CHAPTER XVII.
CONCLUSION.
Whether O'Grady really thought Motor Matt had taken French leave duringthe night or not, is a question. Certainly he was as surprised to seeMatt traveling into town as were any of the rest of them.
All those around the hotel flocked to the road.
"Hello, Matt!" called Nugent, reaching up his hand. "It looks likeyou'd been accomplishing something."
Matt's acquaintance with the cattleman had been of exceedingly briefduration, and never before had he been hailed by him in that cordialtone.
"How are you, Mr. Nugent?" he returned, taking the cattleman's hand."How did you happen to come over this way?"
"Got a telegram from you----"
"From me?" echoed Matt.
"I sent it, Matt," put in Legree, "and signed your name to it. When youdisappeared last night I knew something had to be done, and that thereought to be a man with money to do it. So I sent for Nugent."
"It's all right, my boy," said Nugent, "and I'm tickled to deathbecause I came. You're bringing in my car, I see, and the two fellowsthat took it away from me. Good! If we don't put 'em through for theircrooked work, my name ain't Nugent."
"You'll have to send for a doctor for Brisco," said Matt. "He's beenunconscious for two hours, and I don't know whether he's badly hurt ornot. You see----"
At that moment Brisco proved that he was far from being badly hurt.With a jump he got out of the tonneau and started at a run toward theedge of town. Uncle Tom happened to be in his way, and was knockedheels over head.
"Dere he goes!" yelled Josh excitedly. "Clear out o' de way so I kingit a shot at 'im!"
But Josh was not allowed to carry out his warlike intentions. Legreetook after the escaping ruffian, overhauled him before he had gone far,grabbed him by the shoulders, and hurled him to the ground.
O'Grady, rushing to Legree's assistance, lent a willing hand. Briscohad been a good customer of O'Grady's, but the situation had changedsomewhat since the Uncle Tommers had been staying at the Shamrock Hotel.
"I reckon, Matt," remarked Lem Nugent dryly, "that the fellow ain'tvery badly hurt. How did you happen to get hold of the scoundrels?"
"They were chasing us," answered Matt. "We were in the Red Flier andthey were in your car. Brisco ran into the rocks, and he and Spanglerwere thrown out. Neither of them seemed very much hurt, and Josh andI captured Spangler before he had fully got back his wits. Briscoappeared to be all right, but he was unconscious. I had an idea that hemight be shamming. Probably he came to himself just as we got here, andthought the best thing for him to do would be to make a break."
"His break didn't help him any," said Legree, as he and O'Grady camemarching back with Brisco between them. "Go up to my room, Josh,"Legree went on, "and get those two plates. You'll find 'em under thenortheast corner of the carpet. Front room, boy."
"Dat's me," answered Josh, handing Brisco's weapons to his father andbounding away.
"I'm going to tell you people something," proceeded Legree, "that willno doubt surprise you. And I think," he finished grimly, "that Briscowill be as much surprised as anybody."
Josh presently returned with a couple of flat, square packages. LeavingO'Grady to take care of Brisco, Legree took the packages in his hands.
"A crook by the name of Denver Denny, alias James Trymore," went onLegree, "escaped from the authorities at Denver and came to this partof the country. Denver Denny was a clever counterfeiter, and workedin conjunction with Hank Brisco. At least, following the output ofthe 'queer' as it trailed along in the wake of that Uncle Tom's CabinCompany, I came to that conclusion.
"Denny owned a set of very fine plates for the manufacture of bogusfive-dollar silver certificates. When he was captured in Denver thoseplates were nowhere to be found. I conceived the notion that theymight be in Brisco's possession, and in order to make sure, I becameletter-perfect in the part of Legree, and Josh here got the part ofLittle Eva by heart, and we arranged to join Brisco's company ofbarn-stormers.
"We were with them for some time, watching Brisco all the while. Briscowas not shoving any of the 'queer' while we were with him, and I wasinclined to think that I had made a mistake in connecting him withDenny's operations. However, Brisco had a little tin box, of which hewas very choice and careful. His solicitude for that box aroused mycuriosity. When Brisco pulled out between two days in Denver, and lefthis company stranded, by some freak of chance he dropped the box. Joshfound it. We opened the box in Ash Fork and found these two packagesin it." Legree lifted the two flat parcels so all could see. "I knewperfectly well that Brisco would come after his box, so I continued toplay the part of a stranded actor, hoping to get my hands on him.
