ENEMIES TO BE FEARED.
As Matt fell his head struck against the gunwale of the boat. His
senses did not leave him entirely, but he was stunned for a few moments
and rendered incapable of doing anything in his own defense. Before he
recovered sufficiently to struggle with his assailants the two men had
found a rope and had lashed his hands.
"Now for his feet, Kinky," said Ross. "This is a haul I wasn't
expectin', although we might have figured it out, I guess, if we'd had
time to think things over."
Matt kicked out with his feet in a desperate attempt to overturn Kinky,
and, perhaps, leap upright and jump ashore.
"He's a fighter, all right," snarled Ross. "Here, I'll hold him while
you finish the job."
With hands bound and two men to secure his ankles, resistance was worse
than useless. When the binding was done, and Matt was lying helpless,
he had a chance to study the faces of his captors while Kinky was
relighting the lantern.
Ross' talk had already given Matt an inkling of the two men's identity.
The gleam from the lantern left no doubt about their being Big John's
pals.
Matt was not surprised that the two rascals should be in that part of
the country. They and Big John were birds of a feather, and it was
quite natural that all three should flock together. What did surprise
Matt, however, was the fact that Kinky and Ross should be in that
particular place, and have laid their plans to capture him.
"Surprise party, eh?" queried Ross. "You weren't expectin' to meet a
couple of old friends, eh, Motor Matt? Oh, you're not so much. You're
cracked up pretty high, but I reckon you're not any brighter than the
rest of us. Wonder if you've got ten thousand about you that we could
borrow for a while?"
"You're after that money," said Matt, "and you're fooled. You won't get
it, and neither will Big John. It has been in Mr. Lorry's hands ever
since noon. You didn't think I'd bring ten thousand dollars back with
me in cash, did you? The money was in the form of a draft, payable to
Mr. Lorry, and it wouldn't have benefited you or Big John any if you
had stolen it."
"That's luck for old Lorry, then," answered Ross, pushing his hand into
Matt's pockets. "Here's a roll," he added, drawing some bills out of
Matt's vest. "It's hardly big enough for the ten thousand, but I reckon
we'll have to be satisfied with what we can get."
"If you take that," said Matt, "you'll be in trouble with the law
before you're many hours older. So far as San Francisco is concerned,
I'm willing to let bygones be bygones; but if you take my money I'll do
everything I can to have you caught."
Kinky seemed nervous. Ross, however, was reckless and in an evil temper.
"We'll _not_ get ourselves into trouble," he flared. "By the time we're
through with you, my hearty, there won't be anybody to make us trouble."
Ross brought out his flask again and helped himself liberally to its
contents.
"Here," he said, extending the flask toward Kinky.
"I guess I've had enough," demurred Kinky.
"Take it, you fool!" cried Ross; "you'll need it before we're done with
this night's work."
Not until that moment did Motor Matt realize that here were two
enemies who were seriously to be feared. He had thought, when he
recognized his captors, that they had merely made a prisoner of him in
the hope of securing the ten thousand dollars, but now he realized that
there was something more villainous, perhaps more murderous, back of
their scheming.
Liquor arouses the evil passions of men and makes them ripe for deeds
they would not think of committing when in their sober senses. Kinky
and Ross were partly intoxicated. Kinky was the less desperate of the
two villains, mainly because he was the more cowardly.
Matt hardened himself to face whatever might be coming.
"You'd better think well about this, Ross," said he. "All you've got to
do to keep clear of the law is to return my money, set me at liberty,
and take yourselves off. I'll forget what you've done, and what
happened in San Francisco Bay----"
"That's more than we'll do, you young cub," scowled Ross. "You hadn't
any notion I followed you all the way from 'Frisco, on the same train,
had you? You didn't know I got off the train at Waunakee, when you got
off, and that I trailed you and your two friends to that cabin in the
woods, eh? And I don't believe, when you and your pards were talking in
that cabin, that you had any notion I was hanging around and listening.
