Motor Matt's Century Run; or, The Governor's Courier

by Stanley R. Matthews

  CHAPTER IV.

  A DANGEROUS MISSION.

  "I don't think the boy can make it, McKibben; I don't know whether it'sright to ask him to try to make it."

  The governor was pacing back and forth in his private office, talkingwith the sheriff who sat near-by. Something of importance was in thewind, as could plainly be told from the faces of the two men and fromthe nervous actions of the governor.

  "There's nothing that lad can't do when he sets his mind to it,"declared McKibben. "If Joe Dangerfield and his gang are kept fromreaching Mexico, it's Motor Matt that does it. Take my word for that,governor."

  "Do you think you can believe what Juan Morisco told you?" queried thegovernor.

  "I'll take my oath it was the truth."

  "If word reaches the Dangerfield gang about what we're doing, King willnever be allowed to reach his destination."

  "How can word reach the gang? When the boy starts he'll go like astreak of greased lightning. He'll beat the news, even if there was aleak somewhere and the information that he was acting as your couriergot started toward the hills."

  "I sha'n't let him start until I have told him all about the danger----"

  McKibben laughed.

  "That youngster don't know what fear is, governor. He won't gigg backon the job because of any trouble that may be staring him in the face.Anyhow, he's our only hope. There's not a machine in town that cancover the ground like it's got to be covered, except the _Comet_; andthere's no one else to use the _Comet_ except Motor Matt."

  "He's slow getting here, seems to me," muttered the governor, startingfor a window to look out.

  Before he reached the window a rap fell on the door. In answer to hiscall, the governor's secretary entered.

  "Here's young King, sir," announced the secretary.

  "Have him come right in," said the governor, a look of relief crossinghis face.

  The secretary withdrew, and the next moment Matt entered and stoodbefore the two men, cap in hand.

  "You sent for me, sir?" he asked.

  This was not the first time Governor Gaynor had seen Motor Matt, butnever before had he marked the sturdy bearing and resourceful air ofthe lad as he did then. Somehow, his feeling of relief increased, andhe sat down in the big chair before his desk.

  "Yes, King," said he; "I sent for you. How would you like to doa little brisk, and perhaps exciting, work for Uncle Sam and theTerritory of Arizona?"

  "I'll be glad to do anything I can," answered Matt, not a littlecurious because of the governor's words and manner.

  "There may be danger in it, King," went on the governor, eying thelad's face keenly, "a great deal of danger."

  "That ought to keep me gingered up," smiled Matt easily.

  McKibben chuckled and swerved his eyes to the governor.

  "There'll also be one hundred dollars in it for you."

  "That's all right, too, sir," said Matt. "I could use the hundred."

  "Briefly, then," proceeded the governor briskly, "the work is this:A man named Joe Dangerfield, with several other ruffians, is campedat Tinaja Wells, near Painted Rocks. They're a lawless set, thosefellows, and have been engaged in smuggling Chinamen into the UnitedStates by way of Mexico and the Arizona border. The Federal Governmenthas offered a reward of one thousand dollars each for the capture ofDangerfield or any of his gang.

  "Jasper Burke, the sheriff from Prescott, is camped with a posse atPotter's Gap, just over the divide, at the head of Castle Creek Canyon.Dangerfield and his gang are known to be making for the Mexican border,to get away from the authorities and so effect their escape. The trailsouth from Tinaja Wells passes through Potter's Gap, and Burke and hisposse are waiting there to catch the Dangerfield outfit as it comesalong.

  "It appears now, however, that Dangerfield has got wind of thesheriff's move, and that he is going to leave Tinaja Wells some timeto-night and start south by another route. Now, Potter's Gap is ahundred miles from Phoenix, and unless I can find a courier who willget a letter into Burke's hands by five o'clock this afternoon, theDangerfield gang will escape into Mexico."

  The governor's eyes sought a clock on the wall.

  "It lacks fifteen minutes of noon," said he. "If you can get startedby twelve o'clock, you will have just five hours to make a 'century'run--and a rough run it will be for a part of the way. Can you make it?"

  A large map of Arizona hung near the clock. Matt stepped toward it.

  "Can you show me, Mr. McKibben," he asked, "how I'll have to go toreach Potter's Gap?"

