CHAPTER VII.
A PARTNER IN VILLAINY.
Murgatroyd's interview with Matthews and Mrs. Traquair, at the time theone hundred and fifty dollars interest was paid, threw the broker intoa spasm of chagrin and temper. One would have thought that Murgatroydwould have been delighted to get his interest money. But it was not theinterest that Murgatroyd wanted, so much as financial embarrassment onthe part of Mrs. Traquair, which would ultimately lead to foreclosureof the mortgage on the Wells County homestead.
To Motor Matt the broker rightly attributed the widow's ability to paythe interest. And if Motor Matt had given Mrs. Traquair the interestmoney, it was a foregone conclusion that Matt had interested himself inthe a?roplane at Fort Totten.
Matt, the wrathful broker reasoned, was to fly the a?roplane at theforthcoming government trial. If he pleased the government, and themachine was bought, then Mrs. Traquair would be able to take up themortgage.
Murgatroyd paced his office for a long time after Matthews and Mrs.Traquair left. In the midst of his reflections, Prebbles thrust hishead in at the door.
"A caller, sir," he announced.
"Who is it?" demanded Murgatroyd sharply.
"Siwash Charley."
A feeling of gratification swept through the broker's nerves.
"Send him in here. And, I say, Prebbles, you can put on your hat andcoat and go home. You're quitting an hour earlier than usual, but youcan make it up some other day."
Precious few holidays old Prebbles got without "making them up."
"Very good, sir," he said in his usual humble fashion, and faded intothe other room.
A moment later Siwash Charley faced the broker.
"Shut the door, Siwash," said Murgatroyd.
"That looks like we was a-goin' ter talk over things that was mightyimportant," said Siwash Charley as he closed the door.
"We are."
"You're an ole fox, all right," chuckled the other; "reg'lar olegouger. Money layin' around ev'rywheres," Siwash added, his eyes on thedesk where the money paid by Mrs. Traquair had been left.
"There's a hundred and fifty in that pile, Siwash," said Murgatroyd."If you agree to help me, I'll give you that; and, if you carry out thework successfully, I'm going to give you a hundred and fifty more."
Siwash Charley's eyes opened wide.
"Must be somethin' mighty tough on ter make ye loosen up like that,"said he. "Mebby it's so tough I won't dast ter touch it."
"I guess it's not too tough for you," returned Murgatroyd dryly.
"I've done a heap o' things fer you, Murg, as won't bear the searchin'light o' day," observed Siwash Charley. "From now on, though, I'ma-goin' ter be a leetle keerful."
"If you don't want the job," rapped out the broker, "say so, and I'llget somebody else."
"How kin I tell whether I want it or not till ye explain what the workis?"
"I'll not go into details until you agree to take hold. I'd be in anice fix, wouldn't I, if I told you what was up, and then had you backout on the proposition."
"Ye'll have ter tell me somethin' about it, that's shore."
"I'll tell you this much, Siwash, and that is that the two youngfellows you mixed up with, when the bear treed the Chinaman, are theones you'll have to go after. That ought to be enough, hadn't it?"
Charley's eyes kindled viciously.
"I'm arter them two," he growled.
"Of course you are," went on the broker, noting with satisfaction theeffect his words had had on his caller. "You're pretty well acquaintedup around Devil's Lake, aren't you?"
"I spent a good many years thar, Murg."
"Do you know Benner, the post trader?"
"Him an' me uster be blanket mates."
"Well, this young fellow who roughed things up with you, is calledMotor Matt."
"That's his name, hey? I'm going ter saw off squar' with this MotorMatt. Revenge is the sort o' por'us plaster I put on my grudges terdraw out the pizen. I'm wuss ner a rattler's bite when I land on afeller, Murg."
"There's a flying machine in the post trader's store at Fort Totten.Traquair sent it up there for a government trial, two weeks fromto-day."
"I see."
"This Motor Matt knows something about gas engines and flying machines,and I'm pretty sure he's going to Totten on the train to-morrow morningto familiarize himself with the Traquair flying machine, and try it outfor the government when the time comes."
"Then I kin lay fer him around Totten, hey?"
"Not alone, Siwash."
The burly ruffian gave a grunt of disgust.
"Think I kain't handle that outfit alone, Murg? Oh, thunder! Why, themtwo fellers ain't much more'n kids. I kin pick 'em up, one in eachhand, an' knock their heads tergether."