But I was. I knew one of you was to go into town this morning with
the money for old Lorry, so it was me that put Big John wise and had
him waiting for you on the road. But do you think I rigged myself out
in different clothes and followed you clear from 'Frisco just in the
hope of getting that money? You're wrong if you do think that. I was
after something else--and that was to _play even_. It's a habit of mine
always to settle my accounts. Big John works differently--but I'm not
responsible for what he does, or doesn't do. When I lay out a course
and take the bit in my teeth, nothing can stop me."
There was a short silence.
"But, I say, Ross," began Kinky in faint protest, "you don't intend
to----"
"Wait till I ask you to talk," cut in Ross. "You can bobble more in
your conversation than any man I ever knew."
"Do you know where my two friends are?" queried Matt. "You know who I
mean--young Lorry and McGlory."
"We don't know where they are. I don't object to telling you if that
will make you any easier in your mind."
"Where's the colored boy that was here with the boat?"
"I played spook and scared him out. He's on the way to Madison, and
is hitting only the high places. Is this the old _Sprite_ you used in
'Frisco Bay?"
"Yes."
"Glad to know it. She'll go up in smoke before we're done with her."
Ross' veiled hints of what he was going to do did not bother Matt very
much. He had a hearty contempt for a boaster--even a desperate boaster
of Ross' stamp.
The scoundrel was in a communicative mood, and many points which had
been dark to Matt were being cleared away.
"What has Big John done," Matt asked, "to get Mr. Lorry down on me?"
Ross laughed huskily.
"How do I know?" he answered. "Big John is about as sly as they make
'em. I didn't know he'd done anything to get Lorry down on you--didn't
think he'd have the nerve to go near Lorry. You got away from that pal
of ours?"
"Yes."
"Then I wish John was here with us. He's probably as mad as a hornet
over losing that money, and would make a better stand-by than Kinky."
"I never go back on a pal," expanded Kinky, "but I think a pal ought to
be sensible and not kick up too big a row for his own good."
"You'll find the row plenty big enough if you go too far," warned Matt,
speaking for Kinky's especial benefit.
Kinky stirred uneasily.
"It's a case," declared Ross, "where we've got to go as far as we can.
That's what'll make it safe for us. Kinky and me have been loafing in
the woods all day. We were not to report to Big John until to-night.
It's safer for us, you understand, to get together at night than at any
other time."
Matt had been working desperately at the cord that bound his hands. The
cord was drawn tight and firmly knotted, and his efforts had not met
with much success.
Ross suddenly detected him in his work, and, with an oath, jerked him
over and looked at the rope.
"That's enough of that," he said sternly. "Suppose you do get rid of
the rope, how'll it help you? You lay still and be quiet, that's your
cue."
"What are we going to do, Ross?" inquired Kinky nervously.
"You're going up on the bank and cast off the painter," returned Ross.
"I don't think you're any too steady on your feet, so be careful."
"What do you want me to cast off the painter for? We've got a boat of
our own, and we don't need this."
"I'm engineerin' this deal, Kinky," said Ross sharply. "Do as I say, or
else take to the woods and let me do it alone."
Kinky got up and staggered ashore. Although he worked awkwardly, yet
he finally succeeded in releasing the painter and throwing the rope
aboard. Then he scrambled back into the boat himself.
Ross, meanwhile, had been starting the engine. He proceeded in a way
that proved he had some knowledge of motors.
Turning the _Sprite_, Ross sent her slowly toward the mouth of the
creek, peering sharply ahead as they moved through the water.
"There she is," muttered Ross, shutting off the power.
As the _Sprite_ came to a halt, Ross reached over the side and caught
the gunwale of another boat.
"We'll tow our boat behind, Kinky," announced Ross. "Climb into her and
make sure the oars are safe inboard, then fasten her painter to the
stern of the _Sprite_."
This rather difficult operation was safely accomplished, and then,
with the rowboat in tow, the launch glided out of the creek into the
Catfish, and down the Catfish toward Fourth Lake.
How was that voyage to end for Motor Matt?