CHAPTER XIV.
ON THE ROAD.
Carl and Dick had Jurgens close to the roadside, and not much time waslost loading the prisoner into the tonneau. Carl crawled into the rearseat with Jurgens and Dashington, and Dick got up in front with Matt.
"What was the shooting about?" asked Dick, smothering his excitement.
"Whistler and Bangs were taking pot shots at Dash," explained Matt."Jurgens sprung our scheme on us before we were ready for it."
The car was rushing off down the road again, Matt looking back towardthe turn for some sign of Whistler and Bangs. The machine had takenanother turn before the baffled robbers had shown themselves.
"Py shinks!" boomed Carl, who had heard Matt's remark, "I t'oughtI should drow fits righdt on der shpot ven don Jugens feller tunedoop. Ve ditn't know anyt'ing aboudt it, Matt, aber he hat chewed derhandtkerchief in doo. Tick und me heardt der shooding, und ve vasschared shtiff. Ve t'ink, meppy, dot you or Tashington vas hurt."
"It was a close call for Dashington," said Matt. "If it hadn't beenfor his quickness and cleverness you two with Jurgens would have hadWhistler and Bangs down on you like a thousand of brick. They wereheaded that way when Dash drew them off. But it's all over now. We'reout of it, and we've got Jurgens' car, and Whistler and Bangs will haveto hoof it. We'll send officers back from the next town."
"That will be Micheaud," put in Dashington.
"I vonder oof dere iss a blace to eat in der town?" quavered Carl. "Ihaf peen lifing on oxcidement all tay, und now ven der oxcidement issgone I feel der need oof somet'ing else."
"Trust Carl to think of his chuck," laughed Dick. "What I want in thenext town is a hat. After that I can get along until we reach wherewe're going."
Another handkerchief had been twisted between Jurgens' jaws in lieu ofthe one he had gnawed in two.
"There's no need of the gag now, pards," said Matt, "and you'll makeJurgens more comfortable by taking it off."
Jurgens' first words, the moment the gag was removed, were directed atDashington.
"Confound you!" he hissed, "you're at the bottom of all this."
"Thanks," grinned Dashington, "that's partly the way of it."
"How did Motor Matt know where we had gone?"
"I put him next, Jurgens."
"How did you know?"
"Why, as for that, when you put me down and out, there in New Orleans,Bangs' coat dropped from the car. When I corralled my wits I found it.There was a notebook in the pocket and that gave me a line on yourrendezvous."
"Bangs!" snapped Jurgens. "We ought never to have hooked up with him.He's a sot and a bungler."
"You're a bungler yourself, Jurgens. If you had treated me square,instead of trying to hog the whole bag of tricks, I might have keptright on with you and turned into a promising crook. On the whole, it'sa fine thing for me you let Whistler give me that bump. I was at theturning point, and that rap on the block gave me a shove in the rightdirection."
"You'll do time for stealing those diamonds if my evidence counts foranything!" snapped Jurgens.
"But it won't. You're fooling yourself with a pipe dream when you letyour little two-by-four run in that groove. Who was it shot at the airship? Talk a while about something sensible."
"Bangs, again!" snorted Jurgens. "He was moseying along by the bayouand saw the air ship overhead. He blazed away, making a good shot. Thatwas all right, but where Bangs was wrong was in hustling off to tellWhistler and me and not waiting to find out what damage he had done. Assoon as I got Bangs' story, I made for the bayou. I saw the air ship,all right, smashed to smithereens in the top of a live oak, but King,Ferral and the Dutchman had vanished."
"Den you vent to hunt for us," bubbled Carl, "and got yourself in somedrouples."
"You mean," laughed Dashington, with a taunt in his voice, "that hecame to the hut to give us back the diamonds. It was a raw play, andthat was what it amounted to."
Jurgens, in futile rage, ground his teeth.
"This will be the last of the diamonds," called Matt, from forward, "sofar as you are concerned, Jurgens."
"I hope it will be the last of Townsend too," scowled Jurgens. "Thatfellow has dogged me from pillar to post ever since I left AtlanticCity."
Matt and his chums enjoyed that remark.
"You dit all der dogging," said Carl.
