CHAPTER IV.
THE COAT IN THE RUMBLE.
Matt, while following Legree toward the front of the hotel, was doingsome quick thinking to account for this surprising discovery of therunabout.
Very likely Brisco and Spangler were planning to recover the tin box.It must have been these plans that had brought them eastward from thevicinity of Ash Fork.
Spangler had been dropped on the road to intercept the stranded playersand get the box, while Brisco had come recklessly into Fairview.Possibly Brisco had been compelled to come into town after gasoline andoil.
"Ah doan' want tuh be erroun' if dar's goin' tuh be any shootin',"palpitated Uncle Tom, rolling out of the tonneau with more haste thangrace. "Ah used tuh be a reg'lar fire-eatah, en mah youngah days, butAh dun kinder got ovah hit. Topsy, yo' an' Miss 'Liza come right alongwif me, dis instinct. We'll go off whah dar's er safe place fo' me tuhdo mah mascottin' fo' Motah Matt."
Eliza and Topsy hurriedly descended from the car. Little Eva wasalready on the ground, but instead of going around the hotel withEliza, Topsy, and Uncle Tom, he strolled over to the runabout. In theirexcitement, the others did not miss the boy.
There were two windows in the hotel office--one in the front wall, adozen feet from the door, and one just around the corner in the sidewall. The window in the side wall overlooked the runabout.
Matt, doing some quick figuring, jumped at the conclusion that Brisco,taken by surprise by Legree, would make a bolt through one of thewindows, both of which were open.
Close to the front window an eave-spout entered a rain-water barrel.Matt did not believe Brisco, if he tried to escape by a window, wouldcome out at the front, but at the side, where he would be nearerthe 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 motorist stole a cautiouslook.
Two men were leaning over a counter in the office. One was plainly anIrishman, and the proprietor of the place, and the other was as plainlyHank Brisco. Matt knew Brisco too well to be mistaken in him. NeitherBrisco nor the Irish proprietor had heard the approach of the RedFlier, nor the entrance of Legree into the office.
With a grim smile on his face, and the revolver in his hand, Legree wasleaning against the wall, just inside the door, waiting for Brisco toturn around.
"Begorry," the proprietor was saying, "fifty cints a gallon f'r th'gasoline is all I'm afther chargin' yez. Oi know av robbers around herewho'd be chargin' yez a dollar a gallon, but that's not the way widTerence O'Grady. Fifty cints is th' most Oi'll take from yez. Fifteengallons at fifty cints is sivin-fifty; then wan dollar f'r oil makeseight-fifty. Eight-fifty from tin laves wan an a half, an' there yezare. Will yez shtay f'r dinner? Faith, we've as foine a male t'day asyez iver put tooth in, an' a dollar is all ut will cost yez."
"I reckon I'll stay, O'Grady," replied Brisco, picking his change offthe counter and sliding it into his pocket.
Then he turned, and met the leveled weapon of Legree. Brisco'sastonishment was ludicrous to behold. And O'Grady was fully as startled.
"Phat th' blazes d'yez mean by thot?" and O'Grady jumped over thecounter and stood glaring at Legree.
"I'll explain," said Legree, with a coolness that filled Matt withadmiration, "but while I'm talking, O'Grady, don't get between thepoint 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 he knows that he owes mea hundred and twenty dollars."
"I don't know anything of the kind," replied Brisco, every whit as coolas Legree. "You've made a mistake, my man; and, besides, even if I didowe you money, you're trying to collect it in the wrong way."
"Roight yez are!" put in O'Grady. "Shtick thot pisthol in yer pocketan' go off wid yez. This is a dacint, rayspectible hotel, an' gunsain't allowed in th' place at all, at all. Av yez don't hike, begorry,Oi'll call in th' town marshal."
"Call the marshal," said Legree; "he's the man I'd like to have here.That fellow who just bought gasoline and oil at this place is one ofthe gang who robbed Tomlinson, the Denver jeweler, over west of AshFork, and stole the automobile belonging to Nugent, the cattleman----"
Brisco began to laugh.
