CHAPTER XIV.
THE BROKER'S GAME.
The remarks of the landlord, in front of the hotel, had given McGloryand Cameron a clue of which they were not slow to take advantage.
Here was Motor Matt's enemy, the very man who had set in motion theplot which, through Hackberry, had lured the king of the motor boysinto Wells County on a useless quest.
Coolly enough Murgatroyd brought his car to a stop in front of thehotel and faced the angry lieutenant and cowboy.
"Your name Murgatroyd?" demanded Cameron.
"My name, yes, sir," answered the broker, half turning in his seat soas to command a better view of the lieutenant. "But," he added quietly,"I believe that you have the advantage of me."
"Cameron's my name."
"Ah!" A flash crossed Murgatroyd's face. "I might have known who youwere, just by seeing you with McGlory there. This is a fortunatemeeting."
"Fortunate!" cried McGlory, dancing around the front of the car. "Speakto me about that! I should say it was fortunate, you old tinhorn--forus, if not for you. What's this game you've put up on Motor Matt?"
"If we do any talking," said the broker mildly, "you'll have to expressyourself in terms that I can understand."
"You'll savvy a heap before we're done with you."
"Just a minute," went on Murgatroyd. "My niece is in the car with me,and I think it well that she should not listen to your violent talk."He looked around. "Amy----"
The girl was white, but she made no attempt to get out of the tonneau.
"I'm not going to leave, Uncle Amos," said she. "I want to hear more ofthis talk."
"You will please obey me, Amy, and leave the car."
"It is your car," she answered, "and I haven't any right to stay in itif you don't want me to."
Cameron opened the door for her and held out his hand to help her down.She paid no attention to the extended hand, but passed into the hotel.
"Before we begin," proceeded Murgatroyd, "let me ask you if yourecognize this watch."
He offered the timepiece as he finished.
"It's Matt's!" exclaimed McGlory, snatching the watch.
"Him Motol Matt's clock, allee light," breathed Ping. The hotelproprietor was the only person, besides Cameron, McGlory, and Ping,within reach of the broker's words.
"This conversation is of a private nature, Brackett," said Murgatroydsignificantly, "even though it is taking place in the street in frontof your hotel."
Brackett excused himself and passed around the corner of the building.
"That watch," proceeded the broker, "will prove to you that your friendis in my hands. He is being kept safely in a place which you will notbe able to find. I have written three letters, one to you, LieutenantCameron, one to McGlory, and one to Mrs. Traquair. It will not benecessary to post two of them, for I can tell you, face to face, whatthe letters contain.
"The one to you, Cameron, has to do with some little unpleasantnessconnected with the a?roplane trials recently held at Fort Totten.Siwash Charley and, through him, myself were wrongly suspected ofcomplicity in an accident connected with the flying machine. This hasbeen very annoying to me. Your letter contained the information that,other matters being satisfactorily adjusted, your friend Motor Mattwould be released under written promise from the authorities at FortTotten to give over persecuting me and Siwash Charley for a crime ofwhich we are entirely innocent."
McGlory, to put it figuratively, immediately "went up in the air."Before he could air his views, however, Cameron silenced him with alook.
"Motor Matt, according to your proposition, as I understand it,"returned the lieutenant calmly, "is to be released providing themilitary authorities promise you and Siwash Charley immunity?"
"That is one of the conditions governing the release," answeredMurgatroyd.
"What are the other conditions?"
"Well, the letter to McGlory contained that. Mrs. Traquair, assatisfaction for the mortgage which I hold against the Traquairhomestead, west of here, is to turn over the quarter section to me.That is all. My letter to Mrs. Traquair contains that proposition, andmy letter to McGlory requests him to write Mrs. Traquair that what Isay, regarding the capture of Motor Matt, is true. McGlory is also toadvise her to accept my terms. If those terms are accepted, and ifthe authorities at Fort Totten agree not to persecute me, or SiwashCharley, any further, Motor Matt will be released."
The cowboy was so full of language that he could hardly restrainhimself. Cameron laid a hand on his arm and pushed him away.
"Murgatroyd," said the lieutenant, "you have just made the mostimpudent and brazen proposition I ever heard. You deliberately plan andcommit a crime, and then plan and commit another to save you from legalresponsibility for both."
"You look at it in a prejudiced way," returned the broker, apparentlynot in the least ruffled. "What is your answer?"
The lieutenant was thoughtful for a space.
"I have no power to promise you immunity," said he.
"You will take it up with your superior officer at Fort Totten?"
"I won't say that, but I will say that I will think it over."
"That is all I can ask. How about you, McGlory?"
