a handkerchief from his pocket and proceeded to wet itwith the chloroform. Then, re-corking the bottle and laying it aside,he went down on his hands and knees and started toward Klegg.
A lightening of the sky over the steep walls that hemmed in the nichetold of coming day.
The darkness would be a help to Matt and Josh in getting to the roadand away, and if advantage was to be taken of night Matt knew he wouldhave to hurry.
But he was well equipped to carry out his plans now, and lost no timein getting about them.