CHAPTER XVI.
MOTOR MATT, KING OF THE WHEEL!
There have been walkaways and walkaways, but never before such awalkaway as King had over O'Day, the crack cyclist from Prescott. ForMatt all that had gone before seemed only to have paved the way forthe best that was in him. He was "on his toes" every second, and leftO'Day at the quarter; at the half O'Day was twice the length of hiswheel behind and pedaling like mad; at the three-quarters O'Day washopelessly in the rear and working his feet in a mechanical way, merelyas a matter of duty. Matt crossed the tape a winner by fifteen feet andPrescott put its head in its hands and groaned.
Phoenix swarmed down from the grand stand and tumbled over fences allaround the oval. The Phoenix high-school boys charged down upon thevictor, yanked him off his machine, took him on their shoulders andgalloped up and down the track.
"'Rah! 'rah! 'rah! Do or die! Phoenix! Phoenix! Phoenix High!"
Prescott made up its mind it had better go home. The special trainleft at six, anyway, and the bicycle-race closed the list of events.Phoenix was a winner on points, although losing the one-mile sprint onaccount of the absence of Clipperton, one of the shorter dashes and thehammer-throw.
Poor old Welcome, howling for joy, tried in vain to tear his waythrough the high-school crowd and get at Matt. Susie, her face glowingwith happiness, watched the conquering hero as he was bounced andslammed about on the shoulders of Splinters and a few more of theseniors. The governor, forcing his way through the throng, reached upto grasp Matt's hand.
"Well done!" cried the governor. "You're a marvel, King--not merelybecause you got the best of O'Day but on account of the way you gothere from the Bluebell to do it."
Matt flushed. His honors, falling thick upon him, were embarrassing,and he would rather have taken himself off to some quiet spot andclasped just a few friendly hands.
"This is yours, King," called Major Woolford blithely, pointing to the_Comet_, now well groomed after her dusty trip, and sparkling like abrand-new dollar. "Will you ride it home or shall we send it?"
"Send it, major!" cried Chub, "he's going home with us!"
A little later Matt, finally tearing himself away from his adoringfriends--and nearly every one seemed to be his friend now--got into acarryall with Chub, Susie and Welcome Perkins and was driven to theMcReady home.
While Susie was getting the meal ready, Matt sat in the place of honorand recounted all that had happened to him since he had left hisfriends on the preceding evening.
Just as he finished, Tom Clipperton showed himself in the doorway.
"Heard you were here, King," said he hesitatingly. "Penny and I rode inwith a freighter. It was all over but the yelling by then. I'm mightyglad you won out."
Clip would have turned away from the open door had Chub not jumped forhim and dragged him inside.
"No, you don't, Clip," said Chub. "We're going to have a feast here,and you're invited. Besides, I've got something to say to you. In theeyes of the McReady outfit, and of old Perk, the ex-heathen, you standas high as Bunker Hill monument. Now, listen. I threw that rock down bythe canal, and I threw it at Perry----"
"I know," answered Clip. "Got it out of Drake."
"Are we pards? If I've ever said anything you don't like, I ask yourpardon. How's that? Shucks! I'm so plumb happy this afternoon I wantto be at peace with all creation. Shake!"
Chub extended his hand, and Clipperton, with a slow, quiet smile rarelyseen on his face, caught the same heartily.
"I've been foolish," said Clip, shaking hands all around. "It takesexperience to show us some things. I've had a heap of experience sincelast night. But I don't want to butt in. It's your supper-party----"
"Get away if you can!" snorted Chub, "I----"
The sounder in the corner began to click. Chub broke off abruptly andleaped for the machine.
"Dry up, all of you!" he cried. "Delray's telling me something."
"He must have fixed the machine, then," said Matt. "It went wrong alittle just after we had got through with it at the Bluebell."
"She's all right now, anyway. Listen to this: Delray wants to know ifMatt got here in time for the race. Watch me knock the tar out of theether in sending him the news!"
Chub grabbed the key and rattled away at it until the spark-gap wasfairly blue.
"I reckon that will put _him_ next," laughed Chub; "hear what he'ssending now--it's just one word--'Hooray!'"
A few minutes later a jolly party sat around the dining-table. Mattinterrupted the flow of conversation to do a little justice to one whohad not, as yet, been prominently mentioned.
"I want to propose a toast," said he, "and we'll drink it in Adam'sale--standing, if you please."
The party arose and picked up their water-glasses.
"I give you Miss Susie McReady," said Matt, "without whose efficientaid I should never have been able to get here from the Bluebell or tomeet O'Day!"
"Hear, hear!" yelped Welcome Perkins, pounding with his wooden leg.
Susie blushed crimson and sank into her chair.
"Just a minute, before you sit down," said Chub. "Allow _me_ to giveyou Tom Clipperton, who was jointly responsible with Miss McReady forthe success of Motor Matt. Tom Clipperton, the fastest boy on the mileand the twenty miles in Phoenix High or any other school!"
This was greeted with cheers and it could be seen that Clip wasmightily pleased. A warm glow smoldered in his dark eyes.
"Jest one more," piped Welcome, "an' keep on yer feet. I'm givin' yeole Lucretia Borgia, who's more dangerous than what she looks--I mean,looks more dangerous than what she is. Lucretia Borgia, notches an'all, pards!"
A roar of laughter greeted this toast.
"Now, it's my turn," said Clip. "Take this one from me. I give you MattKing. A firm friend and a generous foe. Mile-a-minute Matt, King of theMotor Boys! Motor Matt, the best ever!"
Bedlam was at once let loose, and Welcome Perkins made a noise like amenagerie at feeding-time. Matt, raising his hand, kept his friends ontheir feet.
"I want to give you just one more, pards," said he, "and what Clip saidabout a 'generous foe' reminds me of the duty. I give you O'Day, DacePerry, Ratty Spangler and Tubbits Drake. What's the use of holding anysort of a grouch at this joyous time? If they can't be friends of ours,let's treat them honestly as foes. Will you take them?"
A scowl had leaped to Clipperton's face. The toast was intended forhim, for his was a nature that rarely forgave an injury. Perry hadgained his enmity and Matt was seeking to bridge the gulf to the extentof keeping Clip from taking the offensive and doing something he mightbe sorry for.
"They say that Perry lost a pile of money backing O'Day," said Chub,breaking an embarrassing silence, "and that he's head over heels indebt to Hawley. This has been a rough day for Perry."
"He brought it on himself," growled Clipperton. "He made a fool out ofme. I owe him something. Man to man I want to pay the debt."
"Will you drink the toast, Clip?" asked Matt, fixing his eyes on theshining orbs of the quarter-blood.
"I--I wish I was more like you, King," faltered Clip.
"O'Day, Perry, Spangler and Drake," went on Matt. "Will you take them,pards?"
Every glass was lifted but Clipperton's. He continued to look at Matt,then slowly raised his glass to his lips.
It was a trifling thing, perhaps, but for Tom Clipperton it meant much.
THE END.