CHAPTER X.
THE MAN FROM THE "IRIS."
Not many times in McGlory's life had he been so tremendously at a lossfor words as he was then. He stared at the ruby and he stared at Matt.
"You see, pard," said Matt, "the ruby wasn't in the box when I gaveit to the clerk. I kept the Eye of Buddha safely about me, all thetime. It gouged me a little when the speeder stopped and I was slammedagainst the forward bench."
"Speak to me about this!" rumbled the cowboy. "It wasn't in the box--atinhorn blew in with a forged letter--he got the box, but he didn'tget the ruby. Matt's done something--and he never told me what he wasdoing. What--how--why---- Look here, you blooming old maverick, how didyou ever come to think of such a dodge?"
"It wasn't much of a dodge," answered Matt. "In the first place, Ididn't take any stock in that wild yarn told us by Bunce. At the sametime, while I didn't believe in it, I couldn't afford not to go withBunce on Tsan Ti's account. I tried to think why Bunce should wantto coax us into the hills, and the only idea that came to me had todo with the ruby. Now, I reasoned, if the ruby _was_ back of Bunce'slittle game, then it was clear he knew it had been sent to me forsafe-keeping. I wanted to find just how much Bunce knew, so I left thebox with the clerk. Bunce was watching, or else he had somebody elsewatching. If he'd thought I had the ruby with me, an attempt would havebeen made to get it while we were in the hills. But Bunce believed Ihad left the ruby in the safe, so he dodged away, leaving you and me tobe nabbed by the section men, while he went on to that 'pocket' underthe ledge, found Grattan, told him where I had placed the box, and thetwo got on their motorcycles and came close enough to town to get a manto help them secure the box.
"Grattan must have forged the letter. Then this third man took it. Therascals had to work quick, for the game was played while we were takinga look around at the camp in the ravine, and walking into town. Can'tyou understand, Joe? By getting us into the hills, with that fairystory about Tsan Ti, Grattan could play his hand either way. If we hadthe ruby with us, he could get hold of it; if we had left it behind, hecould take advantage of our absence from Catskill to execute some rusein town while we were out in the country."
"Clever?" breathed McGlory; "why, he's the cleverest crook that everhappened. But I'd like to have a picture of him now!" The cowboy fellback in his seat and roared with mirth. "Wouldn't I like to look inon him while he and Bunce are opening that box?" he sputtered. "Oh,but it's rich! Clever as he is, Grattan has found that he's butted upagainst some one who can give him cards and spades, and then beat himout. I've been proud of you, pard, more times than I can tell, but I'mjust a little prouder now than I ever was before. Shake!"
Matt caught his chum's hand.
"It was only a guess, Joe," he deprecated, "and it happened to work ourway. There was nothing clever about what I did. The result was entirelya--an accident."
"You had your head with you, all the same," insisted McGlory, "when youput that empty box in the safe. But how in thunder did Bunce get nextto that? How did he know that Tsan Ti had sent you the ruby, in thefirst place?"
"Well, he did know, and that's enough. A third man has jumped into thedeal--another pal, who is helping Grattan and Bunce. Perhaps he hadsomething to do with keeping track of the ruby."
"Perhaps. But that old two-eyed counterfeit with the green patch--Iwonder how much he'd sell out for, about now?"
"Bunce is pretty clever, in his own way, too," averred Matt. "He musthave laughed in his sleeve when he saw how we had swallowed that fishstory of his about Tsan Ti."
"He can laugh, now, on t'other side of his face. We're helping TsanTi, all right. Grattan is on our trail instead of his. I'm not sayingit was the right thing for the mandarin to shift the responsibilityfor that ruby onto you, but he was pretty long headed when he did it.He understood that if any one could take care of the ruby it was MotorMatt."
"It will soon be dinner time, Joe," said Matt. "Suppose we go up to ourroom, shake the dust out of our clothes, take a bath, and get ready toeat?"
"That reminds me how hungry I am!" exclaimed McGlory, springing up.
By the time dinner was ready, the boys were ready for dinner. Theirexperiences of the forenoon had put a keen edge on their appetite, andthe cowboy was in high good humor.
He and Matt had put in a strenuous morning, and so long as McGlorythought they had not accomplished anything, he was disgusted and "outof sorts." But to learn that Grattan and Bunce had been beaten at theirown game, set twanging a most delightful chord in the cowboy's make-up.
