CHAPTER VIII.
MATT SHIFTS HIS PLANS.
Matt, McGlory, and Ping had their supper together. Following supper,Ping went back to the other hotel where he had been staying, for thepurpose of getting his luggage. The luggage was not extensive, beingcompletely wrapped in a yellow silk handkerchief, knotted at thecorners. There was a pair of grass sandals in the handkerchief bundle,and the Chinaman stood in need of new footgear.
When Ping had gone, Matt and McGlory sat out in front of the hotel,waiting for early bedtime to roll around. While they sat there, astoop-shouldered, wizened figure shambled along the walk.
"Prebbles!" exclaimed Matt.
"Not so loud," croaked Prebbles. "Come along--drop in behind--don't letanybody notice."
Matt was surprised.
"Who's that?" queried McGlory.
"A clerk in Murgatroyd's office," whispered Matt, getting up.
"Look out for him, then, for he may be----"
"He's all right," cut in Matt. "Come along, Joe. Prebbles has somethingon his mind."
Deferring to Matt's better judgment, McGlory arose, and he and Mattfollowed Prebbles around one corner of the hotel, and into the duskyregions that lay in the vicinity of the rear of the building.
Here, in a place where they could talk unheard by outsiders, Prebbleshalted.
"What's the matter, Prebbles?" queried Matt, as he and McGlory drewclose.
"Who's that with you?" asked Prebbles guardedly.
"A friend of mine."
"Is he the one that hit Siwash Charley with the stone?"
"Yes."
"All right, then. I got to be careful. If I'm not, Murg'll find outabout this and pull the pin on me. I get eight dollars a week workin'for him, and I can't afford to lose it. Eight dollars a week pays myboard, takes care of my laundry bills, buys a _War Cry_, and gives alittle to the army every week. You boys belong?"
"Belong to what, Prebbles?" asked Matt.
"To the Salvation Army," answered Prebbles earnestly.
"No," answered Matt.
"I do. Soon's I leave here, and get my supper, I'm going to thebarracks, get into my uniform, take my tambourine and march with therest. I was converted two weeks ago. That's why I hate Murgatroyd andhis ways. He's a robber. I want to do right, and that's why I'm here."
"What do you work for the old skinflint for, if you want to do right?"put in McGlory.
"There's nothing wrong with tainted money," replied Prebbles, "if youuse it in the right way."
"I shouldn't think your employer would like to have you in the army,"said Matt.
"He likes it. You see, he thinks it gives the office a standing whichit hasn't got, me being connected with the army. But little he knowswhat I'm doing on the side. It's because I belong, Motor Matt, thatI spoke to you as I did when you left the office this forenoon; it'sbecause of that, too, that I suspected something was up when SiwashCharley came into the office at close to five o'clock and Murg told meto take my hat and coat and go home; and it's because of that that I'mhere, now, to give you a warning."
McGlory gave vent to a low whistle.
"Looks like Siwash and Murg were stackin' up against us, pard," said he.
"Does Siwash Charley know Murgatroyd?" inquired Matt.
"Well, I should say," breathed Prebbles. "Siwash is a hard citizen,and used to live by gambling, stealing, and other ways that the lawwouldn't sanction if he was found out. He's a hard case, Siwashis--most as hard a case as Murg. I didn't leave the office when I wastold to go. I put on my hat and coat, walked real heavy to the door,slammed it, and then slipped back to a curtain that hides a lot of oldletter files. Back of the curtain there's a stovepipe hole from theoutside room into Murg's. I climbed up on the letter files and listenedat that hole. Wouldn't have done it if I didn't belong. Say," andPrebbles straightened himself with feeble pride, "it makes a regularlion of a man to join the army. You ought to be in; you don't know whatyou're missin'."
"The army's a good thing, Prebbles," said Matt, "and I'm glad youbelong to it. Siwash and Murgatroyd talked about me?"
"Did they?" echoed Prebbles. "Well, they didn't talk about anythingelse. You see, Murg has got a mortgage on the Traquair homestead, up inWells County, and he wants to get the quarter section on the mortgage.I don't know why, but he's set, and determined to foreclose and annexthe land. That's what he's workin' for. Everything was coming his way,Motor Matt, till you blew in and befriended Mrs. Traquair. Now Murg'safraid you'll win that government money and fix things so'st Mrs.Traquair can pay off the mortgage. Murg's goin' to fight you, and he'srung in Siwash and two of Siwash's friends to help him."
