CHAPTER XI.
A DARING LEAP.
While Matt watched the car an idea darted through his head.
"The way to find out about that auto is to capture it," said he,speaking quickly.
"How you vas going to do dot?" queried Carl. "Oof ve hat der Ret Flieralong, meppy ve could oferhaul der shpook, aber I don'd know vedder itvould be righdt to indulch in any sooch monkey-doodle pitzness. Ven dercar puffs oudt mit itseluf, ve vould puff oudt mit it. Vere you vasgoing, Matt?"
Matt was lowering himself over the top of the steep bank, just aroundthe curve above the cliff road.
"Come on," he called back, "and be careful. This is dangerous work."
Carl was not in a mood to tamper with the white runabout, nor was he ina mood to let Matt do the tampering alone. Sorely against his will, hebegan lowering himself down the steep bank, close beside his chum.
"Vy dis iss, anyvay?" he asked. "Vat a regless pitzness! Oof ve loseholdt oof somet'ing, ve vould fall in der roadt, undt meppy scoodrighdt ofer der roadt und go down vere Verral ditn't go."
"Hang on, Carl, that's the thing to do," returned Matt.
"Yah, you bed you I hang on! I don'd vant to fall py China und makesome visits mit der Chings. I vouldn't enchoy dot, as I vould be all inbieces. Aber for vy iss dis, Matt? Vy you do dot?"
As they worked their way down the desperate slope, hanging to stuntedbushes and projecting rocks, Matt explained.
"The white runabout may be going to Lamy," said he, "but I hardly thinkit would show up in the town like that----"
"Id vould schare der peobles oudt oof deir vits oof it dit!" puffedCarl. "Wow!" he fluttered, making a slip and only saving himself afall by grabbing a bush with both hands. "A leedle more, Matt, und youvouldn't haf hat no Dutch bard."
"But it's my opinion," pursued Matt, completely wrapped up in the workin hand, "that the runabout is going to make the turn, just as it didlast night, and come back toward La Vita Place along the cliff road."
"Vy it do dot foolishness, hey?"
"Give it up. Perhaps we'll know all about it before long. Find a goodplace, about six feet above the road, and hang on."
"Yah, you bed my life I don'd ged indo der roadt oof der shpook pubbleiss coming. I vould haf to ged oudt oof der vay, und meppy I vould goofer der edge like vat Verral dit, und you couldn't haf some ropes tohelup me oudt. I vas fixed all righdt, Matt."
Carl had planted himself on a good foothold and was clinging to astunted bush. Matt was on a level with him and a little to one side.
"Listen!" cried Matt.
It was impossible, of course, for the boys to see around the shoulderof the cliff, but a low murmuring sound reached their ears, growingquickly in volume.
"Dot's it!" said Carl excitedly; "she vas coming, I bed you! She villgo py righdt unter us, und ve can look down und see vat ve can see,vich von't be nodding. Aber I vish dot I vas some odder blace as here.Oof dot----"
Carl broke off his talk. Just then the white car came spinning aroundthe curve.
What Motor Matt was intending to do Carl hadn't the least notion, buthe was pretty sure it must be something reckless.
The car was nearly upon them when Motor Matt, a resolute gleam in hisgray eyes, loosened his hold on the rocks. Carl's shock of tow-coloredhair began to stand up like porcupine bristles. Something was about tohappen, and he caught his breath.
Then something _did_ happen, and the Dutch boy got back his breath witha rush.
"Look a leedle oudt!" yelled Carl, as Motor Matt made a quick jump forthe phantom auto.
It was a daring leap--so daring that Carl hung to his bush with bothhands and expected to see his chum either miss the machine altogetheror else carom off the opposite side, bound into the road, and gohurtling into the chasm.
But Matt was too athletic, his nerves were too steady, and his eyes tookeen for that.
Carl saw him land in the front of the white runabout in a heap. He wasthrown violently against the seat, and then went sprawling against thedash. The runabout slewed dangerously, and something like a squeal camefrom somewhere.
"Ach, chincher," panted Carl; "he vas some goners! I don'd nefer expectto see Motor Matt alife any more! Donnervetter! Vy he do dot?"
Quickly as he could, Carl dropped into the road.
