CHAPTER VI.
FACING THE MUSIC.
The automobile repair shop which Matt had started for was in ShermanAvenue, not far from the park that skirted the shore of Fourth Lake.He did not make for the shop at once, however, but kept out of sightuntil Ollie Merton had passed with the big, seven-passenger car loadedto the limit. As soon as the car had vanished Matt went into the shop.
He was not long in transacting his business there. Before beginning heplaced the proprietor under seal of secrecy. The second-hand motor wassecured at a bargain, Matt paying spot cash for it. The engine was tobe loaded aboard a launch and taken across the lake, in the afternoon,to the boathouse by Picnic Point.
With the engine was to come a young machinist, a son of the proprietorof the shop, who was to be well paid for his services, and who promisedto use his hands and eyes and not his tongue.
Matt's final request was that the engine, when carried down to thelanding and while aboard the launch, should be covered with canvas.This was to prevent curious eyes from securing information which mightbe carried to some of the Winnequas, and so to Merton.
From the machine shop Matt rushed on into town for the purpose ofsending a message. The telegram was to a supply house in Milwaukee andrequested immediate shipment of a new propeller. The sudden change inplans for the _Sprite_ made quick work necessary.
It was long after noon when Matt got back to the boathouse, where Lorryand McGlory were impatiently awaiting him.
"You were longer than we thought you'd be," remarked Lorry, a look ofrelief crossing his face as Matt trundled the motor cycle through theopen door.
"Did you get what you wanted, pard?" inquired McGlory.
"Yes," laughed Matt, leaning the wheel against the wall, "and a littlemore than I was expecting. I was stopped by Merton and seven of hisfriends, just this side of the asylum and----"
"By Merton!" cried Lorry.
"Sufferin' brain-twisters!" exclaimed the cowboy. "How could that be?Why, pard, I left Merton on Third Lake, in the _Dart_."
"Merton must have come ashore, Joe, pretty soon after you left. Hepicked up seven of his friends somewhere and started around FourthLake to have a talk with me at the boathouse. They saw me coming downthe hill from the point, stopped the automobile around a bend, tiedhandkerchiefs over their faces and stopped me with a fence rail. BeforeI fairly realized what was going on, the eight of them had me off thewheel and into the timber."
"What an outrage!" growled Lorry. "You're getting more than your shareof rough work, Matt, seems to me. What did those fellows want?"
Matt pulled out a lunch box of generous size, opened it on theworkbench and invited his two companions to help themselves.
"I went into town to send a telegram for a new propeller," he observed,"but I didn't even take time to stop at a restaurant for a meal."
"No matter what happens," said Lorry admiringly, "you never forgetanything. But go on and tell us what Merton and those other chapsstopped you for."
"They were trying to run in a rhinecaboo of some sort. I'll be bound,"averred McGlory.
"The plain truth of the matter is, fellows," declared Matt, "Merton andhis crowd are scared. They offered me two hundred dollars to leavetown at once and never come back."
"Tell me about that!" chuckled the cowboy. "Scared? You bet they are!Motor Matt has put a crimp in the confidence they had about the outcomeof the race."
"And that leads me to believe," went on Matt, "that, in spite of thefact that Merton has that roll of drawings and knows what we were doingto the _Sprite_, he's still afraid of us. The _Dart_ can't be such aphenomenally fast boat as you imagined, Joe. If it was, why shouldMerton fear the _Sprite_? He's judging her, you understand, accordingto our first plans for changing her. He doesn't know a thing about theautomobile engine and the other propeller we're going to install."
"Listen, once," said McGlory; "it's not the plans that's making Mertonsidestep, but Motor Matt. He and his bunch will feel a heap easier ifthey can know the king of the motor boys is cut out of Lorry's herd."
"Another thing," continued Matt. "Merton and his friends are doing somebetting on the race."
"I've heard about that," put in Lorry. "Merton is plunging with hisfather's bankroll, and going the limit. His friends are in the poolwith him, and they're offering all sorts of fancy odds."
"If I could rake together a stake," said McGlory, "I'd take a little ofthat Winnequa money myself."
