Motor Matt's Race

tor Matt's scared, an' I never thought ye w

en miles out of the city of Ph?nix. The vehicle had the usual two seats in fro

. On his left were Chub McReady and Tom Clipperton, sitting sideways and wedged into their places like sardines

sent in the custody of McKibben, the sheriff. It had been used for lawless work by its original owners, and had falle

3, "Motor Matt's 'Century' Ru

"exercise" whenever he felt like it. Directly after dinner, that day, they had started from the McReady home

been given the rumble-seat. He was standing up most of the time, however, leaning ov

anything about the machine that was new to him. His constant clamor was for more speed, and Matt had no intention of taki

red to death, Welcome, if Matt put on full speed and hit only a high place here and there. Sit down an'

own on me, Chub McReady, if I want to talk. Go on," he added to Matt; "pul

come's knowledge. Chub l

ransmission an' short-circuit the spark-plug. Give Welcome all he wants! M

t belong to you, fellows," said Matt

e're going fast enough.

n't goin' any faster'n this. This here ottermobill is an ole turtle. I hadn't ort ter brag about it, but when I was young an' lawless, I

y for hold-ups, either,

orted Welcome, "but I didn't use no otter

Clip. "Couldn't have gone that

added, "an' advance the spark a couple o' feet? If y'ain't, I'm goin' to git out an' wa

ouldn't do to put the clutch on the cylinders, for I'd strip the gear;

more about these here ottermobill's in a minit than some fellers knows in a year. B

ide. The next instant Welcome had leaned far over, gripped t

put them on the high with a jump, an

e to see Welcome sail out of the rumble, turn a half somers

of the machine having made them grab each other, and t

t the lever to an upright position

ithin one of putting the lot of us overboard. If he had two good leg

ry," said Matt, "we'll make him walk, anyway. I won't allow any o

he acted as though he were dazed; then he slowly gathered i

d. "Ye done it a-pur

ou think of that

ye didn't break my neck, 'r somethin'. I hit the trail harder'n a brick house, an' if I wa

've got to keep still and keep away from

red up my lawlessness a-plenty, an' I'm goin' to hide out beside the road an' hold up the Montezuma stage when it comes through. Ye'll hear about it to-night, in

ering to himself, the old man started

. "He wants us to coax him to get back in; let'

anybody, "we'll lag along into the hills for a mile or two, and then

le. The machine took the spark without c

p in the rumble and waving his hand. "Tell Susie, whe

t the way he stabbed the ground wit

ft the car the boys met a horseman riding at speed in t

s a stampede on, an' a thousand head o' cattle aire tearin' this way lik

ys. The cowboy's manner, quite as mu

n both sides by high, steep ground. This made a sort of chute of the road, so that

dashed on. At that moment a rumble of falling hoofs reached the ears of the b

quick!" w

eady brain, was already manipulating the red roadster, backing and fo

around the base of a hill where the road descr

the back stretch the cattle began