"Matt!" he called, whirling about and looking in the direction thewhite car had been going.
Then he staggered back against the rocks.
The auto had disappeared and taken Motor Matt along with it!
Carl's nerves were in rags. He didn't know what to do. Possessed withthe notion that Matt had faded into nothing along with the spook car,he turned and began running the other way.
He stopped suddenly, however. Matt was his pard, and to run away fromhim like that was something Carl knew he ought not to do. But was herunning away from Matt? If Matt had been snuffed into nothing with thecar, how could he be running away from him?
This was all foolish, of course, but Carl was so upset he wasn'thimself.
He stopped his running, however, and came stealthily back, staring onall sides of him with eyes like saucers.
"Now vat I vas going to do?" he groaned. "Dere don'd vas a ModorMatt any more, und dere iss der Red Flier, pack along der roadt, undVerral, und sooch a mess as I can't dell at der La Fita Blace. Ach,himmelblitzen!"
Carl, overcome by the dark outlook, sank down on the rocks and coveredhis face with his hands.
Near him the face of the cliff was covered with a growth of bushes andtrailing vines.
Suddenly Carl heard a voice that lifted him to his feet as though aspring had been released under him.
It was his name! Somebody had called his name, and it sounded likeMatt's voice.
"Vot it iss?" demanded Carl, a spasm of hope running through him.
"Come here!"
Carl looked all around, but without seeing where he was to go.
"Iss dot you, Matt?" he asked.
"Sure."
"Vere you vas, den? How you t'ink I come py you oof I don'd know dot?Chiminy grickets, aber dis iss keveer!"
"I'm inside the cliff," Matt answered. "Push through the bushes."
Carl stepped in front of the trailing vines and brush.
"Iss it all righdt?" he quavered.
"Come on, come on," called Matt impatiently.
Carl pushed the bushes and vines aside, revealing a wide clear spacewhich had been completely masked by the foliage. The ground, breakingin a level stretch from the cliff road, led smoothly away into the verybosom of the cliff.
Still dubious, Carl pushed slowly on into the darkness. The vines fellback behind him and the parted bushes snapped across the opening.
"I can't see nodding!" he wailed.
"Come straight ahead," said Matt reassuringly. "I'm only a little waysoff, and the car is here, too."
"Iss der shpook in der car?"
Matt laughed.
"We'll settle this spook business in short order," said he.
Carl reached the car, and felt Matt's hand guiding him around the side.
"How you shtop der pubble, Matt?" faltered Carl.
"I didn't stop it; somebody else did that."
At that moment a muffled voice called:
"Get in de car, sahib! We go on to de daylight."
Carl gave a jump and grabbed hold of Matt.
"Who iss dot?" he fluttered.
"We'll find out before we're many minutes older," said Matt. "Get in,Carl."
Assisted by Matt, Carl got into one of the seats, while Matt climbedinto the other.
"All ready," announced Matt, in a loud voice.
Instantly a glow from the acetylene lamps flooded the gloom ahead.The boys could see a rocky tunnel, wide and high, leading straight onthrough the heart of the cliff.
"Ach!" chattered Carl. "Ve go py kingdom come now, I bed you."
"Hardly that," laughed Matt. "We're bound for daylight once more. Waitand watch."
Swiftly and surely the white ca
r glided on. Presently the boys sawtrailing vines and bushes ahead of them, similar to the screen at theother end of the tunnel.
_Snap!_ Off went the lights. Then, with startling suddenness, theybrushed through the screen and were once more in the broad light of day.
The gully lay before them, and when they had reached the center of itthe car came to a halt.
"Vouldn't dot knock you shlab-sitet?" murmured Carl wonderingly. "Invone door und oudt der odder! Ach, blitzen, und den some! Aber who vasdot vat shpoke in der tark?"
"Here's where we find out," rejoined Matt, leaping down.
Carl likewise gained the ground. As he did so, the deck of the car,behind the seats, lifted slowly until it lay wide in an uprightposition.
Then a form slowly rose, a form with a chocolate-colored face, the headcrowned with a white turban. Jumping from the boxlike recess in therear of the car, the form stretched itself and salaamed.
"You surprise', sahib? Ah, ha!"
Motor Matt's Clue; or, The Phantom Auto Page 11