CHAPTER IV.
MOTOR MATT'S COURAGE.
During the exhibition at Lafayette, Indiana, the _Comet_ had caughtfire while in the air and the king of the motor boys had made adangerous descent in safety. The machine had been damaged, however,and, when the show left the town, Matt and his friends had remainedbehind to make repairs. These repairs had occupied two days. When theywere finished, Matt and McGlory had rejoined the show, flying fromLafayette in the a?roplane and scattering Burton's handbills over thecountry as they came. Carl Pretzel and Ping, the Chinaman, had caughtup with the show by train, there being no place for them on the _Comet_.
The flight through the air had been made in the face of a tolerablystiff breeze, and Matt and McGlory had found it necessary to lie overalmost the entire night on account of a high wind. The flying machine,however, had caught up with the show that very morning.
The Big Consolidated had pitched its tents in the outskirts of Jackson,Michigan, just across the railroad tracks on the road to Wolf Lake.
Matt's work, for which he and his friends were receiving five hundredand fifty dollars a week, was to drive the a?roplane, under its ownpower, in the parade, and to give two flights daily on the grounds--oneimmediately after the parade and the other before the eveningperformance--wind and weather permitting. During these flights ArchieLe Bon was carried up on a trapeze under the flying machine.
When the boys reached the place where the a?roplane had been left incharge of Ping, they began at once replenishing the gasoline and oiltanks and seeing that everything was shipshape for the journey on thebicycle wheels.
Ping, while primarily one of the _Comet's_ attendants, had also showna decided regard for the steam calliope. The calliope operator wasteaching him to play a tune on the steam sirens, in return for whichattention the Chinaman always provided the musical instrument with thewater necessary to make the steam that operated the whistles.
Knowing that he would have to look after the a?roplane, Ping hadperformed his calliope duties early in the day.
The arrival of Carl with Matt and McGlory was a distinct disappointmentto Ping. He and the Dutch boy had had a set-to at the time of theirfirst meeting, and, although Matt had made them shake hands, yet therestill rankled in their bosoms a feeling of hostility toward each other.Nevertheless, they kept this animosity in the background whenever Mattor McGlory was near them.
During the trip from Lafayette to Jackson on the train the two hadridden in different cars. They were not on speaking terms when awayfrom Matt King and his cowboy pard.
Carl was just beginning his engagement with the Big Consolidated. Hewas traveling with the show while waiting for some money to reach himfrom India. There was nothing for him to do about the _Comet_, so hesecured a job playing the banjo in the side show while a so-called Zuluchief performed a war dance on broken glass in his bare feet.
When the flying machine was in readiness the wagons and riders werealready forming for the parade.
"You'll have to hustle to get into your clothes, Joe," said Matt, "youand Ping. Get a move on, now. While you're away I'll watch the _Comet_."
McGlory and Ping started at once for the calliope tent, which they usedas general rendezvous and dressing room. They rode on the machine incostume--McGlory in swell cowboy regalia and Ping in a barbaric get-upthat made him look as though he had tumbled off a last year's Christmastree.
Carl had nothing to do until after the a?roplane flight, and so heremained with Matt until the procession started.
"Here comes dot pad elephant, Racha," murmured Carl, pointing to thestring of four elephants lumbering in their direction from the animaltent. "Der Hintoo iss pooty goot ad bossing der elephant, aber I don'dlike his looks."
"He's all right, Carl," laughed Matt easily. "It's Rajah's looks youdon't like."
"Vell, I dell you somet'ing, bard. Oof der elephant geds his madt oop,all you got to do is to turn some veels und sail indo der air mit der_Gomet_."
"We couldn't do that. When the _Comet_ takes to the air she has to havea running start. There's no chance for such a start while we're in theparade."
"So? Vell, keep your eyes shkinned bot' vays und look oudt foryourseluf. I got some hunches alretty dot you vill haf drouples."
"We'll not have any trouble," returned Matt confidently.
A few minutes after the elephants had dropped into line in front ofthe a?roplane, McGlory, his big spurs clinking at his heels, and Ping,rattling with tin ornaments and spangles, ran toward the _Comet_. Pingwas helped to the upper wing, and Matt and McGlory took their places inthe seats on the lower plane.
Carl drew off and cast a gloomy look at Ping, sitting cross-legged onthe overhead plane and languidly beating the air with a fan.
"You look like nodding vat I efer see!" whooped Carl, envious to adegree that brought out the sarcastic words in spite of himself.
"My see plenty things likee Dutchy boy when my no gottee gun,"chattered Ping.
"Py shinks," rumbled Carl, beside himself, "I vill make you eat dosetopacco tags vat you haf on!"
"Makee tlacks," answered Ping, with a maddening wave of the fan; "makeetlacks to side show and plingee-plunk for Zulu man! My makee lide inprocesh."
The Chinaman's lordly way worked havoc with Carl's nerves. He howledangrily and rushed forward. At just that moment the parade got underway, and the a?roplane lurched and swayed across the ground toward theroad.