"Fate was kind to us," and here Legree turned and dropped a friendlyhand on the young motorist's shoulder, "by bringing Motor Matt along.He came to the front gallantly and helped us. I should have capturedBrisco sooner or later, even without his aid, but he has closed theaffair in hurricane fashion and saved the government lots of trouble."
Everybody, Uncle Tommers, Matt, Carl, and Brisco and Spangler, wereastounded. Nugent was the solitary exception, for Legree had revealedhis identity to the cattleman in the railroad-station.
"These are the plates," went on Legree. "Brisco had them in the tinbox."
"And you are----" began Matt, staring at Legree.
"A secret service man in the employ of the government."
A cry of fierce anger escaped Brisco. He made a fierce attempt to getat Legree, but O'Grady restrained him.
"Faith," said O'Grady, with cheerful disregard of his past actions, "Oiknowed yez was a bad egg th' minyit Oi set eyes on yez."
"Dis," remarked Uncle Tom, with immense pride, "is de best job obmascottin' whut Ah's done yit!"
"Better give up, Brisco!" called Spangler from the touring-car."They've got it on us an' we'll have ter take our medicine."
"Got it on us, yes," stormed Brisco, "but they wouldn't have done it ifit hadn't been for Motor Matt."
"Not so quick, I'll admit," said Legree amiably, "but I'd have caughtyou sooner or later, Brisco. In my report I shall have something tosay to the head of the department about Motor Matt. I'd like to hear,though, just how he happened to make this haul."
"Josh helped me," said Matt.
"Not enough so yous could notice it," returned Josh promptly; "MotorMatt was de man on de job from start t' finish. Yous take it fromLittle Eva, an' no stringin'."
The boy turned to Matt with a wide grin.
"Yous is wise t' why I went off wit' Brisco in dat runabout now, ain'tyous? I wanted t' find out w'ere he had 'is hang-out so dad could turna trick fer de gov'ment. But yous cut out dad, Matt."
"Listen, vonce," cried Carl, who had been trying for some time to getin a few words, "Matt's der pest efer. He prings luck venefer he goesmit anypody. Yah, dot's righdt. I know, pecause he prought luck mit me."
Uncle Tom was disposed to butt in with an objection, but the cattlemanhad something to say.
"There's fifteen hundred of my money goes to somebody for all this,"said he. "Who gets it, Matt?"
"Divide it up between all of us," answered the boy generously. "TheUncle Tommers need it."
A shout of delight went up from the actor contingent.
"You can leave Josh in the division," said Legree, "but cut me out ofit. I'm working for Uncle Sam."
Just at that moment the Chinaman stepped to the door and announceddinner.
"We'll talk all this over while we eat," said Nugent. "Come on,everybody."
* * * * *
Motor Matt and Carl, having lost more time in Fairview than they couldwell afford, started for Albuquerque early in the afternoon.
Eliza, Topsy, and Uncle Tom, now well supplied with money, were toproceed to Denver by train.
The secret service man and Josh were to remain in Fairview for a fewdays with their prisoners, and then to take them to Denver for trial.
"Matt," said Carl seriously, as t
he Red Flier leaped onward towardAlbuquerque, "I vas a lucky feller to hook oop mit you. Vone oof dosetays, oof you don'd go pack on me, I vill vear tiamonts!"
"I'll never go back on you, Carl," laughed Matt; "but I'm a little'juberous' about the diamonds."
THE END.
THE NEXT NUMBER (7) WILL CONTAIN
MOTOR MATT'S CLUE;
OR,
THE PHANTOM AUTO.
A Night Mystery--Dick Ferral--La Vita Place--The House of Wonder--Sercomb--The Phantom Auto Again--Surrounded by Enemies--The Kettle Begins to Boil--Ordered Away--A New Plan--A Daring Leap--Desperate Villiany--Tippoo--In the Nick of Time--A Startling Interruption--The Price of Treachery--The Luck of Dick Ferral.