The motor boys had no plans for the afternoon, so they put in theirtime idling about the veranda. It was about three o'clock when a tallman, dressed in a natty white yachting costume with the name "Iris," ingilt letters on the band of his cap, came briskly up the veranda steps,passed Matt and McGlory and went on into the hotel.
The man claimed only casual attention, on his first appearance, but, afew seconds later, he captured the entire attention of the two boys. Hereturned to the veranda, ushered by the clerk, and both stepped towardMotor Matt.
"Matt," said the clerk, "this is Mr. Pardo, of the yacht _Iris_. Mr.Pardo, Mr. King. He wants to see you about some business matter," theclerk added, as he vanished back into the hotel.
The man from the _Iris_ smiled cordially as he clasped Matt's hand.
"This is a pleasure, I assure you," said Pardo. "I have heard quite alittle about Motor Matt."
"What can I do for you, Mr. Pardo?" asked Matt.
"That's the business part of our interview," was the answer, as Pardohelped himself to a chair, "and I'm going to get right down to it. Youare familiar with gasoline motors, I understand?"
"Yes."
"With marine motors?"
"I reckon you never heard how he put an automobile engine in a launch,at Madison, Wisconsin," struck in McGlory, "and won a big race. He'sright at home with every kind of an explosive engine, whether it drivesa craft in the air, on wheels, or in the water."
"My chum is a trifle prejudiced, Mr. Pardo," smiled Matt.
"Well, I guess you can do the work, all right. The question now is, canI secure your services?"
"What for?"
"Of course," laughed Pardo, "that's what you naturally want to know.I'm the owner of a power yacht, fifty feet over all, ten feet beam,equipped with a fifty-horse-power motor. She's the _Iris_. I droppeddown from Albany, this afternoon, and when we tied up at Catskill myengineer received a telegram from Buffalo saying that his father wasdangerously sick. He left at once, and here I am, anxious to make aquick run to New York, but caught in the worst kind of a hole. Can'tI get you to help me out? As soon as I reach New York I can get anynumber of reliable men to take charge of my engine room, but here inCatskill help of that sort is scarce."
McGlory's joy shone in his face. Here was a chance to get down theriver in style, and all that stood between Matt and the trip was theruby.
"Can't you run the motor, Mr. Pardo?" asked Matt.
"Don't know the first thing about it," was the answer. "You see, Ihaven't had time to learn. This is my first trip in the _Iris_, and Ihaven't had much chance to pick up a knowledge of her machinery. It'smy idea that every man ought to know how to run his own boat--and I'llknow it, too, before I'm many days older. But, just now, I've got tohave some one. What do you say?"
Pardo noticed that Matt was not especially eager to help him out.
"If you can just get me down to New York," he pleaded, "that's all Iwill ask. If you have to come back to Catskill for anything, you cancome on the train in the morning. You won't be away very long, and itwill be a big accommodation to me. I'll pay you well for your trouble,too, if that will be any inducement."
"Better go, pard," urged McGlory. "I don't think your business willsuffer any. We can be back here by nine in the morning, if we want to."
It was hardly likely, as Matt reasoned the matter out, that Tsan Tiwould present himself and ask for the ruby before he and McGlory couldget back from New York. The opportunity
to make a little money in apleasant way was appealing, for the king of the motor boys had longdesired to have the run of the engine room on a big power boat.
"What time do you want to start, Mr. Pardo?" Matt asked.
"At nine, this evening," was the reply. "If you can help me out, you'dbetter arrange to be aboard at, say, eight-thirty. The _Iris_ is closeto the day-line dock, and you can't help but find her."
"How much are you willing to pay for the trip?" queried Matt. "It'sjust as well, you know, to have all that settled beforehand."
"I'll give you a hundred dollars--not so much for the work, youunderstand, as for the time you are losing. Your time may be worth evenmore than that. If it is----"
"You are more than liberal," broke in Matt. "I and my chum will beaboard the _Iris_ at eight-thirty."
The man from the _Iris_ heaved a deep breath.
"That's a big load off my mind," said he. "I could have telegraphed NewYork and had an engineer come up on a late train--but that would havedelayed the start until close upon midnight. I shall expect you, MotorMatt," and Pardo got up and went his way briskly.