CHAPTER VIII.
SPRINGING A "COUP."
Stripped of its ornamental trimmings, the mandarin's plan wasmarvelously simple. McGlory was to roll over with his back to him, andhe engaged to gnaw through the knife laniard. When the cowboy's handswere free it would be only a few moments until he removed the ropesfrom his ankles and set Tsan Ti at liberty.
This accomplished, McGlory was to set up a racket, calling Grattan,Bunce, and Pardo into the pocket. As they crashed through the brush inone direction, the mandarin would crash through it in another, reachthe motor cycles, and rush away on one before Grattan or his companionshad an opportunity to use their firearms.
"H'm," reflected McGlory. "That's a bully plan, Tsan Ti--for you.You're the boy to look out for Number One, eh? This surprise partyyou're thinking of springing reminds me of the way you unloaded thatimitation ruby on Motor Matt, and then sat back and allowed Matt and meto play tag with Grattan."
"What is the fault with my plan, generous sir?" asked the mandarin.
"Of course," went on the cowboy, with fine sarcasm, "I don't amount tomuch. I kick up a disturbance in here, and when Grattan, Pardo, andBunce rush in on me, you make a run for one of the motor cycles. Inother words, I hold the centre of the stage and make things interestingfor the three tinhorns while you burn the air on a benzine bike and getas far outdoors as you can. Fine!"
"Pardon, exalted friend," demurred Tsan Ti, "but you overlook the pointthat I will be pursued."
"I don't think I overlook a blessed point, Tsan Ti. But just answerme this: What's the good of escaping? Grattan will have to let us gosooner or later. If we put up with these uncomfortable ropes for aspell, we'll both get clear and without running the risk of stopping abullet."
"Accept my excuses, noble youth, and please remember Grattan made someremarks about choking me with the cord in case I did not reveal thewhereabouts of the ruby. That would not be pleasant."
"Sufferin' stranglers!" exclaimed McGlory; "I'd forgotten about that.Can't say that I blame you for thinking twice for yourself and once forme. I'll help on the game." The cowboy rolled over with his back to themandarin. "Now get busy with your teeth," he added, "and be in a rush.There's no telling when the pallavering outside will be over with, andif those fellows get through before we do, the kibosh will be on us andnot on them."
The logic of this last remark was not lost upon the mandarin. Hegrunted and wheezed and used his teeth with frantic energy. While hepanted and labored, both he and the cowboy kept their ears sharp forthe mumble of talk going on outside.
Fortunately for the _coup_ the prisoners were intending to spring, thetalk continued unabated. The laniard was gnawed in half, and McGlorysat up, brought his hands around in front of him, and rubbed the placeswhere the mandarin's sharp teeth had slipped from the cord.
"You've turned part of the trick, Tsan Ti," commended the cowboy; "nowwatch me do my share."
With his pocket knife he slashed through the coil that held his feet,and he would then have treated the yellow cord about the mandarin'swrists in like manner had he not been stopped by a quick word.
"The yellow cord, illustrious one," said the Chinaman, "must be untied.It is a present from his imperial highness, my regent, and I may yet beobliged to use it in the customary way."
"Oh, hang your regent!" grumbled McGlory, but yielded to the mandarin'srequest and began untying the cord with his fingers.
This was slow work, for McGlory's fingers were still numb from theeffects of his own bonds. In due course, however, the cord was removed,and the Chinaman lifted himself to a sitting posture. The cowboy usedthe knife on the rope that secured Tsan Ti's feet, while the latter wassolicitously coiling up the yard of yellow cord and putting it away inhis pocket.
"Now, courageous friend," whispered the mandarin, getting upnoiselessly and stepping to the swinging green barrier at the mouth ofthe niche, "we are ready."
"You know how to manage a motor cycle?" queried McGlory, suddenlystifling the roar that was almost on his lips.
"Excellently well, superlative one."
"Then good luck to you. Here goes."
Above the fearsome commotion McGlory made, the words "Help!" and"Hurry!" might have been distinguished. Startled exclamations came fromthe automobile, followed by a sound of scrambling as the three thievestumbled out. Then there was a crashing among the bushes and the vines,and McGlory rolled back at full length and shoved his unbound handsunder him.
"What's the matter?" cried Grattan, who was first to enter the pocket.
"Mandarin tried to knife me!" whooped McGlory. "Why didn't you take hisknife away from him? I might have been sent over the one-way trail if Ihadn't yelled."
All three of the men were in the niche by that time.
"Where is the chink?" shouted Grattan.
The poppety-pop-pop of a motor in quick action came from without.
"He's tripped his anchor and is makin' off!" yelled Bunce.
"Stop him!" fumed Grattan, and instantly he followed Bunce and Pardoback through the swinging screen of vines and bushes.
Chuckling with delight, McGlory leaped erect, sprang to the vines, andparted them so he could look out.
Tsan Ti, his motor working splendidly, was streaking down the ravinetoward the road. Bunce, who had led in the rush from the pocket, hadmounted the other motor cycle and was coaxing his engine into actionwith the pedal.
"Catch him, Bunce!" bellowed Grattan.
Bunce's answer was lost in a series of explosions as his motor got towork. As he whirled away, Grattan and Pardo ran after him to watch thepursuit as long as possible.
And thus it chanced that good luck came McGlory's way, after all. Hehad pretended, when Grattan and the other two came into the pocket,that he was tied, and the excitement following Bunce's discovery thatthe mandarin was escaping prevented any examination of the cowboy'sbonds. Now McGlory had the neighborhood of the pocket to himself,and within a dozen feet of where he stood was the blue touring car,unguarded!
A daring plan rushed through the cowboy's head. Why not crank up theautomobile's engine and rush down the ravine?
There was a chance that he could reach the road. If Grattan or Pardogot in his way, he could run them down; if they drew off to one sideand fired at him, he could trust to luck.
"Nothing venture, nothing win!" muttered the reckless cowboy, andpushed through the vines and bushes and jumped for the front of the car.
An angle of the ravine hid Grattan and Pardo. One look made McGlorycertain on this point, and another look showed him the rough surfacewhich the automobile had to get over. There was a fine chance to blowup a tire or come to grief against a jutting rock, but the cowboy hadstaked everything on a single throw, and he was not to be frightened bydifficulties.
He gave the crank a couple of turns, and the engine answered with afierce sputter and an increasing rattle of explosions.
That sound, if Grattan and Pardo were near enough to hear, advertisedplainly what McGlory was about. He lost not a moment in scrambling intothe driver's seat and getting the car to going.
The automobile started with a jump, and lurched and swayed over theuneven ground like a ship in a storm. Bending to the steering wheel,McGlory nursed the car onward with the spark.
The machine rounded the turn. The road was in plain view--but so wereGrattan and Pardo.
Consternation was written large in the faces of the two thieves. Thecar was being hurled toward them, plunging and buck-jumping as it metthe high places, and the two men had to throw themselves sideways toclear the path.
"Stop!" roared Grattan, drawing a revolver.
McGlory's answer was a defiant yell. As the car rushed by Pardo he madea jump for it--and was knocked roughly back toward the ravine wall.
_Bang!_
That was Grattan's weapon, echoing high about the racket of theunmuffled motor. Something ripped through the rear of the top andcrooned its wicked song within an inch of McGlory's head.
But the cowboy laugh
ed. He hadn't blown up a tire or smashed any of themachinery, he was turning into the road, and Grattan and Pardo werebehind him!
"We've knocked the hoodoo galley west!" McGlory exulted. "Oh, what doyou think of this! _What_ do you think of it!" and he let the sixtychamping horses under the bonnet snatch him along the road at theirbest clip.