CHAPTER XI.
A SURPRISE.
Hank made a desperate attempt to overhaul the car. In fact, he tried sohard to capture Pringle that Matt wondered at it. Why should he giveso much attention to the fellow when the man he and Spangler wantedmost was still on the mountainside?
Hank goaded his horse to top speed, shouted threats, and even smashedthe tail lamp with a bullet before the Red Flier could get out of theway. No other damage was done, and Matt drew a long breath of reliefwhen the angry robber was safely left behind.
Meanwhile things had been happening in the tonneau. Carl's idea ofrevenge was to take his troubles out of Pringle's hide, and he wasgoing about it with considerable violence. The body of the car rockedfrom side to side on the chassis under the fierce turmoil in thetonneau.
"Wienerwurst, hey?" sputtered Carl, rolling Pringle over on the seat."You cut loose from Wienerwurst, hey? I make you t'ink it tifferent,you lopster!"
"Leave go o' me. Pretzel!" cried Pringle. "I'll eat you, if you don't,an' that's what. Say, you monkey----"
"Monkey!" gurgled Carl. "Dot's somet'ing more. Pringle und Pretzel, dermoosickal team haf bust oop! Und now come der firevorks. How you likedot, hey? Und dot, und dot! Dose vas my gompliments. Wienerwurst hantsdem to you mit jeerfulness."
Thump, smack, bang! went Carl's fists.
Matt, having made sure that there was now no danger to be apprehendedfrom Hank, halted the car and leaned over the back of the seat to takea hand in the squabble himself.
"That'll do, Carl!" he cried, grabbing the Dutch boy by the collar ashe pummeled the form on the leather cushions.
"I hafen't paid him all vat I owe him yet," shouted Carl.
"That's enough, anyway. Leave him alone. If----"
"Dere he goes!" screamed Carl; "und look--look vat he's got in his hantalretty!"
The moment Matt dragged the Dutch boy from his late partner, the latterhad leaped from the seat, grabbed something that had fallen from hispocket, and had sprung down from the car. As he leaped away, Matt sawthat the object in his hand was _the green silk bag_!
Pringle had been saved from Hank, and he was now anxious to savehimself from Carl and Matt. With a flying leap from the car, Matt madeafter him.
A sharp run followed. Pringle was no match for the athletic MotorMatt. Catching up with him at the end of a fifty-yard dash, the youngmotorist grabbed the fellow by the arm and jerked him to a halt.
Pringle was a slab-sided, beak-faced youth with buttermilk eyes.Merely a glance at him was enough to show Matt that he was thoroughlyunreliable.
"No more fighting," said Matt sharply, snatching the bag fromPringle's hand. "Back to the car with you, on the double-quick."
"That ain't yours," snarled Pringle, referring to the bag.
"Nor yours, either," answered Matt. "I'm taking charge of it forTomlinson."
This remark about Tomlinson seemed to take Pringle's breath.
"Who's Tomlinson?" he asked, trying to play the innocent.
"You know."
"Some one's been stringing you."
"You're trying it now, Pringle, but it won't work."
Carl, leaning out of the tonneau, was waving a revolver.
"Py shiminy, Matt," he called, "here I vas heeled all der time undforgot aboudt it. Dis gun pelongs mit der Drymore feller. Shtep avayvile I draw some beads on dot gangle-legged hide-rack, vat you gotalong."
"Put that up!" said Matt sternly. "If it went off, I'd be in as muchdanger as Pringle. That rope that was used to lash the wheel is wrappedaround the foot-rest in the tonneau. Get it, and we'll tie Pringle'shands."
"What are you mutts trying to do?" demanded Pringle. "You ain't got nocall to handle me like this."
"Oh, no, I guess nod!" taunted Carl, pulling Pringle's hands to hisback and getting busy with the rope. "You vas a fine sbecimen oof atinhorn, hey. Wienerwurst! Vell, I vas more oof a hot tamale as dot,hey?"
"What do you want to knock a partner like this for, Dutch?" demandedPringle. "Just because I had to pull my freight without getting yourpermission? Aw, you make me tired!"
"See here," said Matt sharply, as Pringle was made to get into thetonneau, "there's no use of your trying to play possum with us,Pringle. We know all about what you've done--not only to Carl, but toTomlinson. You'll go to Yuma, all right. Just now we're going to takeyou to Ash Fork and leave you, and the pearls, with the deputy sheriff."
This announcement took the wind out of Pringle's sails. The white raninto his face, and he sank back and stared helplessly from Carl to Matt.
At that moment the pounding of a motor was heard along the road in thedirection of Ash Fork. In that region, where automobiles were few andfar between, the sound claimed Matt's instant attention.
The other car was coming like the wind. It was a high-powered runaboutwith a single rumble-seat behind. There were two passengers--one abig man in cap and dust-coat, and the other a businesslike driver inleather fixings and goggles.
The runabout was new, as could easily be seen, and there was an extratire in irons at the driver's side.
At that point in the road passing was easy, and the runabout surged bywithout decreasing speed.
"Look out ahead!" shouted Matt, making a trumpet of his hands.
But his warning didn't even win a backward glance from the big fellowwith the driver. The dust the runabout kicked up soon screened the carfrom sight. A few moments later, the dust whisked out of view aroundthe point of the mountain.
"Chiminy grickets, dot feller vas going some!" exclaimed Carl. "Hedon'd vas on speaking-derms mit anypody to-day, I guess."
"I'll bet that's the fellow I came to Ash Fork to see about a job,"said Matt. "He answers the description, all right, but from the looksof things he's got a driver."
"Vich leds you oudt," returned Carl. "Dis odder chob oof yours ad ahundert tollars a mont I don'd t'ink vill last. Meppy ve don'd ged pyTenver, neider. Vat a luck it iss! Aber be jeerful. Pringle iss here,"and Carl reached over to nudge Pringle in the ribs.
"Cut it out!" scowled Pringle. "What can I do to get clear of this?"
"You can go py Ash Fork fairst, und den py Yuma. Dot vill led you oudtin den years, meppy."
"Rub it in! Oh, by all means!"
"Do you want to tell us what you know?" asked Matt, facing Pringle.
"Will it put me in deeper, or help me out?" returned Pringle.
"It won't do you any harm. We know a good deal about this business, asit is. For instance, Pringle, you got a note from Denver Denny tellingyou that the pearls were on the way----"
"Dere id iss," said Carl, pushing the note in front of Pringle's eyes."Look him ofer, den you know ve don'd make some pluffs."
"You answered the letter from Flagstaff," went on Matt, "and sent it toBrockville, saying you were glad the pearls were on the way and thatyou would meet Trymore at that place."
"Und dere iss dot vone, too--only ve don'd got it," put in Carl. "Dot'sder vone vere you say someding aboudt Wienerwurst, vich iss me."
"No," said Pringle, "I know you don't got it. Hank got it. You're realcute in that red vest. It's almost like we were in the lime-light,doing the sketch. Quite a line you lads have got on me. But I wouldn'tlinger around here. That other benzine buggy is coming back, and Hank'sup front. Spang's behind, too, and they're reaching out for us."
Pringle was turned partly around in the tonneau, so that his eyes couldcommand the road in the rear. Matt took a quick glance toward the pointof the mountain.
Pringle was right! The runabout was charging along the trail like athunderbolt. The big man in the dust-coat had vanished. In his placesat Hank, and behind Hank was Spangler.
Hank had a revolver in his hand and was pointing it at the driver,holding him to his work.
"Ach, du lieber!" whooped Carl. "Pull avay, Matt! Dey're afder us."
Matt turned over the engine in record time, jumped for his seat andstarted.