CHAPTER VII.
"POCKETED."
For the cowboy pleasant fancies were cropping out of this surprisingturn of events. He reflected that Grattan did not know Sam Wing hadstolen the ruby from Tsan Ti. By entrapping Tsan Ti, Grattan wasundoubtedly counting upon getting hold of the Eye of Buddha.
If Bunce had known how little love McGlory had for the mandarin, hewould not have been at so much pains to keep a hand over his lips. Justat that moment nothing could have induced the cowboy to shout a warningto the approaching Chinaman.
Kneeling behind the bowlder, Grattan lifted his voice for Tsan Ti'sbenefit. Presently the mandarin was decoyed around the side of thebowlder, and his capture expeditiously effected.
He was a badly demoralized Chinaman. His usually immaculate person hadbeen eclipsed by recent hardships, and he was tattered and torn andliberally sprinkled with dust. His flabby cheeks were covered with redsplotches where thorny undergrowth had left its mark. He was so fagged,too, that he could hardly stand. At the merest touch from Grattan hetumbled over. A most melancholy spectacle he presented as he sat on theground and stared at Grattan with jaws agape.
"Oh, friend of my friend," wheezed Tsan Ti, passing his gaze toMcGlory, "was it you who shouted?"
"First off it was," answered McGlory; "after that, Grattan took it up."
"And you are a prisoner?"
"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't."
"I'm the man for you to talk to, Tsan Ti," put in Grattan grimly. "It'sme you're to reckon with."
"Evil individual," answered the mandarin, "my capture will not helpyou in your rascally purposes. Is not my present distress sufficient,without any of your unwelcome attentions? Behold my plight! What morecan you do to make me miserable?"
"I can take the ruby away from you, for one thing."
A mirthless smile crossed the mandarin's fat face. A chuckle escapedMcGlory.
Grattan stared hard at the Chinaman, and then flashed a quick glance atthe cowboy.
"What are you thinking of, McGlory?" he demanded.
"I'm thinking that you're fooled again, Grattan," answered McGlory."You know so much that I wonder you haven't heard that the mandarin haslost the ruby."
"Lost it?" A look of consternation crossed Grattan's face. "I'll neverbelieve that," he went on. "Tsan Ti knows where the Eye of Buddha is,and there are ways to make him tell me."
"Ay, ay," flared Bunce, with a fierce look, "we'll make him tell if wehave to lash him to a tree and flog the truth out o' him."
"Wretches," said the mandarin, "no matter what your hard thoughts maycounsel, or your wicked hands contrive, you cannot make me tell what Ido not know."
Grattan would not trust Bunce to search the mandarin, but proceededabout the work himself. Two chopsticks, a silver cigarette box, anivory case with matches, a bone-handled back scratcher, a handkerchief,a fan, and a yellow cord some three feet long were the results of thesearch.
There was no ruby. Grattan prodded a knife blade into Tsan Ti's thickqueue in his search for the gem, and even ripped out the lining of hissandals, but uselessly.
"You know where the ruby is," scowled Grattan, giving way to more wraththan McGlory had ever seen him show before; "and, by Heaven, I'll makeyou tell before I'm done with you."
Tossing the yellow cord to Bunce, Grattan drew back and ordered thesailor to secure the mandarin's hands in the same way he had lashed thecowboy's.
Tsan Ti seemed to accept the situation philosophically. But that hewas in desperate straits and hopeless was evidenced by his remark whenBunce was done with the tying:
"Despicable person, I had rather you put the yellow cord about mythroat than around my wrists."
"You'll get it around the throat when we get back to the pocket," saidGrattan brutally. "Take charge of McGlory, Bunce," he added, "and comewith me."
Tsan Ti was ordered to his feet. Thereupon, Grattan seized his arm andpulled him along through the woods.
McGlory would have given something handsome if he could have had theuse of his hands for about a minute. Bunce would have been an easyproblem for him to solve if he had not been hampered by the knifelaniard. As it was, however, the cowboy was forced to get to his feetand, with the sailor as guard, follow after Grattan and Tsan Ti.
Captors and captives traveled for nearly a mile through uneven country,thick with timber, then descended into a ravine, followed it a littleway beyond a point where it was crossed by a wagon road, and came to aniche in the gully wall.
Perhaps the term "cavern" would better describe the place whereGrattan, Pardo, and Bunce had pitched their temporary camp. The holewas an ancient washout, its face covered with a screen of brush andcreepers.
In front of the niche, standing in a place where it had been backedfrom the road on the "reverse," was the blue automobile. Leaningagainst the automobile were the two motor cycles; and from the tonneauof the car, as Grattan and Bunce approached with their prisoners, arosethe form of Pardo.
