Chapter XVI

MATT TAKES TOWNSEND'S ADVICE.

Townsend was on the road to rapid recovery. He was feeling a hundred per cent. better than he had been when Matt and his pards left him, two days previously, and if it had been possible to use his lame foot he would have been up and around.

He was not surprised to see Motor Matt and his friends, because he had expected Matt to make the trip to Turtle Key and back in safety; but he was surprised to see Cassidy enter his room with the young motorist.

"What's this?" cried Townsend, hoisting up on his elbow and staring at Cassidy. "Is that you, Cassidy?"

"Big as life, cap'n," grinned Cassidy.

"Where'd you come from?"

"From the Grampus."

"And where's the Grampus?"

"Layin' off the town."

"Did you get her away from Jurgens?"

"Motor Matt was the one that got her away from Jurgens."

Townsend fell back on his pillow and centred his attention on Matt.

"There's a yarn back of all this, if I'm any prophet," said Townsend, "and for two days I've been hungry to have some one talk to me. Here's your chance, King."

Matt seated himself by the bedside and proceeded to relate the experiences through which he and his friends had recently passed.

Townsend listened with rapt interest. Not a word escaped him, and occasionally he asked a question to bring out some point which Matt had not made quite clear.

When Matt had finished there followed an interval of silence. Townsend did not seem to be greatly impressed, despite the intense interest he had shown while the narrative was going forward.

"Nothing so very wonderful about all that," said Townsend, presently, "when you consider who was playing the chief part in the game. It's just about what I should expect of Motor Matt. I'm sorry for the trouble you had with the air ship, Matt, and shall consider myself under obligations to make up to you any extra expense you may incur in getting the Hawk back into shape. When I hired you to take me to Turtle Key I had no intention of allowing you to run the risk of losing the Hawk.

"And the Man from Cape Town told the truth, after all! I hadn't the least idea that there was a vestige of truth in that wild yarn of his. The iron chest has been found, but what we discover in the chest is liable to be another matter. I doubt if there is anything in it of any value; nevertheless, I am bound by promise to take the chest to New Orleans and open it in the presence of a certain lady there whose name was given me by the Unknown. It looks like a lot of foolishness, to me, but I've started the game and will have to go through with it. I'm very sorry," and here a heavy frown crossed Townsend's face, "that Jurgens got away from the island. The other men will be transferred from the Grampus to the jail, here, and they will be dealt with according to law, but it is the ringleader we ought to have. How do you think he managed to escape from that island, Matt?"

"He must have got away in a boat," replied Matt, "although where Jurgens and Whistler got the boat is something of a puzzle."

"Well, the two scoundrels have gone, and justice will be cheated for a while longer; but, mark me, sooner or later their time will come. And I have an idea, Matt, that you and I will be concerned, in some manner, with the final act of their vicious careers. What will you do now?"

"Repair the Hawk and go back to Atlantic City."

"Can you repair the Hawk here?"

"Easily."

"Then why go back to Atlantic City?"

Matt stared at Townsend.

"That's a good place to make money," said he, "and the Hawk has become quite popular at the resort."

"It won't be so popular from now on, mark what I say."

"Why not, Mr. Townsend?"

"Why, because people will learn how the gas bag sprung a leak and nearly caused you and your friends to lose your lives. That is what will injure the Hawk's popularity. If you return to Atlantic City people will be afraid to make any ascensions with you. Can't you see how it will be?"

There seemed to be a good deal of logic in Townsend's remarks, although Matt thought he was a little too comprehensive in saying that everybody would be afraid of the Hawk.

"We'll show the people," declared Matt, "that the Hawk is perfectly safe."

"We can explain," put in Dick, "that we ran into a tree and made a hole in the bag. That ought to show people that the accident wasn't the Hawk's fault."

"It ought to," insisted Townsend, "but it won't. People don't stop to make any fine discriminations in such matters, and if an accident happened to the Hawk once, they will argue, it's liable to happen again. Now, I want to give you some advice, Matt, and if you follow it you will profit by it. Cassidy and I, together with Burke and Harris, are going to leave here this afternoon in the Grampus for New Orleans. I can be carried down to the boat, and I will feel a heap better in the Grampus than I will in this hotel. In two or three days we will be in New Orleans. While we are making the journey, you and your friends, Matt, will be here, getting the air ship in shape. My advice to you is this: Don't leave Palm Beach until you hear from me. I have a scheme floating around in my brain and I am going to telegraph you just as soon as it takes a little more form so I will know just what I want to do, and to have you do.

"That's my advice. Stay here until you get word from me. That's all I'm going to tell you, and you and your friends can take the advice, or leave it, just as you think best. But if you don't take it, you will live to regret it."

This was odd talk for Mr. Townsend. First he tried to discourage Matt and his friends from returning to Atlantic City, and now he was seeking to keep them in Palm Beach for an indefinite period.

But all the boys had confidence in Townsend. Each of them believed that he was planning something for their benefit, and they were disposed to do as he suggested.

Townsend took his departure from Palm Beach just as he said he would do. Bearing the iron chest with him, he took the Grampus and started for New Orleans.

Meanwhile, Matt and Carl and Dick got busy with the Hawk. The craft was put together again, the motor replaced, the envelope repaired, and in two days everything was in readiness for a return to Atlantic City—if the boys chose to go there.

"Vat do you subbose id iss dot Misder Downsent vants mit us?" asked Carl.

"Give it up, matey," answered Ferral. "I can't smoke his weather roll, but, all the same, I give him credit for meaning well."

"Shall we wait here any longer," inquired Matt, "or start back to Atlantic City? Time means money to us, you know, and the longer we wait, the more we lose—that is, if we don't intend to follow Mr. Townsend's advice."

"It's one too many for me, matey," said Ferral. "You're the longest-headed chap in the bunch, and suppose Carl and I leave the decision entirely with you?"

"If that's the way you feel," laughed Matt, "we'll stay right here and give Townsend all the chance he wants to communicate with us."

Two days after this conference, a telegram came from New Orleans. It was addressed to Matt, signed by Townsend, and read as follows:

"Come to New Orleans at once, and come in the Hawk. I need your aid, and am willing and able to pay for it."

"Dot's righdt to der point, und no misdake!" chuckled Carl. "'I vant your aid und am villing to pay for it.' Dere's no gedding aroundt dot, eh?"

"Hardly," laughed Ferral. "What are we going to do, Matt?"

"Do as the telegram says and start for New Orleans immediately," returned Matt.

"Iss dere any vay ve can go dere mitoudt trafeling ofer der ocean?" asked Carl, with signs of trepidation.

"Sure there is, Carl," said Ferral. "I wouldn't go myself if we had to travel across the Gulf of Mexico. But we don't have to. We can follow the land around."

The start was made that afternoon, and, although this following of Townsend's advice led Motor Matt and his friends into experiences as novel as they were dangerous, yet none of them ever regretted taking the trip around the Gulf coast to the Crescent City.

THE END.

THE NEXT NUMBER (13) WILL CONTAIN

Motor Matt's Queer Find;

OR,

THE SECRET OF THE IRON CHEST.

The Hut by the Bayou—Yamousa—The Attack On the Car—Smoke-pictures—A Queer Find—Foul Play—Dried Frogs, and Luck—The Plotters—The Head of Obboney—On the Trail—A Black Mystery—At Close Quarters—Three in a Trap—An Astounding Situation—The Treasure—Diamonds Galore.

MOTOR STORIES

THRILLING ADVENTUREMOTOR FICTION

NEW YORK, May 15, 1909.

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