The Motor Scout

cycle clattering its way through the main street with some risk to the dogs, poultry, and small boys who had been lazily disporting themselves there. It was not the

oad, maintaining its equilibrium with obvious difficulty. Children and women shrieked; the men leaning against the walls took their cigars from their lips and gasped; and the noise of

was in desperate distress. His head was bare; his swarthy cheeks were shining with perspiration; his eyes rolled with fright; and his fat hands were clasped about the waist of the boy in the saddle with the convulsive grip of a man clinging fo

hos; rough-clad muleteers; bare-legged Indian children. The rider waved his hand and grinned at a stripling who ran, pen in hand, from an office, to see the cause of the uproar, and smilingly watched the bicycle as it bowled along over the cobbles of the plaza, with much clamorous outcry from

y maidservant, a "broth of a boy." As a small boy he had been in frequent scrapes, and a cause of bewilderment and trouble to the grave householders of the town. More than once they had politely complained to Mr. O'Hagan of his escapades: scrambling over their roofs, hunting for lost balls in their gardens without much regard for their carefully tended flower-beds, and engaging in many other nimbl

zement. And when, on his sixteenth birthday, his father surrendered to his importunities, and presented him with a motor-bicycle, there were not wanting many who foretold that young Tim would sooner or later break his neck. Tim lau

fun, and the shaggy head that scorned hats and defied sunstroke. The Peruvian ladies would have made a pet of him if he would have allowed them; and their husbands,

the clatter of the engine. Elderly ladies crossed themselves and drew their mantillas closer as they saw him flashing by, and the authorities of San Rosario were thinking of framing a bye-law for the

al capital, when he caught sight of the gobernador, Se?or José Fagasta, ambling ahead on his mule in the homeward direction. In half a minute he overtook the magistrate, and being always very sociably inclined, and havi

own little township, and it was not long before he co

oung friend," h

ught, se?or?

ey soon will be

trains of pack-mules on the roads. Tim, like many another honest boy, felt a sneaking admiration for these lawless adventurers, and was not wholly displeased that they had hitherto defied all attempts t

to be done, s

hey sent for me to-day at San Juan, and I have had a long consultation with his excellency the

ernador's tone, and he looked at Tim wi

octor, se?or?" asked Ti

"I will hunt them down; I will catch them; I shall have no mercy on them, and they will find that such villainy is not to be allowed to go unpunished within twenty miles of Se?or Doctor José Fagasta. I am a man of

r's vigorous words, and fascinated by the shining weapon that peepe

perado. We shall catch them, and bring them in irons to the town. We shall give them a fair trial, a

im, as the magistrate

silence between the two, Tim conjuring up the anticipated scene, a

ED BY

ry out; but now the gobernador raised his voice in horrified protest, and Tim regained his wits and took stock of the situation. The men were attired in ragged tunics and breeches, with sashes about their waists, and feathered hats of varied hue. They were swarthy wild-eyed fellows; mestizos--men of mixed Spanish and Indian blood; and Tim knew at a glance that

thing to do with you. Ta

ind. It was clear that nothing could be done for the gobernador; the brigands had him at their mercy; and Tim considered that there was nothing to be gained by remaining. Indeed, it must be confessed that he was a good deal afraid of these

rivate life, had always struck Tim as a ridiculous, pompous kind of person in his public capacity. But it seemed rather mean to ride away and leave the magistrate to his fate. There was not time to reach the town and bring back help; he could not himself do anything for the gobern

s furnished with a silencer, it did not run so quietly as not to be heard. He had made up his mind to retrace his path on foot, and see for himself what had happened. It was a long tramp uphill in the heat

the capture he found that it was deserted. Nobody was in sight. He looked this way and that, and stooped to the ground to see if he could discover by their footmarks the direction in which the bri

d recollections of fairy stories, in which ogres had carried human be

, less musical. Somehow it reminded Tim of the gobernador's speeches on great occasions in the plaza, He left the path, still on his guard, and scouted to the right among the trees, fro

of the brigands being in sight, he ran to the tree, removed the gag altogether, slit the cords about the se?or's limbs, and

laimed, wriggling.

ere was another hug, but Tim evaded the kiss. "Tell me!"

said Tim. "You had b

ot accustomed to walking. I shall fa

se?or. If you can manage to walk to that you ca

he machine; till then I am not safe. Hasten, my son. I have not walked a mi

gait of a sailor. Every now and then he stopped to rest and recover breath, and as at these mome

ce, "you have laid a debt upon me which a

l," said Tim. "You would h

veins. In Spain I might call myself Don José de Fagasta; in republics, alas! the

nt of noble blood must by this time have become a prett

hed the town, and terrified him with apprehension of sunstroke. It must be confessed that the spirit of mischief was now fully awake in Tim. Every sigh, every ejaculation of the stout gentleman behind him gave him a thrill of joy. As they approached the town the gober

wn now, se?or," he said. "You'll be ho

entered his house

o explain this strange occurrence. Do not reveal the cause. I do not co

my father, se

iscretion is perfect. Not a

r. But won't peo

of San Rosario. I shall explain to them that I felt an urgent need, a positive passion,

" said Tim with twinkling eyes. "And now, of cour

t I am gobernador of San