two to help himspend it, remember--Bob Katz and Hank Burton. Those three would make itfly."
There were extenuating circumstances about what Lafe Wynn had done. Theextenuating circumstances were wrapped up in his unscrupulous brother.Gerald had told Lafe a pretty fiction about needing money to save himfrom dishonor--and Lafe had covered himself with dishonor in order tohelp Gerald. No sooner had Lafe secured the money than he and his twocronies had taken it and made good their escape. This was when Clancyhad been wounded. At the time, he was seeking to help Lafe save thefifteen thousand dollars.
"I have got to make that loss up to you somehow," muttered Lafe, "andI've got to do it soon. My conscience will send me to a madhouse, if Idon't."
Clancy studied his partner curiously for a few moments.
"Lafe," he went on presently, "you and I have got to get away from eachother for a while. We are simply millstones around each other's neck.You can't look at me without thinking you owe me the biggest part offifteen thousand dollars, and I can't look at you without thinking howyou betrayed my confidence."
"You can get rid of me, Owen, in about two shakes," said Wynn. "Kick meout. I haven't any right to be one of the firm, anyhow."
The motor wizard shook his head.
"You've got to hang on and make good in the place where you lost out,"Clancy returned. "You've got to do this for the sake of your mother, whothinks so much of you. We've got to allow a little time, you know, forus to get back on our old footing. I need a change. Ferguson says so,and I have a feeling that he knows what he is talking about. I---"
A boy came into the office that moment with a telegram. He knew themotor wizard by sight, and went directly to him.
"This is for you, Mr. Clancy," said he.
Clancy signed for the message, tore it open, read the contents, andlaughed.
"By thunder," he cried, "here's just the thing!"
"What do you mean?" asked Wynn.
"It's a hurry-up call from Hiram Hill. You remember Hiram?"
Wynn winced. "Yes," said he, "I remember Hiram Hill quite vividly."
"He left Phoenix for the coast several weeks ago, carrying on his searchfor his father. I always thought that search of Hiram's was more or lessof a joke--and I haven't any positive information yet that it isn't--buthere's a message asking me to come to Los Angeles at once. Hiram saysthat he is 'hot on the trail,' and that I promised him to help him findhis father--which is true."
Clancy arose with sudden determination in his voice and manner.
"Wynn," he continued, "I'm going to leave you here to get Clancy & Wynnstarted in the old Rockwell garage. It will give you plenty to occupyyour mind. While you're hard at it, I'm going to soldier and have a goodtime. Here's where I hit the Happy Trail!"
"What in the deuce is the Happy Trail?" queried Wynn.
"Ferguson will tell you about it. I'm going with Hiram on a wild-goosechase, and I'm hoping to have some fun. When I come back, old man, Iwant you to be feeling differently, and I expect to be feelingdifferently myself. This afternoon I am starting for the Pacific coast,and if Hiram and I, between us, can't stir up a few thrills, and corrala little enjoyment, then I've got another guess coming. Lafe, I'm forthe Happy Trail, and I'm going to hit it hard!"
CHAPTER III.
HATCHING A PLOT.
"Say, fellows, here's a how-de-do, and no mistake! You ought to havebeen at the corner of Sixth and Main about two hours ago. You'd haveseen something that would have made a horse laugh--but there's somethingback of it that isn't so thundering funny, at that."
Gerald Wynn could smoke a cigarette and talk at the same time. He burstinto the room in the cheap boarding house, where he and his friends hadtaken up their headquarters, and eased himself of the foregoing remarks.
Hank Burton and Bob Katz sat at a table playing cards. There were abottle and two glasses on the table. Katz was smoking a pipe and Burtona cigar.
"Hanged if I care a hoot about anything, just now, but annexing a littlekale," said Burton, turning in his chair to look at Gerald with a scowl."Here I haven't a sou in my jeans, and I've got as much right to thatfifteen thousand as you or Katz have, Wynn. Fork over a hundred! I'mtired of bein' broke."