"No, you wouldn't, Joe," returned Matt. "I'm out with a club for thatsort of thing. Good, clean sport is all right, but when you tangle itup with a lot of bookmakers it goes to the dogs."
"Mebby you're right, pard," grinned Joe, "but any kind of a chance,with money in sight, is excitin'."
"Merton and the rest wanted me, if I wouldn't agree to pull out, tothrow the race."
"The scoundrels!" cried Lorry.
"They didn't know our pard very well, George," observed the cowboy."What did they say when you turned 'em down, Matt?"
"Ordered me to quit. Said if I didn't the lot of us, over here, wouldhave to face all kinds of music."
"I always did like music," said the cowboy. "Right this minute I'mfeelin' like a brass band and I've got to toot."
McGlory's "toot" was more like a steam calliope than a brass band, andit was so hilarious that Ping, who was still acting as outside guard,pushed his yellow face in at the window over the workbench.
"Who makee low?" he inquired.
"There's no row, you heathen," answered the cowboy, tossing him asandwich. "There, take that and stop your face. I'm jubilatin', that'sall."
Ping disappeared with a grin and the sandwich.
"What are you jubilating about, Joe?" inquired Lorry.
"Don't you savvy, George? Why, Motor Matt's on his mettle! All thattalk that Merton and his pards gave him just cinched him up for the'go' of his life. You'll see things at that race. As for facing themusic--there's nothing to it. Why, the _Sprite's_ as good as passed thestake boat and over the finish line right now."
There was little doubt but that McGlory's jovial mood and confidentforecast of coming events heartened Lorry wonderfully.
Matt went more into the details of his experience with Merton and hisfriends.
"That's a nice way for the commodore of a rival boat club to act,"remarked Lorry sarcastically.
"How did Merton ever get to be commodore?" said McGlory. "That's whatsticks in my crop."
"Money," was Lorry's brief but significant response.
"Money cuts a pretty wide swath, and that's a fact. That work ofMerton's and his friends, though, was a pretty raw blazer. Wonder whatMerton's thinking of himself, now that Matt's found out he was in thegang?"
"It won't bother him much," said Lorry. "Between you and me and thegatepost, I'll bet Merton has been flying too high. When his fathergets back from Europe and finds out what's been going on, there'll bedoings. Like enough, Merton is plunging on the boat race in the hope ofgetting back some of the money he has squandered. That would ease thetension somewhat when he makes an accounting to his father."
"Too bad if he's got himself into money difficulties," observed Matt.
"A little money has made many a good fellow go wrong, Matt," returnedLorry, with a flush.
George was talking from experience, and it was an experience which hewould never forget.
"There's nothing to do, I reckon," said McGlory, changing the subject,"but to plug right along and hustle the changes in the _Sprite_."
"That's all, Joe," responded Matt. "We'll have to do some quick work,and do it well. The engine will be delivered this afternoon, and ayoung fellow is coming along with it to help me. We'll have to do moreor less traveling between here and the machine shop, and I suppose itwould be well if we had a boat. Going around the lake takes too long."
"I'll get a motor boat for you, Matt," said Lorry. "I'll bring her overbefore night."
"Bring a supply of gasoline and oil, too, Lorry."
"It will all come
with the boat. If you can think of anything elseyou want, just let me know. Some one ought to stay here all the time,don't you think? The _Sprite_ ought to be watched every minute, nightand day. It was no empty threat Merton made when he said he'd make ustrouble."
"He and his friends," said Matt gravely, "will do what they can tobother us. But I don't think they'll dare go too far. Joe and I andPing will stay at the boathouse all the time. That will make quite arespectable force. Then, too, the machinist will be with us during theday. Whenever I have to cross the lake to the shop, he and Joe can lookafter things here."
"I want to do my share, you know," protested Lorry; "I can't let youfellows do it all."
"You'll have plenty to do, George," laughed Matt. "There's a telephoneat the asylum, and we can always get word to you if it's necessary. Asfor----"
Matt was interrupted by a shrill yell. It came from outside theboathouse and had plainly been raised by Ping. On the instant, allthree of the boys jumped for the door.