CHAPTER XIV.
IN THE NICK OF TIME.
There was no road-bed under the wheels of the white runabout, but, forall that, the earth was firm, although rilled, at irregular distances,with little sandy ridges. The car, being light, seemed fairly to leapover these small rises.
The Hindu had to hang to his seat with both hands in order to keep frombeing hurled out of the car. His turban was jolted down over his eyes,and after he had tried to knock it back into place half a dozen times,he flung it down on the floor of the car.
"We come close, closer!" he breathed, leaning forward in his seat andpeering steadily at the big touring-car. "Naboob sahib be big mad atdis. We save Dick sahib!"
Matt could see that they were rapidly overhauling the Red Flier, but,as he measured the gain, he knew they would have only a scant margin,at best, if they kept Ferral and the car from shooting into the chasm.
Flinging across the road a dozen feet behind the Flier, Matt broughtthe runabout closer on that side.
"I'm going to jump from this car to the other one, Tippoo," he shouted,"as soon as we get where I can do it. The minute I jump, you be sureand grab the steering-wheel and take care of the runabout. Understand?"
"_Jee_, sahib!"
Ferral was able to twist his head around and keep track of the gallantrace the runabout was making. He must have been astounded to see thewhite car, with Matt and the Hindu, trailing after him.
"You're coming, mate!" he yelled. "Let 'er out for all she's worth! Thebrink of the precipice is right ahead!"
Matt was aware of their nearness to the abyss. A few rods farther andthey would be at the turn of the road. The touring-car, of course,being lashed to run on a straight line, would plunge to destructionunless halted.
With a final spurt, Matt drove the runabout abreast of the Red Flier.The two cars were now running side by side, and not a second could belost if Matt was to transfer himself to the Flier in time to be of anyassistance to Ferral.
As he took his hands from the wheel, Tippoo leaned sideways and grippedthe rim. For an instant Matt was poised on the foot-board, steadyinghimself by holding to the seat. A moment more and he had thrown himselfacross the gap between the two cars.
It was his second daring leap for that day, but this jump was moredangerous than the other one, for, if he had slipped, he would havehad two cars to reckon with, instead of one. Both cars were racingfuriously, and the Red Flier, with no hand to hold it, was taking allinequalities of the road and plunging and swaying as it rushed onward.
But Motor Matt never put his mind to anything that he did notaccomplish. Ferral drew back in the seat to give him every chance, andMatt sprawled with a jar that made the car shiver from crank to taillight.
Whether he was hurt or not did not appear. In a flash he was up,cutting off the power and bearing down on the emergency-brake.
It was a stop such as Matt hated to make, for fear of wrenching themachinery, but it was either that or go over into the chasm. As itwas, the Red Flier ran across the curve and quivered to a halt, withthe front wheels on the very brink. Matt and Ferral, from their seats,could look over the hood and down into the dizzy, swirling depths below.
Ferral's face was white as death, and he relaxed backward, limp andgasping. Matt backed the Flier away, and turned around, then drew hisknife from his pocket and cut the ropes that bound Ferral.
"Who did this, Dick?" he asked huskily.
"Two of my cousin's friends," replied Ferral, drawing his hands aroundin front of him and rubbing his chafed wrists. "Toss us your fin! Whatyou've done this day, messmate, Dick Ferral will never forget."
A shiver ran through him as he gripped Matt's hand.
"The murderous scoundrels!" muttered Matt, his eyes flashing.
"They didn't mean it to be as bad as it was, I'll have to give 'emcredit for that. They had about three tots of grog aboard, and aimedonly to run the flugee into the rocks and stave it in. They didn't knowabout that jumping-off place, or else they'd forgotten about it."
"It's bad enough, all right. No matter if the Flier had only smashedinto the rocks, you might have been killed, tied as you are. Theysneaked up on you, back there in that patch of timber?"
"Aye, and it was all my fault. I was mooning, and that gave them achance. If they hadn't caught me from behind, I could have bested thetwo of them, for they had been topping the gaff strong. I was careless,Matt, and you might have lost the machine on account of it."
"Bother the machine, old fellow! It was you that brought my heart inmy throat. In a pinch like that, it's the man that counts, not themachinery he happens to have along with him."
"Right-o! If there hadn't been a whole man in that white car, I mightas well have been sewed in a hammock and slipped from a grating, with ahundred-pound shot at my pins."