"Nary, I don't fork!" Wynn answered positively. "You know what we'regoing to do with this money, Hank, and you know that if we start tobreak into it the whole will go and we'll be up a spout on this TiaJuana business."
"Blast the Tia Juana business! A bird in the hand beats a whole flock inthe bush! Give me my share now, Gerald, and you and Bob can do what youblamed please with your own part of the swag."
"That won't go!" spoke up Katz. "The share we want in that gamblin'layout below the border will take all the fifteen thousand. You agreedto go inter it, Hank. Don't crawfish now!"
"I want somethin' to jingle in my pocket!" barked Burton.
"Take a couple o' nails," suggested Katz.
"I allow it's right funny to you," continued Burton sourly, "but itain't pleasant to go around with nary a red in your pants."
"I'm paying your expenses, Hank," put in Gerald. "Staked to your threesquares, your smoking and your travel pay, I don't see what more youneed. If this Tia Juana scheme works out, we'll all of us get rich."
"I want a little loose cash now," cried Burton.
"Go out and work for it, then," said Gerald, out of patience. "If we putanything into the Tia Juana game it's got to be fifteen thousand, andI'd be mighty foolish to give you money out of our capital."
"Give it to me out of your own pocket if you don't want to give me anyof the capital!"
"I've got just enough to get us to Catalina where we're to see JackLopez and clean up the Tia Juana business. Why don't you do a littlesomething on the side, Hank? You're a champion swimmer--go to somenatatorium and give swimming lessons. That would be easy money."
"Gammon!" snorted Burton.
In a fit of anger he jumped to his feet, and he would have left theroom, but Gerald stood in front of the door and barred the way.
"Now, don't get ugly!" said Gerald. "I've got something to tell youthat's mighty interesting. I think, fellows, that we have been trailedfrom Phoenix!"
That was more than interesting. Burton's flash of temper left him atonce, and he and Katz showed their apprehension.
"Who trailed us?" demanded Katz.
"That cross-eyed, tow-headed freak, Hiram Hill."
"How do you know he trailed us?" asked Burton.
"Well, he's in Los Angeles. It isn't a happenchance that we're here atthe same time."
"When did you see Hill?" went on Katz.
"About two hours ago, at the corner of Sixth and Main. He--he---" Geraldpaused to laugh.
"I don't see anythin' humorous in this layout!" grunted Burton. "Ifwe've been trailed to Los we'd better be diggin' out instead of enjoyin'the situation."
"What's funny about it, Gerald?" asked Katz.
"There was a chink dragon going down the Street--you know the kind--adragon in sections, with a yellow boy under each section. Well, I waswatching the procession when I heard some one yell 'Dad!' in a voicethat sounded pretty familiar. The next minute, who but Hiram Hillknocked a hole in that chink snake. He was trying to get to a man whosat in an automobile on the other side of the street. In about twoseconds there was the biggest kind of a rough-house. I kept out of it,and saw Hiram get to the automobile and begin hugging the chap in thetonneau. The fellow in the car didn't like it, and the driver started upand Hill was left behind.
"The crowd rolled over the place where Hill was lying and I saw himpicked up by a couple of policemen and carried to a drug store.Naturally, I was in a good deal of a taking, not knowing but Hill hadbeen following me, see? Well, I waited till he came out of the drugstore, then I camped on his trail for a while. He went to a telegraphoffice and sent a telegram---"
"Who did he send it to?" cut in Burton apprehensively.
"What do I know about that? You don't think I was foolish enough to goclose and try to get a line on what Hill was wri
ting, do you? Well,after he left the telegraph office he went to the Renfrew House. Ireckon that's where he stays."
"I don't like this a little bit," commented Katz. "I allow we'd betterduck--and do it pronto. If Hill is really trailin' us, maybe he has senta telegraft message to the sheriff, back in Phoenix. We got to looksharp, Gerald, or