  "Sure, Matt," answered the sheriff, getting out of his chair anddrawing his finger over the map as he talked. "This here's the BlackCanyon road out of Phoenix--you know that pretty well by this time, Ireckon. The road forks this side of the Bluebell Mine, and you take thefork. That leads you to Frog Tanks and Castle Creek Canyon. You go upthe canyon to a point five miles north of Hot Springs; there you'll finda trail leading up the right-hand wall of the canyon and over the divideto Potter's Gap. The hard part of your trip will come getting over thedivide."

  "Any place on the trail where I can get gasoline?" asked Matt. "The_Comet's_ tank will only hold enough for about seventy-five miles. IfI can't get any on the way, I'll have to take some with me. Won't haveto bother with oil. The oil-tank holds a quart, and that will keep megoing for two hundred miles."

  "Better take some gasoline along and make sure," said McKibben. "Youmight be able to get some at Hot Springs, or at Frog Tanks; but there'sa doubt, and you can't be in doubt of anything on this trip."

  "Very well, sir."

  "Think you can find your way all right?"

  "It looks easy on the map, but I might take Clipperton along. He knowsthe country like a book, and he's got a motor-cycle of his own now. Hismachine is a one-cylinder, and not as fast as the _Comet_, but if I seeClip can't keep the pace, I can leave him behind."

  "It's all right to take one of your chums with you, King," put in thegovernor; "in fact, it may be a mighty good thing for you to have someone else along. If Dangerfield and his men are captured, it means thatthey will spend a good long time in the penitentiary; and if they findout you are carrying word to Burke that will keep them from reachingMexico, they'll do everything in their power to stop you."

  "How'll they find out, sir? I'll keep ahead of the news all the way."

  "That's what I'm hoping you'll do; but this Dangerfield gang is wellorganized, and the fact that they've discovered Burke and his posse arelaying for them at Potter's Gap proves they're keeping track of things."

  The governor whirled around to his desk and picked up an envelope.

  "I'll not keep you any longer," said he, "for you have little enoughtime for your 'century' run as it is. Here are the instructions whichyou are to deliver to Burke. Put the letter away safely."

  Matt opened his leather jacket and tucked the letter into the insidepocket.

  "Did you find out all this from Juan Morisco, Mr. McKibben?" he asked.

  The sheriff nodded.

  "That scar on Juan's face gave him away," said he. "How's the girl?"

  The sheriff's eyes widened when he heard the report.

  "She won't say a word about herself, or about Juan Morisco," went onMatt.

  "Can't blame her for that," said the sheriff.

  It was plain that Morisco had told the sheriff something about Rags,and Matt would have liked to hear what it was. Time was pressing justthen, however, and he had no wish to talk any longer.

  As he was about to leave the room, the governor caught his hand, shookit heartily, and wished him luck.

  "I have confidence in your ability to take care of yourself, King,"said he; "if I hadn't, I shouldn't allow you to make this venture underany consideration. Keep a sharp look-out for trouble, that's all, andput the _Comet_ through for all she's worth."

  "I'll get your letter into Burke's hands, Governor Gaynor," declaredMatt, "by five o'clock. Good-by, sir."

  As he left the office the clock was striking twelve.

&nb
sp; "He'll do it, too," declared McKibben.

  A few moments after the door closed behind Matt, the secretarypresented himself. He wore a troubled air.

  "What's the matter, Jenkins?" queried the governor.

  "Perhaps nothing, sir," answered Jenkins; "but when young King camein to see you, there was a rough-looking man loafing around the hall.After I had sent King into your office, I saw the man through thewindow. He was hurrying down the walk in front, and I watched until hegot into a motor-car--a high-powered roadster. There was another man inthe car, and I'm sure they exceeded the speed-limit as they broke awayfrom the curb."

  The governor, with a trace of consternation, turned on the sheriff.

  "What do you think of that, McKibben?" he asked.

  McKibben laughed easily.

  "You're letting this Dangerfield business get on your nerves,governor," said he. "What could that chap who was loafing in the halldiscover just by seeing King come in here?"

  "He might have been friendly toward the Dangerfield gang, and he mayhave made a guess as to why King had come here----"

  "Nothing to it, governor, take it from me. Motor Matt will pull downthat hundred just too easy for any use. A dollar a mile for that'century' run looks pretty good to him, I'll bet. Don't lose any sleepabout _him_. He'll be back here some time to-morrow, chipper as usualand a hundred to the good. He's the bank that gets my gilt, no discounton that."