CHAPTER XV.
THE EYE OF BUDDHA.
Tsan Ti was not particularly happy. He seemed pleased to meet Matt oncemore, but underlying this pleasure was a deep and settled melancholy.
"Greetings, astonishing friend," said the mandarin. "You have performedactions never to be forgotten; imperishable deeds which----"
"Cut out the frills, Tsan Ti," interrupted Matt, "and tell me where youwent after Joe and I left you at the wrecked car."
"Sam Wing approached me while I was seeking exhaustively for the yellowcord, which I had lost and which I had the overwhelming desire to use.Sam Wing was ascending the mountain, traveling on foot, to gain the topand find me. He had a report to convey. He conveyed it. He had seenthe aged mariner in Purling, and he had come at once for me. I stoppedfor nothing--not even to explain my absence to you who had left me insuch hurry. I went with Sam Wing forthwith, and we found some one totransport us to Purling. There we watched out the night in vain, andtoward morning repaired to the house of a poor person, who afforded usfood and a couch on which to rest. I was resting when Sam Wing came tomy side and declared there was a youth in the place who was hunting forthe peace officer. I went out, hoping to meet the peace officer myselfand ask for news of the sailor. Imagine my marvelous astonishment upondiscovering your distinguished friend. He wanted men and he could findfew, so Sam Wing and myself accompanied him. Accept my congratulations,eminent friend, upon your escape. It is with sorrow, however, that Iview the flight of the sailor and that other, whom I saw, on a formermomentous occasion, wearing a sun hat with a pugree. These, I imagine,assisted their escape out of the sense-destroying fumes."
From his blouse, Tsan Ti developed two squares of white cloth withholes clipped in each to fit a pair of eyes. A strong odor of drugsaccompanied the display of the masks.
"It was objects similar to these," went on the mandarin in pensiveretrospection, "with which the thieves covered their faces in thetemple at Honam. Pah!" and he flung the bits of cloth from him inrepulsion.
"You were a long time getting here, Joe," said Matt, turning to hischum.
"I was a long time getting the constable," answered Joe, "and therewasn't another _hombre_ in the town who cared to take the risk of goingwith me. Finally I found the constable, and then Tsan Ti and Sam Wingcame our way. We started, in a rig the constable borrowed from in frontof the general store."
"You picked up the trail?"
"Tell me about that!" laughed McGlory. "Sure we picked it up, pard. Howcould we have missed it?"
"It is unfortunate," spoke up Tsan Ti gloomily, "that the yellowcord was lost at the time the devil car took fire. It was of greatimportance to me as the means of carrying out the invitation given byour gracious regent. The sailor and his confederate have fled, and theEye of Buddha has gone with them. The ten thousand demons of misfortunecontinue to make me feel their displeasure. There is nothing left butthe happy dispatch."
"Aw, cheer up," growled McGlory. "Buy a string of laundries, somewhere,and tell your gracious regent to go hang."
"I am bound by ancient ceremony to accept and use the cord," insistedTsan Ti, mildly but firmly.
"Well, you've got a few days yet. Don't use the cord until you have to."
"I cannot use it until I find it, solicitous friend."
"Suppose you never find it?"
"Then Kien Lung will hunt for me and give me a second."
"Sufferin' heathens!" murmured McGlory, in disgust.
Matt got to his feet.
"Let's go and see how Goldstein is getting along," he suggested. "Whatbecame of that satchel, Joe?"
"We left it in the house--thought that was the safest place for it."
"We'll have to take care of that. It contains the money Goldsteinbrought to use in buying the Eye of Buddha."
Together Matt, McGlory, Tsan Ti and Sam Wing made their way back to thehut. Just as they reached the door Goldstein sprang to his feet, thebuckthorn cane in his hand.
"Look at him!" exclaimed McGlory. "He's still locoed, Matt, and inabout the same state of mind you and I were when we repaired thatbursted tire, rode to the Mountain House, and went to sleep in thehammocks."
The diamond merchant's face was full of anger and apprehension. Hisclouded faculties were still possessed of the notion, it seemed, thathis satchel of money continued to be the object of Grattan's designs.
Jumping at the log wall, Goldstein struck a terrific blow with the headof the cane.
"I hope he keeps hammering the wall," breathed the cowboy. "If he evercame at one of us like that we'd have to take him down and lash hishands and feet. Gee, but he's vicious."
Again and again Goldstein struck the logs with the cane. At last thehead of the cane snapped and flew into fragments, and a glitteringobject flashed toward the door, struck Sam Wing and dropped downward. Agleam of sun caught the object, and it glowed like a huge drop of blood.
