CHAPTER XVI.
IN ASH FORK.
Once more the Red Flier found shelter in the hotel barn, and once moreJames Q. Tomlinson was quartered in the hotel. But, of course, it was adifferent James Q. Tomlinson.
One of the first things Matt did, as soon as he had helped Gregory takecare of the Red Flier, was to hunt up the deputy sheriff and tell himwhat had happened. If there was ever a dumfounded man in Arizona, thatman was the deputy.
"Well, thunder an' kerry one!" said he. "Ain't I the bright boy,though? Why, I helped that Denver Denny across the street from thedoctor's office, did everythin' I could to make him comfortable,and--oh, gadhook it all! He played me for fair, and no mistake! But Ireckon you was a bit fooled yourself, eh?"
"For a while, yes," answered Matt. "But you'd better get busy. DenverDenny is out there on the mountain, and Hank and Spangler are backon the west road with a stolen car. If you hustle you may be able tocapture the whole gang--or three of them, anyhow."
"That's me, on the jump."
Ten minutes later the deputy sheriff had collected a posse, and hadsplit the force into two detachments. One party went toward the placewhere the stolen car had been left, and the other headed along theFlagstaff trail.
As a matter of fact, which may as well be stated in this place, neitherdetachment accomplished anything.
The owner of the runabout, Lem Nugent, arrived in town on foot, latethat afternoon, full of wrath, footsore, and weary.
"Hang the blooming luck, anyhow!" said he, to a group of loungers infront of the hotel. "Got held up for my new car--two fellows snakedit right out from under me. There was a tree across the trail, andof course we had to stop. Next I knew a revolver was looking at mefrom both sides. I had to get out, and the two hold-up boys went awayin the runabout, taking Henry along to run the car for them. As forme--whoosh! I walked into town. Never liked walking much, anyhow. Andwhere's my new runabout? That's what I want to know. Henry's with it,wherever it is."
But Lem Nugent was mistaken. Henry wasn't with the car, at that moment,but was hoofing it into Ash Fork from the hills, glad to have his scalpwith him.
He reported to his employer an hour after the theft of the runabout hadbeen described by its owner.
"They made me chase a red touring-car," said Henry, "kept a gun pokedinto my ribs all the time an' said they'd blow holes in me if I didn'tdo the right thing. What they thought was the right thing, and what Ithought, was some different, but guns was trumps an' they had the besthands. First time we chased the red car the machinery of the runaboutwent wrong, and the other machine got away from us. Came pretty neargetting shot, then, as the strong-arm boys thought I'd made therunabout go wrong a-purpose.
"When we got ready to do some more scorching, the other car had givenus the slip. We kept chasing around, and finally dipped over a divideinto that east road, a couple o' miles beyond the Fork. By and by westopped at a place where a feller called Spangler got out and losthimself in a swale. Hank and me jogged on to where the west road comeinto the other trail, an' turned back along that course. We was to pickup Spangler on the new road, after he'd done something or other, Idon't know what.
"Well, unexpectedlike, we sighted the red car. That was our signal towhoop it up, takin' Spangler in behind on the fly. Then we had a racean' no mistake. It would have been our race, too, if the young fellowin the red car hadn't busted a bottle in the trail and spoiled a tirefor us. Say, that was the slickest move I ever saw made!
"It took us half an hour to get on a new tire, and by that time, ofcourse, the red car was safe in Ash Fork. Hank made me give him lessonsin handling the runabout, then told me to go home and say that he andSpangler liked the machine so well they was going to keep it."
The cattleman swore roundly; and likewise declared that he'd spend theprice of a new car getting the old one back.
Tomlinson remained in Ash Fork for two days, recovering from his tryingexperiences. And when he finally went on to Albuquerque he went bytrain. As for the Red Flier, the arrangement he had made to have thecar taken on developed in a conversation he had with Matt a few minutesbefore he got aboard the steam-cars.
Matt was at the station with Tomlinson and Gregory, for both were goingto Albuquerque by train.
"Here's what I owe you, Matt," said the Denver man, pressing a rollof bills into the young motorist's hand. "A thousand dollars, and Icall it cheap, considering the great service you rendered me. The RedFlier will have to come on to Albuquerque, but I don't care to travelwith her myself, and I want Gregory to go with me. I'll give you anextra hundred, Matt, if you'll bring the car through. I shall be inAlbuquerque for some time, and you can jog along at your leisure. Whatdo you say? If you have anything else on hand, and feel that you can'tdo it, don't hesitate to say so. Henry, Nugent's driver, will take theRed Flier to Albuquerque, if you can't. But, frankly, I'd rather trustthe car in your hands."
"I'll do it," said Matt. "You see, I want to get to Denver myself, andI'll be able to get over a long lap of the run on the trip."
"Good!" exclaimed Tomlinson, with a look of relief. "You're going toDenver, you say?"
"That's my intention."
"What are you going to do there?"
"Something with motor-cars--I can't tell just what, at the presenttime."
"You'd make a good driver for a racing-car. You've got nerve, andsteadiness, and presence of mind. How'd you like a job of that kind?"
Matt's eyes sparkled.
"That would suit me right down to the ground, Mr. Tomlinson," said he.
"Then I think I can help you. A friend of mine is a manufacturerof automobiles, and I know he's looking for a good driver for hisracing-machines. If you say so, I'll write him from Albuquerque."
"I'd be obliged to you if you would, Mr. Tomlinson," returned Matt.
"All right, then. You can count on me to give you a goodrecommendation."
Just then the train came along, Tomlinson and Gregory shook hands withMatt and Carl, and were soon pulling out of Ash Fork.
"Vell, vell!" murmured Carl, staring after the disappearing train, "youvas some lucky poys, Matt. Meppy I vill be lucky, too, oof I shtayhooked oop mit you."
"Nothing would please me better, old chap," said Matt heartily, "thanto have you trail along with me."
"Und go mit you py Albuquerque, und den py Tenver?"
"Sure!"
"Hoop-a-la!" jubilated Carl, gripping Matt's hand.
THE END.