"What do you think of that, O'Grady?" he cried. "Why, that car you justhelped me fill with gasoline is Tomlinson's car! I'm taking it east forhim. Who this man 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 the opening. "He's tryingto get where he can drop out here."
Matt's words caused Brisco and O'Grady to swerve their glances in hisdirection. A glint darted into Brisco's eyes at sight of Matt. HankBrisco had good reason to remember the young motorist.
"This looks like a put-up job, O'Grady," said Brisco, still keeping thewhip-hand of himself.
"Well, begob," cried O'Grady, "no pack av blackguards can come intoth' Shamrock Hotel an' shtir up throuble f'r me customers. Clear outav here," he added, brandishing his fists, "or Oi'll be afther gittin'busy wid me hands."
"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 lethim----"
Just at that moment, O'Grady, wofully deceived, but thinking he wasdoing exactly what was right, kicked a chair at Legree.
The chair struck Legree's shins with a force that hurled him backagainst the wall.
"Now, then," roared O'Grady to Brisco, "make a run av it! Oi'll takecare av this boonch av meddlers!"
With that, he hurled himself upon Legree and the two began to struggle,falling over the chair and dropping heavily on the floor.
They were directly across the doorway, and Brisco sprang for the frontwindow and pushed himself through it.
"Shtop a leedle!" whooped Carl, dodging around the rain-water barrel;"you don'd got avay so easy as dot, und---- Himmelblitzen!"
Brisco had grabbed the barrel. That happened to be the dry season andthe barrel was empty. Giving it a whirl, he threw it against the Dutchboy with a force that took him off his feet.
Thrashing his arms wildly, Carl laid himself down on the rolling barreland went caroming off toward the road.
Meantime, Matt, seeing that Brisco was making for the window guarded byCarl, had rushed around to the front of the hotel. He reached the sceneof the scrimmage just in time to be grabbed by O'Grady.
The racket in the office had brought O'Grady's Chinese cook from thekitchen; and, while the Chinaman continued the tussle with Legree, theproprietor of the hotel had rushed out to see what more he could do forthe man who had paid him so well for gasoline and oil.
"Oi've got yez, yez meddlin' omadhoun!" shouted O'Grady. "Oi'll tachyez t' come interferin' wid dacint people!"
With that he flung his arms around Motor Matt and hung to him with allhis strength.
"Hang onto him, O'Grady!" cried Brisco, dashing for the runabout.
"Niver yez fret!" panted the Irishman reassuringly; "good-by t' yez.Next toime yez come we'll give yez betther treatment; there won't be somany hoodlums around t'----"
"Let go!" shouted Matt. Then, suddenly freeing his hands, he struck thedeluded Irishman a quick blow.
O'Grady's hands relaxed for an instant. That instant gave Motor Matthis opportunity, and he tore himself free.
About the same moment, Legree, hatless, angry, and chagrined, camerunning 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 the hotel, shot toward the road, a mockinglaugh from Brisco trailing out behind.
"Not this time, Legree!" called Brisco, over his shoulder. "Look outfor me, from now on--you and Motor Matt!"
The runabout was headed westward. In the rumble behind, lying partlyover the rumble-seat, was a dust-coa
t. It undoubtedly belonged toBrisco, and he must have thrown it aside while attending to theautomobile, a few minutes before.
While Motor Matt and Legree stood staring at the receding car, the coatlifted a little and a hand was waved.
"Great Scott!" cried Matt; "it's that boy."
Legree, far from showing any consternation, leaned against the wall ofthe 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 outlook for Brisco," wasLegree's queer answer.
"It has a bad outlook for the boy, too," said Matt.
"Don't worry about Little Eva. I know him better than you do, and he'lltake care of himself."
At this moment the Chinaman came out of the hotel office and handed therevolver to O'Grady.
"Oi've had about all Oi want av this rough-house!" shouted O'Grady,his temper badly warped by the disturbance and the blow Matt had dealthim. "Yez will shtay roight here, bedad, until Oi can have th' Chink goafther th' town marshal. Go f'r Jennings, Ping," he added, flourishingthe weapon in the faces of Matt and Legree, "an hustle. We'll make thisslab-soided roosther laugh on t'other soide av his face befure we'redone wid him."