"Carl," cried Matt sternly, "keep away!"
The Dutch boy had to content himself with drawing back, shaking hisfist at the glittering form on the upper wing of the a?roplane, andsaying things to himself.
The parade was but a wearying repetition of the many Matt, McGlory,and Ping had already figured in. The glitter of tinsel, the shimmerof mirrors, the prancing steeds and their medi?val riders, the funnyclowns, the camels and elephants, and the blare of the bands had longsince lost their glamour. For Matt and his friends the romance had diedout, and they were going about their work on a business basis.
The motor boys and their gasoline air ship always commanded attentionand were loudly cheered. The fame of Motor Matt's exploits had beentold in handbills and dodgers by the clever showman, and, too, Burtonhad seen to it that the young motorist secured ample space in thenewspapers. This, naturally, aroused a great deal of interest, and ithad long ago been conceded that Burton's greatest attractions were Mattand his a?roplane.
Rajah was a very good elephant during the entire parade. As usual, hismate, Delhi, marched ahead of him, and always had a pacifying effect.Dhondaram, perched on Rajah's neck, kept the huge brute lumbering in astraight line.
But it seemed strange to Matt and McGlory that Rajah, after his fit ofmadness, could be so suddenly brought into subjection.
"I'll bet my spurs," remarked McGlory, early in the parade, "that Rajahwill cut up a caper yet."
"If he does," answered Matt, "I hope the _Comet_ will be out of hisway. But this Dhondaram, Joe, seems to be an A One _Mahout_, and Ibelieve he can hold Rajah down."
It was about half-past eleven when the dusty paraders began filing backinto the show grounds, the cages pulling into the menagerie tent, theriders taking their horses to the stable annex, and Matt driving thea?roplane to the spot from which the first exhibition flight of the daywas to be made.
"You and Ping go and peel off your show togs," said Matt to McGlory,as soon as the _Comet_ had been brought to a halt and he and hisfriends had dropped off the machine, "and then come back and takecharge of the start. I've got to fix that electric wiring, or I'll getshort-circuited while I'm up with Le Bon."
He pulled off his coat while he was speaking, and dropped coat andhat on the ground; then, as McGlory and Ping made their way towardthe calliope tent through a gathering throng of sightseers, the youngmotorist opened a tool box and stepped around toward the rear of thea?roplane to get at the battery and adjust the connections.
A sharp tent stake, carelessly dropped by one of the show's employees,lay in the way and Matt kicked it asi
de. He gave a look around, and sawthat Dhondaram was having some trouble getting Rajah into the menagerietent. Thinking nothing of this, Matt proceeded to the rear of theplanes and threw himself across the lower wing, close to the motor andthe battery.
While he was busily at work he heard a series of startled yells,apparently coming from the crowd that was massing to witness the flightof the _Comet_. Withdrawing hastily from his place on the lower planeof the machine, Matt dropped to the ground and ran around the ends ofthe right-hand wings. What he saw was enough to play havoc with thestrongest nerves.
Right and left the crowd was scattering in a veritable panic, andthrough the lane thus made came Rajah, hurling himself along in adirect line for the _Comet_. There was no one on the animal's back, andthe gay trappings which covered him were fluttering and snapping in thewind of his flight.
Rajah had always had a dislike for the a?roplane. Its ungainly formseemed to annoy him. In the present instance this was no doubt afortunate thing. Had the brute not kept his attention on the air ship,he might have turned on the frightened throng and either killed orinjured a dozen people.
Motor Matt knew Rajah was charging the _Comet_, and the lad's firstimpulse was to get out of the way; then, reflecting that he and hisfriends stood to lose the a?roplane unless he made a decided stand ofsome sort, he caught up the tent stake, which lay near at hand, andjumped fearlessly in front of the flying machine.
This move was not all recklessness on Matt's part. He recalled whatDhondaram had said to the effect that an elephant was a coward, andbrave only when he had cowardly human beings to deal with.
Well behind Rajah came a detachment of canvasmen, carrying ropes andiron bars, and one armed with a rifle. The king of the motor boys hadseen these men, and he knew that if he could keep Rajah from his workof destruction until the men had had time to come up the _Comet_ wouldbe saved.
Cries of consternation went up from the spectators as they saw theelephant plunge toward Matt. The lad gave a fierce shout as the brutedrew close, and waved the tent stake.
"Get out of the way, King! Out of the way, or you'll be killed!"
This was Burton's voice ringing in Matt's ears, and coming from he knewnot where. But the command had no effect on the daring young motorist.He did not move from his position.
Rajah wavered. Although he slackened his headlong rush, he stillcontinued to come on.
When he was close, and Matt could look into his vicious little eyes, hehalted, crouched back, and lifted his trunk.
The lad jumped forward and began to use the pointed end of the stakevigorously. Rajah's head was up, and his sinuous trunk twined in theair.
The huge beast towered above Motor Matt like a mountain, but the kingof the motor boys held his ground.