Tippoo had halted the runabout and had watched with wide eyes whileMatt made his hair-raising jump and stopped the big car. He now leapeddown from the runabout and hurried to Ferral. Catching one of hishands, he bowed over and pressed it to his temples.
"Sink me, but the fix I was in fair hid the curious part of therescue," went on Ferral. "Where'd you get hold of Tippoo, Matt? And howdid you come to have the white car handy?"
In a few words Matt straightened out the situation so it was clear toFerral.
"I'm a Fiji, Matt," breathed Ferral, "if you ain't chain-lightning whenit comes to doing things. Tippoo, where's Uncle Jack?"
"Me no say, Dick sahib," answered Tippoo, dodging the question.
"You can tell me whether he's dead or alive, can't you?" roared Ferral.
"Me no say, Dick sahib," persisted Tippoo. "You come 'long La VitaPlace--come 'long with Tippoo."
"I was ordered away from there by Sercomb. If I go any place, it willbe to Lamy after an officer. I'll raise a jolly big row with that gangat La Vita Place, scuttle 'em!"
Tippoo stared blankly at Ferral.
"Ralph sahib order Dick sahib away?" repeated the Hindu, as though hescarcely believed his ears.
"He said he had found Uncle Jack's remains, and the will, and that thewill left everything to him, and he ordered me and my mates away."
Tippoo bent forward and gripped his forehead.
"_Joot baht, joot baht!_" he mumbled.
"Blast his lingo!" growled Ferral. "It takes Uncle Jack to get the layof him."
"Dick sahib, you go with Tippoo back to La Vita Place?"
The Hindu was so deeply in earnest that he compelled Ferral's attention.
"What do you want me back there for?"
"You go, you learn all--ever'thing," and Tippoo flung his arms out in acomprehensive gesture.
"Now, strike me lucky, the beggar knows something. Yes, we'll go, iffor nothing more than to walk in on my dear cousin Ralph and face Mingsand Packard. Get into your old catamaran, Tippoo, and bear away. We'llhold you hard during the run, if I'm any judge of Motor Matt."
Tippoo went back to the runabout, got into the seat, and started for LaVita Place.
"Old Chocolate certainly is an A. B. at running that craft," musedFerral, watching the ease with which Tippoo handled the runabout. "Butwhat was the good of all that Flying Dutchman business? Why did Tippoowant to tuck himself away in the locker behind when he could ride up infront in comfort and like a gentleman?"
"I suppose," answered Matt, "that we'll find all that out when we getback to La Vita Place."
A glint came into Ferral's eyes.
"Will we?" he cried, bringing his fist down on his knee. "Aye, mate,even if I have to take Ralph Sercomb by the throat and shake the wholeblessed truth out of him. If it's a game of dirks they're playing, Iwarrant you they'll find me handy with mine."
"Go slow, Dick, whatever you do," counseled Matt. "You've held yourselfpretty well in hand, so far, and you'll be the gainer for it."
They had been wheeling along the road at a good clip, and came finallyto a place where Carl was waiting for them.
"Vell, vell!" cried Carl, as Matt stopped for him to hop i
nto thetonneau, "vot kindt oof a rite vas dot you dook mit yourseluf, Verral?"
"The kind, mate," answered Ferral, "that I hope I'll never take again."
"Yah, I bed you! Modor Matt chumped in und shtopped der car, hey? Iknew dot he vould. Ven he geds dot look in his eyes, py chincher, likevat he hat, you can bed someding for nodding his madt vas oop. How didit habben, Verral?"
And while Ferral was rehearsing the whole story for Carl's benefit, thewhite runabout and the Red Flier came to a halt in the road in front ofLa Vita Place.
Tippoo jumped down and motioned for those in the rear car to follow him.
"Tippoo is the boss, Dick," said Matt; "get down and we'll trail afterhim. Don't let your temper get away from you when we're in the house."
"The way I feel now, matey," answered Ferral, "I'd like to sail in andlay the 'cat' on the whole bunch. A precious crew they are, and nomistake."
Tippoo led the way along the foot-path, and Ferral, Matt, and Carlfollowed him closely.
Voices could be heard in the house, and it was clear Sercomb and hiscompanions had not noticed the approach of the two cars.
Standing by the door, the Hindu motioned for the boys to pass in aheadof him.