Owen Clancy's Happy Trail; Or, The Motor Wizard in California
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happened, or what's goin' on now," answeredBoltwood, "so how can I talk?"
"Just remember that, then. Here's a five-dollar gold piece for you. Doas I tell you and you'll be all right. Do something else, and you'llfind yourself in more trouble than Burton is in."
"I'm no fool, I guess," mumbled Boltwood, pouching the gold piece. "Idon't pry into things that ain't my business. I'll row across and getthe clothes."
He sprang into the boat, pushed off, and began using the oarsvigorously. The motor wizard turned thoughtfully and walked back to theplace where he had left Hill and Burton.
Hank Burton had issued his defiance. He was not a "squeeler," but he wasapprehensive regarding Clancy's next move.
"What're you goin' to do?" he asked.
"I'm sending for your clothes," was the reply.
"Then what?"
"Why, then I'll find some place where I can make a complaint againstyou. You think more of your pals liberty than you do of your own. Butthat's your lookout, not mine. If you want to go to jail and leaveGerald Wynn and Bob Katz free to spend that fifteen thousand, why, haveit that way."
Clancy's tone was relentless. Burton knew enough of the motor wizard tounderstand that he would do what he said he would.
The chap in the bathing suit walked back and forth among the rocks for afew moments, then, finally, he flung up his hands helplessly and haltedin front of Clancy.
"You've got the whip hand, as usual," said he, with a tinge ofbitterness. "I'll exchange what I know for my liberty. What am I to tellyou?"
CHAPTER VIII.
TREACHERY THAT SUCCEEDED--AND FAILED.
The motor wizard congratulated himself, for a moment, that he had wonHank Burton over to his side in the argument. But only for a moment.Even as Clancy was getting ready to frame his first question, Burtontook to his heels and ran like a deer toward the other side of SugarloafRock.
On that side, three persons had landed in a small boat. They had securedtheir boat by twisting the painter around a rock, and were now climbingOld Sugarloaf.
Burton must have seen this landing party while walking back and forthand turning Clancy's proposition over in his mind. He had gained alittle time by seeming to fall in with Clancy's desires, but now themask was dropped.
"Consarn the critter!" whooped Hiram. "Stop him, Clancy, stop him!"
This is exactly what Clancy was trying to do, but the feat wasphysically impossible. Burton had too long a lead.
Snatching the painter from the rock, the fleeing rascal sprang into theboat, picked up the oars and was twenty feet from shore before Clancyand Hill came to the water's edge.
"Guess again!" taunted Burton, applying himself vigorously to the oars.
"This island ain't so big!" shouted Hiram furiously. "The steamer forSan Pedro has gone, and there's no other boat for the mainland untilto-morrow. You ain't out o' this yet, Hank Burton!"
What Burton thought regarding this did not appear. He put all his energyinto his rowing and was soon halfway across the bay.
"If we'd toted a popper," bewailed Hiram, "this couldn't have happened.
"Popper?" questioned Clancy.
"Meanin' gun. With a six-shooter we could have drawn a bead on MisterMan in the boat and fetched him ashore. Blame it! I sure hate to see himget away after bein' to so much trouble ketchin' him."
The motor wizard felt in the same way, but there was no use crying overspilled milk. Mynie Boltwood got back from the other side of the baywith a load of clothes, and Hill removed his wet garments, wrung themout, dried them in the sun, and was soon back in his complete wardrobe,and but little the worse for his drenching.
Clancy, hoping to develop something in the nature of a clew, searchedthe pockets of Burton's clothes. He found nothing to repay his search.
"Now," inquired Hill gloomily, "what's the next step?"
"We came here to find your father, Hiram," Clancy answered, "andsuddenly got switched off into another trail. Now we'll get back to thework that originally brought us to the island."
"And let that bunch o' grafters go?"
"I don't see what we can do, at present."
"We can set the police on their trail."