"Speak to me about this!" murmured McGlory. "That hunch of yours, Matt,is panning out good color already."
"How is he going to fight us, Prebbles?" asked Matt.
"By fixing things so'st you can't exhibit the flying machine at thetime set. If it ain't exhibited then, the government'll back out. Incase Siwash and his pals can't spoil the machine, then their orders areto eliminate Motor Matt. Oh, it's a villainous scheme, I tell you that."
"I guess we can take care of ourselves, Prebbles," averred Matt. "Thefirst train for Totten leaves in the morning, and we're going up onthat. Siwash and his pals can't get there ahead of us, and we'll beable to look after the a?roplane and see that nothing goes wrong withit."
"That's where you're lame," fluttered Prebbles. "Siwash and his palshave already started for Totten."
"Started!" exclaimed Matt. "How?"
"Automobile. That gang of scoundrels will get to Totten in time tocarry out Murg's villainous plans to-night. I've wasted an hour tellin'you this, waitin' for you to get through supper. You see, I couldn'twalk into the hotel and talk to you; everybody would have seen me, andtold Murg about it. Then Murg would have pulled the pin on me."
"What are Siwash and his friends going to do at Totten?" queried Matt,more wrought up over the information of Prebbles than he cared to admit.
"I don't know that, Motor Matt. When they talked over that part of it,they dropped their voices so low I couldn't hear. But you can bet it'sa slick scheme, if Murg had anything to do with it."
"Sufferin' slow freights!" murmured McGlory. "It looks as though Murghad knocked us out of the running right at the start off."
"Prebbles," said Matt, "do you know of any one, here in town, who has agood automobile we could hire?"
"Well, there's a fellow named Black, a real estate man, who has a car.In spite of his name, he's as white a man as you'll find in a month ofSundays. Real estate's kinder dull, just now, and I know he sometimeslets out his car."
"Where does he live?"
"I pass his place on the way to my boarding house. If you want, I'llhave him come around and see you."
"There's not much time to lose, Prebbles, as Siwash and his pals arealready on the road. Call me up on the phone and let me know if he'lltake us to Fort Totten to-night. If he will, have him hustle his carright around to the hotel."
"He'll ask a heap of money for the trip," suggested Prebbles. "How muchare you willing to----"
"Tell him we'll give him fifty dollars if he'll get us to Fort Tottenbefore morning."
"That'll fetch him! I guess I better start right off. You won't tellanybody about me giving Murg away to you? I don't want to have Murgpull the pin, you understand."
"Certainly we won't tell anybody!" answered Matt. "We're obliged toyou, Prebbles, and here's a five-dollar bill to pay you for yourtrouble."
Prebbles drew back from the money.
"You can't make me take that," he declared. "Murg's the only robber inthe loan office. I'd be as bad as him if I took the money. I'm doingthis because I want to be square. They'd kick me out of the army if Itook money for doin' what's right."
"Take this," insisted Matt, "and give it to the mission. You can dothat, can't you?"
"Sure." Prebbles pocketed the money. "I'm off, now," he went on,starting away. "I hope you won't have more trouble than you can takecare of, but you've go
t a hard gang against you. Good-by."
"So long, Prebbles."
The clerk vanished, and Matt and McGlory, their nerves tingling withthe prospect ahead of them, went back into the hotel, and took chairsnear the telephone booth.
Mr. Black himself called up, fifteen minutes later. He was willing totake the boys to Fort Totten that night, for the sum of fifty dollars;his machine was ready, and he'd be at the hotel in five minutes.
"Bully!" exulted McGlory, when Matt came out of the booth and reportedwhat the real estate man had said. "Say, pard," the cowboy added,"you're throwin' your money around like a nabob. At this rate, howlong'll that stake last that you picked up in Madison?"
"Till we pull down that government money on account of the a?roplane,Joe," returned Matt decisively.
"You're banking on that?"
"To the last cent. I'll soon be on the wing, Joe, and making a fightfor fame and fortune. That's got to be a winning fight, in spite ofSiwash Charley and his pals, and in spite of Murgatroyd."
Matt's quiet confidence always inspired confidence in others.
"Whoop!" jubilated McGlory. "You've got a cheery way about you, pard,that's as catchin' as the measles. Sure we'll win; and we'll save theold homestead for Mrs. Traquair like the feller in the play."
Motor Matt on the Wing; or, Flying for Fame and Fortune Page 8