A chattering screech went up from Tsan Ti, and forthwith he slumped tohis knees and picked the object up in his trembling hands.
Startled Chinese words came from Sam Wing; the mandarin answered, andthere followed a frantic give and take of native gibberish, mostlywhoops, grunts and falling inflections.
"Sufferin' gold mines!" cried McGlory. "Say, pard, is that red thingthe Eye of Buddha?"
"It must be," answered Matt excitedly, hurrying into the room andpicking up the cane and some of the fragments of the head. "Great sparkplugs!" he exclaimed, examining the pieces.
"What do you make out, pard?" demanded McGlory.
"Why," went on Matt, "the head of the cane was hollow, _and the rubywas concealed in it_!"
"No!"
"Fact! Here, look for yourself. I wondered why Grattan was so carefulof that cane. The last thing I remember was seeing him rush atGoldstein and try to get the cane away from him. Goldstein had grabbedthe stick and had knocked the box of glass balls out of Grattan's handwith it. Of course, at the time Grattan tried to get the stick back,the balls were spilling their knock-out fumes all over the room, andhe couldn't waste much time getting into his mask and lighting out. Hehad to leave the cane behind--it was either that or be laid out by theglass balls and captured. Perhaps he thought we'd never find out theruby was in the cane and that he could come back later and recover it."
"Goldstein has smashed the mystery!" jubilated McGlory, "and when hecomes to he won't know a thing about it."
Matt was dazed, and the two excited Chinamen were still gabbling like acouple of frantic ducks; McGlory was walking around, rubbing his eyes,and Goldstein was sitting on the stool undergoing the last stage of hisawakening.
"What's der matter?" inquired the diamond broker. "Where is--whatis---- Ach, der satchel, der satchel!"
His eyes had alighted on the grip, and he shot off the stool andgathered up the precious object. His first move was to open it and makesure of the contents.
"Where is Grattan?" he asked, with a sudden tremor. "Where is derfeller that wanted to steal my money?"
"You don't have to fret about him any more," said McGlory. "He's litout--in something of a hurry. I don't reckon he'll be back."
"What a lucky escape, what a lucky escape!" chanted Goldstein; "meingracious, what a lucky escape!"
Matt, observing that Tsan Ti and Sam Wing were not yet done with theirwild felicitations, strolled around the room. He saw the place whereBunce and Grattan had crashed through the wall. Fire, at some time orother when the sugar makers were boiling their sap, had eaten into thelogs, leaving a large hole which had been covered with boards. Grattanand Bunce, knowing about the weak spot in the wall, had chose to getout of the cabin in that way rather than by attempting to pass throughthe door.
While Matt was looking at the breach in the timbers, he heard a seriesof shouts from the Chinamen. A glance in their direction gave him afleeting glimpse of Pryne, forcing his way through the door and overthe heads of Tsan Ti and Sam Wing.
"That tinhorn's getting away!" shouted McGlory.
He would have c
hased after Pryne had Matt not gripped him by theshoulder and held him back.
"Let the fellow go," said Matt. "He was roped into the game by Grattan,and was only a tool, at the most. We've recovered the Eye of Buddha,and have saved Goldstein's money for him, so I guess we're doing wellenough."
The rough way the Chinamen had been treated by Pryne appeared tohave made them remember that there were others in the cabin besidesthemselves.
Tsan Ti got up, balanced the ruby on the palm of his hand, and steppedtoward Matt, as happy a mandarin as could be found, in China or out ofit.
"See, estimable and glorious friend," he cried. "This is the Eye ofBuddha, which caused me so much misfortune and came near to causingmy death. It has been found, and but for you it would have been lostto me forever. My life is yours, illustrious one, my fortune, mylands--everything I own!"
Matt paid little heed to the mandarin's rapturous talk. His eyes wereon the ruby, which was as large as a small hen's egg and of the truepigeon's blood color. Its flashing beauty was marvelous to behold.
"Out of my goodness of heart," went on the mandarin, "and from nodesire to insult, believe me, I shall present my eminent friend with athousand dollars and his expenses. Is it well, excellent one?"
"Quite well, thank you," laughed McGlory, answering for his chum."Here, Tsan, take this and send it back to your gracious regent. Tellhim to use it on himself, and oblige."
With that, the cowboy laid the ominous yellow cord across themandarin's shoulders.
Motor Matt's Mandarin; or, Turning a Trick for Tsan Ti Page 15