"Don't be overconfident, Siwash. If you are, it'll lose the game forus. You ought to have two more men associated with you--fellows you candepend on. You can either get them at Totten, or here in Jimtown."
"Who'll pay 'em?" asked Siwash cautiously.
"I'll give them twenty-five dollars each, if the work succeeds."
"That brings us down ter the work ag'in," said Siwash. "What is it,Murg?"
"Well, I don't want the flying machine tried out for the benefit of thegovernment. I want something to happen so that this Motor Matt won't beable to give a demonstration of what the a?roplane can do."
"Got er axe ter grind, hey?"
"That part of the game is my business, Siwash, not yours," said thebroker sharply. "The point is, do you want to follow out my plans, andmake the money I'm offering you?"
"I'm hungry fer money, all right, Murg," ruminated Siwash. "I jest soldthat pet b'ar ter Bostwick fer twenty-five--b'ar that I captered as acub an' fetched up by hand. But twenty-five won't last me fer long. IfI kin git three hundred off'n you it'll be quite a boost. Still, ferall that, I'd about made up my mind ter be honest from now on, an' cutout these hyer crooked deals. The way ye come at me, though, kindersets me ter calculatin' that I'll go inter pardnership with ye fer onemore round, an' then start ter bein' honest arter that."
Siwash Charley pushed up the right sleeve of his buckskin coat,unwrapped a reddened bandage, and exhibited a ragged wound.
"This hyer's what makes me listen ter ye, Murg," he gritted. "It ain'tthe three hundred dollars so much as this hyer arm. That's whar theyoung cub landed on me with the stone. I kain't never pass that upwithout sawin' off squar'."
"Of course you can't," declared Murgatroyd, doing everything in hispower to foster Siwash Charley's hard feelings, "it wouldn't be likeyou to forget a thing like that, Siwash. I guess you haven't weakenedto that extent."
Siwash Charley swore under his breath, replaced the bandage, and pulleddown the sleeve of his coat.
"Will you help me?" went on the broker. "I've got to have your promise,before I can tell you the plan I've thought out."
"Yes, I'll help you," answered the ruffian.
"And you know of two trustworthy men you can get to go with you?"
"I could pick up a dozen game fellers right here in this man's town allinside o' fifteen minutes. They're fellers, mind ye, who'd run the risko' puttin' their necks in a noose fer twenty-five plunks."
"Those are the men we want. You're not to tell them anything about me,mind."
"That's allers yer game, Murg," and something like discontent pulsedin Siwash Charley's hoarse voice; "ye don't seem ter hev the sand terstand up an' face the music."
"I can't afford to. How long do you think my loan business would lastif I was found out in a job like this? You've got to screen me, Siwash."
"I'll promise ter do that, an' I ain't goin' ter let no one find outthat I'm mixed up in it, either, if I kin help. Go ahead."
The broker got up, and moved softly to the door. Opening it quickly hepeered into the outer office. Apparently satisfied, he closed the dooragain, and returned to his chair.
"Walls have ears," he remarked with a grim smile. "Draw your chaircloser, Siwash."
The other,
with another of his ill-omened chuckles, pulled his seatnearer to Murgatroyd; then, for five minutes, Siwash listened whilethe broker spoke in low, quick tones. When Murgatroyd was done, Siwashleaned back with an exultant expression on his face.
"By Jericho," he exclaimed, "we kin do it, Murg! Thar'll be no flyin'at the fort two weeks from terday. This Motor Matt kain't git terTotten afore termorrer. If ye'll start me an' them other two fellers ina ottermobill, an' land us at Totten afore mornin', I'll agree ter takekeer o' the flyin' machine. If I kain't do that, then I'll agree tertake keer o' Motor Matt. Count on me, Murg."
"Enough said, then," answered Murgatroyd, getting up. "Take your money,Siwash, and get out of here. It won't do for us to be seen leavingBrown block together. You go out first, and I'll follow, a littlelater. The automobile will be at the place I told you within an hour,and a trusty man will be along to drive it."
Two minutes later, Siwash Charley swaggered out of the entrance to theoffice building and slouched off toward a "shady" part of the town.
Five minutes after Siwash left, Murgatroyd emerged.
The broker was hardly out of sight, before Prebbles glided out of theBrown block, his face puckered with fear and apprehension. But therewas resolution in the clerk's face, too, and he made his way in thedirection of the Gladstone House.