Motor Matt's Race

they were nearly ready for market, then drive them down into Salt River Va

s-lands of the valley. Very little was required to start a panic among them, an

. Even if the sight of the automobile had frightened them, there could be no turning back for the leaders of the herd, pressed as they wer

r. If a tire blew up, or if anything went wrong with the machinery, t

Chub, who was in a good position t

s part. He was on the high speed, and ca

hind!" announced Clip

the frightened herd behind, but was co

clenched teeth, his flashing gray eyes straight ahea

the middle of the road, he was staring back, wondering, no doubt, why the horseman was tearing along at such a rate of speed, and why the red roadster was

or the side of the road. As fate would have it, the road at that point was hemmed in w

oared the cowboy. "I'l

hey realized that if they had insisted on the old man getting

t as frenzied as the steers, gave a wild jump and grabbed saddle-horn and cantle. Under his weight, and the weight of the cowboy, which was temporarily thrown on the same side, the sad

to bring the car almost to a halt while the cowboy was trying to pick u

ped Chub despairingly

ce where Welcome and the cowboy were scrambling to their feet

up abreast of th

shouted Cli

ying leap for the rumble. Clip grabbed one and Chub caught the other. By

an arrow from a bow, on the high speed; then, a second later, he opened the throttle and the s

feel like every minute was goin' to be my next! Slow down a leetle, can't ye? If ye don't we'll be upside down in

d the curves, and leaped like lightning across the straight-away stretches. Matt, cool as a

ng the car out of the hills

wn, now, whenever you please. The cowboys have got ah

gait, and Welcome, with a gasp of

y durin' my hootin', tootin' career, but dadbinged if I ever had a closter call than this here. When I uster ride," he a

at cayuse, Peg-leg, them cattle would hev nipped us, sure. The boss never could hev carried double an' got us out o' the way

e cattle belon

sand in gold ter pay off at the ranch. Got ter git ter the bank by three o'clock, 'r I won't be able ter git the mone

himself, Matt, C

that it's Motor Matt himself that made th

im behind a motor an' you can bet

he one that ketched Dangerfield, the feller that was smugglin' Chinks inter the kentry, an' helped Burke, the Prescott sher'f, wind up

ed as he gave the cowboy

t talked about,

a gal from gittin' run over by a train-almost anythin'll

mself upright by gripping the back of the two front seats. His eyes, traveling along the trail

e, I'm a sinner! I'll be hornswoggled if I ain't playin' in luck, this trip. I'll b

the animal by the bridle. The man had a swarthy face, was roughly dres

keenly, and a muttered exclamation escaped his lips. As

oldering coals, and he w

it strikes me as some remarkable he didn't h'ist himself inter the saddle an' ride off with that hoss. Half-breeds, as a rule,

f the car and walked

e ye've caught up my hoss. He got a

cowboy and then over those in the car, and ste

to ketch um

rgled delightedly as he sprawled himself in Clip's seat

silver dollar o

othes, neighbor," he observed, "but

et. As he drew out his hand, Matt saw something in it that looked like a folded paper-perhaps a note. The half-

d tucked the folded paper into his hand with a quick, stealthy movement, then whirled, left the trail and strode quickly a

e. "They ain't ter be depended on, an' I makes it a

rrulous old man. For the moment Welcome had fo