"And you young whelps helped Townsend," snarled Jurgens. "Well, we'vemade it expensive for you. That air ship has made its last trip."
Dick Ferral sobered immediately. Recent exciting events had kept hismind off the untimely fate of the _Hawk_, but now the loss of the airship recurred to him with added significance.
"I was in love with that craft," said he. "She saved our lives morethan once, and she helped us turn a good many tricks for law and order.Not only that, but she has made for us five or six times the amount ofmoney she cost us. Poor little ship! I suppose she'll hang in that oaktree till the crack o' doom."
"Forget about it, old chap," said Matt. "Her last cruise was the bestof all, for she helped me redeem my promise to Archibald Townsend.There's the town ahead," he added, "and we'll stop there for supper andto send some one back along the road to capture Whistler and Bangs."
"They'll keep clear of any one you send," growled Jurgens, "I'llguarantee that."
"Whose automobile is this, Jurgens?" queried Dick.
"It belongs to a firm in New Orleans," he replied, with a leer. "Werented it and were going to forget to take it back."
"Why didn't you leave town when Townsend let you go, that other time?"Matt went on, hoping for an answer to a question that had long botheredhim.
"Because we believed Townsend had got the loot that was in the ironchest," said Jurgens, "and we had as much right to it as he had."
"And you watched Townsend, after that?"
"Every minute, night and day."
Just here Matt swerved from the street of the town and came to a haltin front of a public house.
"We'll go in and eat, Motor Matt," said Dashington, with a significantlook at the young motorist, "and Carl and Dick can stay here and keepwatch over the machine and Jurgens. We can send them a hand-out."
Matt, seeing that there was some object back of Dashington'ssuggestion, acquiesced. They got down from the car and went into thetavern, took a seat in the dining room and sent out a hot meal to thosein the car.
Matt and Dashington were alone in the dining room and, after the waiterhad served them and gone away, they were able to talk privately.
"I had something up my sleeve, cull," said Dashington, "when I askedyou to come in here with me. Here's where I have to quit you."
"Why can't you go on to New Orleans, Dash?" asked Matt. "I knowTownsend. He's a good fellow, and he'll be so glad to get the diamondsback that I know he will not make you any trouble."
"You might be able to swing Townsend, all right," returned Dashington,"but the chap that has it in for me, old fel, is Jurgens. You've heardhow he feels. He'd split on me, as sure as fate, and ring me in on thedeal. No, I've got to duck, and right from this town. I've done what Icould to square myself, and I'm going to put as much country between meand New Orleans as I can. It will be best, all around. You and I looktoo much alike to be in the same section of the country."
"You're going to stay straight, are you?" asked Matt, quietly.
"As long as I'm on the turf!" declared Dashington. "There's my hand onit."
Matt grasped cordially the hand Dashington offered him.
"Between two fellows who look so much alike as do you and I, Dash,"said Matt, "there ought to be a bond of friendship. As long as you'restraight, if you ever need help and I'm within hailing distance, let meknow."
Dashington was silent for a space.
"That's mighty good of you," said he finally and in a low tone. "You'vebeen a good friend to me, and the police probably won't thank you forletting me get away; but I appreciate what you've done. Don't let thatget past your guard for a minute."
"Haven't you
any relatives?"
"I don't want to talk along that line," said Dashington. "If I have,they'll never hear of me until I prove myself a credit to the family."
"Where are you going, from here?"
"I'll take a side-door Pullman out of the country. Haven't a guesswhere I'll land, but I know it will be a good way off."
"Have you any money?"
Dashington laughed.
"Money? What's that? I haven't a sou markee in my jeans, Matt, and it'sthat that made me desperate and ready to fall in with Jurgens and hisbunch. The lack of a little money puts many a chap to the bad."
Matt drew a roll of bills from his pocket, counted off several and laidthem down beside Dashington's plate.
"There's fifty," said he.
"What's it for?" asked Dashington.
"For you."
"I don't want to take your money, Matt. I hope I'm not an object ofcharity."
"Well, I should hope not. I'm not giving it to you, you understand.It's only a loan, and you can pay it back next week, next year, or anyold time when you get around to it."
"Thank you," said Dashington.
When Matt got up from the table, he left Dashington still sitting inhis chair. And that was the last he saw of him.