CHAPTER XVI.
MATT TAKES TOWNSEND'S ADVICE.
Townsend was on the road to rapid recovery. He was feeling a hundredper cent. better than he had been when Matt and his pards left him, twodays previously, and if it had been possible to use his lame foot hewould have been up and around.
He was not surprised to see Motor Matt and his friends, because he hadexpected Matt to make the trip to Turtle Key and back in safety; but hewas surprised to see Cassidy enter his room with the young motorist.
"What's this?" cried Townsend, hoisting up on his elbow and staring atCassidy. "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'syour chance, King."
Matt seated himself by the bedside and proceeded to relate theexperiences through which he and his friends had recently passed.
Townsend listened with rapt interest. Not a word escaped him, andoccasionally he asked a question to bring out some point which Matt hadnot made quite clear.
When Matt had finished there followed an interval of silence. Townsenddid not seem to be greatly impressed, despite the intense interest hehad 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'sjust about what I should expect of Motor Matt. I'm sorry for thetrouble you had with the air ship, Matt, and shall consider myselfunder obligations to make up to you any extra expense you may incur ingetting the Hawk back into shape. When I hired you to take me to TurtleKey I had no intention of allowing you to run the risk of losing theHawk.
"And the Man from Cape Town told the truth, after all! I hadn't theleast 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 isliable to be another matter. I doubt if there is anything in it of anyvalue; nevertheless, I am bound by promise to take the chest to NewOrleans and open it in the presence of a certain lady there whose namewas 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 verysorry," and here a heavy frown crossed Townsend's face, "that Jurgensgot away from the island. The other men will be transferred from the_Grampus_ to the jail, here, and they will be dealt with according tolaw, but it is the ringleader we ought to have. How do you think hemanaged to escape from that island, Matt?"
"He must have got away in a boat," replied Matt, "although whereJurgens and Whistler got the boat is something of a puzzle."
"Well, the two scoundrels have gone, and justice will be cheated for awhile longer; but, mark me, sooner or later their time will come. And Ihave 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 becomequite 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 andnearly caused you and your friends to lose your lives. That is whatwill injure the Hawk's popularity. If you return to Atlantic Citypeople will be afraid to make any ascensions with you. Can't you seehow 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 perfectlysafe."
"We can explain," put in Dick, "that we ran into a tree and made a holein the bag. That ought to show people that the accident wasn't theHawk's fault."
"It ought to," insisted Townsend, "but it won't. People don't stopto make any fine discriminations in such matters, and if an accidenthappened to the Hawk once, they will argue, it's liable to happenagain. Now, I want to give you some advice, Matt, and if you followit you will profit by it. Cassidy and I, together with Burke andHarris, are going to leave here this afternoon in the _Grampus_ forNew Orleans. I can be carried down to the boat, and I will feel a heapbetter in the _Grampus_ than I will in this hotel. In two or three dayswe will be in New Orleans. While we are making the journey, you andyour friends, Matt, will be here, getting the air ship in shape. Myadvice to you is this: Don't leave Palm Beach until you hear from me. Ihave a scheme floating around in my brain and I am going to telegraphyou just as soon as it takes a little more form so I will know justwhat 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'mgoing to tell you, and you and your friends can take the advice, orleave it, just as you think best. But if you don't take it, you willlive to regret it."
This was odd talk for Mr. Townsend. First he tried to discourage Mattand his friends from returning to Atlantic City, and now he was seekingto keep them in Palm Beach for an indefinite period.
But all the boys had confidence in Townsend. Each of them believed thathe was planning something for their benefit, and they were disposed todo as he suggested.
Townsend took his departure from Palm Beach just as he said he woulddo. Bearing the iron chest with him, he took the _Grampus_ and startedfor New Orleans.
Meanwhile, Matt and Carl and Dick got busy with the Hawk. The craft wasput together again, the motor replaced, the envelope repaired, and intwo days everything was in readiness for a return to Atlantic City--ifthe boys chose to go there.
"Vat do you subbose id iss dot Misder Downsent vants mit us?" askedCarl.
"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 toAtlantic City? Time means money to us, you know, and the longer wewait, 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 thelongest-headed chap in the bunch, and suppose Carl and I leave thedecision entirely with you?"
"If that's the way you feel," laughed Matt, "we'll stay right here andgive Townsend all the chance he wants to communicate with us."
Two days after this conference, a telegram came from New Orleans. Itwas 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 vantyour 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 totravel across the Gulf of Mexico. But we don't have to. We can followthe land around."
The start was made that afternoon, and, although this following ofTownsend's advice led Motor Matt and his friends into experiences asnovel as they were dangerous, yet none of them ever regretted takingthe trip around the Gulf coast to the Crescent City.
THE END.
THE NEXT NUMBER (13) WILL CONTAIN
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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.