"Sufferin' wildcats!" gurgled McGlory. "Have I got to answer that? HaveI----"
"He'll think it over, Murgatroyd," broke in Cameron, "just as I intenddoing. Where is Motor Matt?"
"That is my secret," and the wily broker actually smiled.
"Is he far from here?"
"Another secret. While you are thinking the matter over, I will huntfor a place to stow my car."
He got out to use the crank, and Cameron caught McGlory's arm and ledhim into the hotel.
"Why didn't I hit him?" the cowboy was murmuring dazedly. "Why didn'tyou let me hit him, Cameron, or else hit him yourself?"
"Because, McGlory, we've got to talk this over and---- Ah!" Thelieutenant broke off as a slender form swept toward him across theoffice. "This is the young lady, I believe, who was in the car with Mr.Murgatroyd?"
The girl was still pale, but there was resolution in her face andmanner.
"I have not much time to talk," said she, "for what I say must be saidbefore my uncle comes in. Mr. Murgatroyd is my uncle. I am a schoolteacher and live in Fargo with my mother. For some time I have beenin poor health, and Mr. Murgatroyd suggested that I take an automobiletrip with him through this part of the country, where he was comingto look up some of his investments. For a few days our headquartershave been here. Yesterday afternoon we were riding to the north andwest of Sykestown when an a?roplane came sailing toward us, droppeddown close to the automobile, and a young man whom I afterward learnedwas Motor Matt hailed my uncle and asked him some question. When myuncle answered, Motor Matt seemed to recognize him, and tried to turnthe air ship away. My uncle had a rifle near him, and he fired at thea?roplane, injuring the machinery so that it fell and----
"No," the girl broke off, seeing the look of alarm that crossed thefaces of her auditors. "Motor Matt was not seriously injured, but thea?roplane was damaged. This happened about ten miles out, on the roadto Jessup's. My uncle turned around and took me to Jessup's, where heleft me. I am very sure that he then went some place, secured SiwashCharley to help him, and made a prisoner of Motor Matt. I do not knowwhere your friend was taken, but it could not have been a great wayfrom Jessup's home--west of the road, I think, and along the base ofthe hills, for that is the way my uncle came when he returned to thefarmhouse. We stayed at Jessup's all night and came here this morning.On the way, we passed the a?roplane, and my uncle got out, looked themachine over, and came back with that watch.
"That is all I can tell you. Do not try to keep me any longer, or toask me any questions. I shall go back to Fargo by train, for I do notlike the way my uncle is doing. I--I hope that you will find yourfriend and that--that no harm has happened to him."
The girl had spoken rapidly, and with nervous impatience, continuallywatching the door. When she finished, she turned away and pa
ssedhastily up the stairs leading to the second floor.
The amazing news she had given held McGlory, Cameron, and Pingspellbound. While they stood, gazing at each other, Murgatroyd enteredthe office.
"As soon as you have come to a decision," said he, "let me know."
Then he, too, passed up the stairs.
Cameron was the first of the three to recover his wits.
"Quick!" said he, catching McGlory's arm, "there's no time to be lost.Run over to the railroad station and send a telegram to Mrs. Traquair,McGlory. Tell her to pay no attention to any letter she may receivefrom Murgatroyd. While you're doing that, I'll get out the car andwe'll make a run out on the road to Jessup's."
McGlory, inspired with the necessity for rapid work, hustled for thetelegraph office. Cameron hurried to the shed after the car. While hewas getting the machine ready, Ping mysteriously disappeared.
As the lieutenant pulled out of the shed, he looked for the cowboy andthe Chinaman. Neither was in sight.
Two minutes later McGlory appeared, and crossed from the railroadstation to the car on a run.
"Where's Ping?" demanded Cameron.
"That's too many for me," said McGlory. "I thought he was with you."
"And I had the idea that he had gone with you. Well, we can't wait forhim," and Cameron drove the car around to the front of the hotel.
A man was crossing the street. Cameron hailed him.
"Which is the road to Jessup's?" he asked.
The man pointed it out. Barely had he given the directions whenMurgatroyd ran out of the hotel and vanished around the corner of thebuilding.
"He's after his car!" murmured McGlory.
Some one jumped to the footboard and scrambled into the tonneau just asCameron threw in the switch. It was Ping. He was breathing hard, andhis yellow face was as near white as it could possibly be.
"What's the matter with you, Ping?" asked McGlory.
The Chinaman held up one hand. As the flowing sleeve fell away hisyellow fingers could be seen gripping a switch plug.
"Murg forgettee plug," chattered Ping. "My findee car, takee plug----"
Cameron let off a shout as he coaxed the automobile into a faster pace.
"That knocks out Murgatroyd, so far as chasing us is concerned," saidhe. "Shake hands with the chink for me, McGlory. I'm too all-firedbusy."