"Well, well!" exclaimed Pardo, thrusting his head out from under thetop. "If we haven't got visitors! Where did you pick up the mandarin,Grattan?"
"Between here and the Gardenville road," answered Grattan. "It was easywork. Both the chink and the cowboy were kind enough to yell and tellus where they were."
Pardo, understanding little of what had really occurred, opened hiseyes wide.
"Tell me more about it," said he.
"After I get the prisoners in the pocket. Bunce, bring a rope. HoldMcGlory, Pardo, while he's doing it."
Pardo jumped down from the automobile and caught the cowboy's arm.
"I guess you're a heap easier to deal with than your friend, MotorMatt," was his comment.
"No guess about it," said McGlory, "it's a cinch. But I'm not frettingany."
The cowboy's eyes were on the stolen car. What a pleasure it wouldhave been to snatch that automobile out of Grattan's clutches, leavinghim and his rascally companions stranded in the hills! But that was adream--and McGlory had already had too many dreams for his peace ofmind.
Tsan Ti was shoved by Grattan through the bushes, under the trailingvines and into the washout. Pardo dragged McGlory through, close ontheir heels.
"Sit down, both of you," ordered Grattan, when the prisoners were inthe gloomy confines of the niche.
Tsan Ti and McGlory lowered themselves to the bare earthen floor. Buncecame with the rope, and it was coiled around the cowboy's ankles, andthen around the mandarin's.
"I've taken you in, McGlory," observed Grattan, to the cowboy, "forthe purpose of finding out what Motor Matt is doing; and I've capturedthe mandarin with the idea of getting the ruby. I'm a man who hewssteadily to the line, once he marks it out. I'll have my way with bothof you before I am done. Mark that. You can't get away from here. Evenif you were not bound hand and foot, you'd have to pass the automobilein order to reach the road--and Pardo, Bunce, and I will be in theautomobile. We're all heeled, which is a point you will do well toremember."
Having eased his mind in this manner, Grattan went out of the niche,Bunce and Pardo following him. They could be heard climbing into theautomobile, and then their low voices came in a mumble to the ears ofthe prisoners.
"Fated friend," gulped the mandarin, "the ten thousand demons ofmisfortune are working sad havoc with Tsan Ti."
"Buck up!" returned McGlory. "We're pocketed, all right, but mattersmight be worse."
"What cheering thoughts can I possibly have?" mourned the mandarin."The Eye of Buddha has escaped me, gone I do not know where, in thepossession of that Canton dog, Sam Wing, who----"
"Hist!" breathed McGlory, in a warning voice. "Grattan doesn't know whohas the ruby, and it may be a good thing if we keep it to ourselves.Don't lose your nerve. Motor Matt is around, and you can count on himto do something."
"Motor Matt is both notable and energetic," droned the mandarin, "butfor him to secure the ruby from Sam Wing is too much to hope for."
"There you're shy a few, Tsan Ti. I'll bet my scalp against that queu
eof yours that Matt has already captured Sam Wing and recovered the Eyeof Buddha."
Tsan Ti stirred restlessly.
"Do not deceive me with hope, honorable friend," he begged.
"Well, listen," and McGlory proceeded to tell Tsan Ti what had happenedat the spring.
Tsan Ti's hopes arose. He had been ready to grasp at anything, and hereMcGlory had offered him undreamed-of encouragement.
"There are many brilliant eyes in the plumage of the sacred peacock,"he murmured, "but by them all, I vow to you that there is no otheryouth of such accomplishments as Motor Matt. And, by the five hundredgods of the temple at----"
"Cut it out," grunted McGlory. "You've got Matt and me into no end oftrouble with your foolishness. When you get that ruby into your handsagain, stop fumbling with it. Pass it over to some one who knows howto look after it, but don't try the job yourself. This is first-choppidgin I'm giving you, Tsan Ti, and I don't know why I'm handing itout, after the way you hocused my pard and me with that piece of redglass. But it's good advice, for all that, and you'd better keep itunder your little black cap."
Tsan Ti relapsed into thoughtful silence. The mumble of voicescontinued to creep in through the swinging vines and the bush tops, butotherwise the quiet that filled the "pocket" was intense.
The mandarin was first to speak. Leaning toward the cowboy, hewhispered:
"There's a chance, companion of my distress, that we may be able tomake our escape."
"What's the number?" queried the cowboy.
Thereupon the mandarin began revealing the plan that had formed in hismind. It was the fruit of considerable reflection and promised well.