Clancy shook his head. "That won't do, Hiram," he answered. "I made acrack of that kind at Burton, but it was only a bluff. The moment wering in the police, that moment we lift the veil on Lafe Wynn. Lafe mustbe protected at any cost. If we could get back the money by our ownefforts, that would be all right. What we've got to avoid is making thisthing too public. We'll return to the curio store and see if Lopez hasgot back from the other side of the island."
Mynie Boltwood displayed little curiosity regarding Burton. Thefive-dollar gold piece had evidently blinded him, muzzled him, and tiedup his ears. He rowed Clancy and Hill back to the pier, and they leftthe boat and proceeded to the establishment of Jack Lopez.
Lopez looked a good deal like a man who might deal in dazzling futures,taking care that all the profit came to himself. He was swarthy andgood-natured, but with a crafty eye.
"The Fortunatus Syndicate?" he said, with an airy laugh. "Gentlemen, itis gone--as you say--where the woodbine twineth. Yes, for two yearspast. The concession was granted by Diaz for a great 'plant' dedicatedto the god of luck at Tia Juana, but--well, Diaz went out and some oneelse came in. Down below the border, nothing remains as it was for long.It took--what you call--too much money to grease the wheels. TheSyndicate dropped one hundred thousand dollars, and thought that wasplenty. No, no, you can not invest in Fortunatus, for there is noFortunatus."
"This is your card, isn't it?" inquired Clancy, offering for inspectionthe card found wider the sweatband of the Stetson.
"Why, _si!_ I used that card at the time the Tia Juana matter lookedvery bright and promising. Now, though, I use the card no more."
"Did you ever see a feller like this?" put in Hiram, handing over thephotograph of his father.
Lopez looked at the photograph, started, took it in his hands, and gaveit a more careful scrutiny.
"As I live," said he, "it is the picture of my good friend, CaptainHogan, of the steam yacht _Sylvia._ Look!" and Lopez lifted and leveleda forefinger.
They were standing in front of the curio store, and the stores all alongthat street overlooked the bay. Lopez indicated a trim-looking craft,painted white, and with the sun striking gleams from dazzling brasswork,floating at anchor far from the shore line.
"That," continued Lopez, "is my good friend's boat. Her home port is SanDiego, and she can be chartered by any one with the price. Hogan is atthe island for a few days, looking for customers."
Disappointment struck heavily at Hiram Hill's heart and was reflected inhis face.
"You say his name is Hogan?" he asked.
"Yes."
"What's time whole of his handle?"
"Uriah Hogan. Strange you do not know, since you have his picture."
"There's a whole lot o' things I don't know," answered Hiram, "and amjust beginnin' to find out. Was Cap'n Hogan over to Los Angeles lastSaturday?"
"He was. He has told me about it. He returned to the island Sunday."
"Do you happen to know where I can find him?"
"Why, yes. In the quarter of the town called Buena Vista, there is abungalow called the Rest a While. There Captain Hogan stays whenever heis in Avalon."
This ended the talk with Senor J. Lopez. Clancy took his friend by thearm and walked with him to the restaurant where they had had theirdinner.
"Ain't this the limit?" queried Hill plaintively. "Nothin' goes rightfor us, Clancy."
"Well don't fret about it," returned the motor wizard.
"Order up a good meal and try and be happy."
They sent in a generous order. Hill, however, could not get the hardluck out of his mind. He continued to air the state of his feelingswhile the order was being made ready.
"This Cap'n Hogan is a dead ringer for dad. Him and dad couldn't lookmore alike if they had been twins. And then, Clancy, them initials inhis Stetson--
'U. H.' I reckoned that made a cinch of this here trail I'mfollerin'. But, no. 'Stead o' standin' for 'Upton Hill,' them letters inthe Stetson meant 'Uriah Hogan.' Never before has fate played it so lowdown on me as that."
"We have certainly blundered into some remarkable coincidences," agreedClancy.
A man with red hair, who sat, at their table, cocked up his ear as Hillshook out his opinions.
"Hogan?" said he, leaning forward; "did I