Motor Matt's Mystery; or, Foiling a Secret Plot

oing here?" dem

our car," r

have you b

of the

hing happ

words and glared. Matt w

s all right. You see, Mr. Tomlinson, there's no lock on the door, and I was worried a little. It was well I cam

ght?" demanded Tomlinson, peer

ainly

a good look a

way on their horses before I had

looking for the letter. Evidently he made up his mind that Matt knew nothing about his night visit to the barn, and it seemed equa

the machine might be tampered with, an

f it, Mr. Tomlins

t the car myself, and came out here, during the evening. I saw no one around, though,

the men who tried to hol

uld they have i

ht have wanted to injure the c

n shook

ct. Well," he added briskly, "it doesn't much matter. We'll get away from Ash Fork in le

?" Matt inquired, as they

son; "almost as good as e

the night

elessly, but it was clear to Matt that the question

a man named Pringle were doing a turn in vaudeville. Pringle got out between two d

"Well, he helped me, and I'm glad

otel office. He seemed surprised to see Matt and the owner of the ca

grip which contained all his reserve wardrobe, packed his bundle of laundry away in it and stowe

"jeerful" than he had been for a long time, occupied the seat on Matt's left. Matt was not familiar with the road, but Tomlinson furn

Tomlinson, braced in a corner of the tonneau, broache

ked up by a La Paz Mexican, who brought them into Yuma. Hearing that I was in Yuma, the Mexican came to me and offered the pearls for sale. I bought them at a bargain. I asked you to say nothing about the pearls in As

property around with you in this part of

do," the other answered, "hence m

to Denver by express, after yo

eemed to surpr

uppose," he answered

d to Ash Fork, I should think you would have got the pearls

is car," said Tomlinson sharply, "and not to

elf felt like grinning, for he was putting these questions for a purpose. Tomlinson's ans

skirted the foot of a mountain. According to the road-map, the c

ber. Carl, stealing a covert look behind, now and then, saw that

d I think it would be well to let the car out. A better pl

s mouth when a thumping of hoof

re!" yelled a

uch-hats and blue flannel shirts. It was plain that they had ridden into the road fro

au. "Those are two of the men who tried to rob me before!

no attempt to shoot. They spurred wildly, and slapped their horses with their hats, but, of course, a six-

re the same men who had been prowling about the barn the night before. He judged that they were, and he

g for the point of the mountain, Tomlinson leaned ov

g! I'm going t

ff the power and clamping on the brake. "I

lows are after me, and I ought to have kept right on with these pearls and not laid o

querie

und to the other side of the mo

ed slope to a place where the

hrough the gap myself, and you pull up and wait for me after you get a mile beyond the gap on the other side. Understand? That's the only way we can fool those fellows. If we turn back toward Ash Fork, they'll get me, and if I stay in the car and go around the end of the mountain the result

at Carl fo

to habben, dis trip, so it iss pedder dot ve take efery

ed with the car," muttered Matt. "He has some hard climbing ahead of him, for

ook the spark without cranking, and the boys rolled on around

gged stones and it would have been impossible for the car to

the slope, but it was easy to keep an eye on the gap and calculat

efore that point would be reached, and he let the ca

adway before he shut off the gasoli

d Carl; "dose fellers

such a manner as to fall across it at right angles, making it impossible for the car to proceed. It w

y this move, Motor Matt leaped down from his se