Owen Clancy's Happy Trail; Or, The Motor Wizard in California
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goin' down into the marine gardens, lookin' for trouble! If I canget my lunch hooks on that chap below, I'll bring him aboard, or ashore,or we'll both stay down in the kelp till the crack o' doom! You hear me,Clancy? That feller gave us the slip once, but he'll not do it again!"
With that, Hiram Hill kicked off his shoes, rolled over the rail andwent into the water with a splash. Clancy reached for him, but was aminute too late, for his fingers clutched only empty air.
"Look!" whispered Ike huskily, leaning over the glass bottom andstaring; "for the love o' Mike, look what's goin' on down there!"
CHAPTER VII.
AT THE BASE OF OLD SUGARLOAF.
Clancy and Ike had the privilege of seeing one of the strangest sightsthat any one ever saw through a glass-bottom boat. They saw a half-cladman grab another in a bathing suit, and immediately a submarinewrestling match was staged. Burton gripped Hill about the throat, andHill's fingers slipped forthwith to Burton's windpipe. The scene grewmore and more horrible as the moments passed, and Clancy fell tothrowing aside his garments preparatory to making a trip of his own tothe marine gardens.
"Wait!" clamored Ike excitedly. "They've broke loose from each other!They're comin' up. Don't go in!"
Clancy took another look through the glass. Burton's face was livid andghastly, and it was plain that he was hard put to it for breath. Withfeeble, faltering strokes he was coming to the surface. Hill wasfollowing him as relentlessly as a shark.
The rowboat, from which Burton had dived, came alongside the flat-bottomcraft. The fellow at the oars Clancy did not know. The motor wizard hadhalf expected to see either Gerald Wynn or Bob Katz, but the oarsman wasneither of these.
"What's happened?" he asked, a tense note of alarm in his voice.
Before Ike could answer, Burton's head bobbed to the surface, and agurgling cry for help floated over the water.
"Wait a minute!" called Clancy, catching the side of the smaller boatbefore the man at the oars could get away from Ike's craft, "I guessI'll go with you."
Without much difficulty, Clancy transferred himself from one boat to theother.
"You needn't wait for us, Ike!" he called. "Have our clothes ready forus when we call for them, that's all."
"What're you trying to do?" demanded the oarsman.
"We've got two fellows to pick up," Clancy answered, "and I'm going tohelp. Are you a friend of Burton's?"
"I get half he makes for handlin' the boat for him."
"How long has he been doing this?"
"Yesterday and to-day."
"And your name is---"
"Mynie Boltwood."
"Well right, Mynie Boltwood! Steady it is, now, and we'll pick up thetwo in the water."
"Never mind me, Clancy," sang out Hill, who had come to the surface, andwas swimming easily despite the weight of the wet clothing he had on."Burton is purty nigh tuckered. Take care o' him first."
Burton was a splendid swimmer, there was no doubt about that, but hisordeal in the water had told on him severely. He grabbed Clancy'soutstretched hand desparingly, and was assisted to climb over thebulwarks. Once aboard, he fell in a sprawl on the boat's bottom,breathing heavily.
Hiram Hill got into the boat much more easily. Lifting his dripping bodyto a seat, he grinned, and shook the long, tow-colored hair back fromhis face.
"How was that for Hi?" he asked.
"It was a great piece of work!" Clancy answered admiringly. "You'recertainly there with the goods when it comes to swimming. I thought, fora time, that both you and Burton would be drowned. We could have got himjust as easily, Hiram, if you hadn't gone into the water."
"I wanted to make sure, that was all."
"Boltwood," called Clancy, "put us all ashore on the rocks at the footof Old Sugarloaf. We'll bask in the sun, for a while, and I'll talk alittle with Burton, We're old friends, you know," and here Clancysmiled. "The last person in the world I was expecting to see through theglass bottom of that boat was Hank Burton. It was the surprise of mylife, and no mistake."
There was something here which Mynie Boltwood could not understand. Hewas not ambitious in the acquirement of knowledge, however, and merelydid as he was told--and let it go at that.
Burton sat up in the boat's bottom, and peered at Clancy.
"Feeling better, Hank?" the motor wizard inquired pleasantly.
"What're you and Hill doing here?" inquired Burton confusedly. "Wereckoned you were in San Diego."
"Oh, you did!" returned Clancy. "You must know something about thatletter Hiram received, inviting him to hang up his hat in Q Street andfeel at home."
Burton, realizing that he had said something he hadn't ought to, bit hislip angrily.
"How'd you happen to come to Catalina?" he went on.
"The Happy Trail branched in this direction."
"Eh?"
"Well," Clancy laughed, "Hiram came to Catalina to find his father, andI'm helping in the search. We've got a few things to discuss, Hank, andI think we'll do the chinning ashore."
By that time the boat was grounded among the rocks close to the foot ofOld Sugarloaf.
"I haven't got a thing to discuss with you," snarled Burton, "and I'mnot goin' ashore."
"Sure you are!" declared Clancy. "You'd a heap rather go ashore and talkmatters over with Hiram and me than go to jail. Wouldn't you, now?"
Fire snapped in the motor wizard's eyes, and his voice, although it waslike velvet, cut like steel. Burton saw there was no use trying to hangback.
"If Wynn hadn't made me work for a little money," growled Burton, "thiswouldn't 'a' happened."
"What's that?"
"Nothing."
Boltwood had jumped to the rocks, and was holding the boat by thepainter. Hill followed him out of the craft, and now Burton followedHill. Clancy was last to leave the boat. He walked up toward the base ofSugarloaf Rock.
"Boltwood," he called, "you stay there and take care of the boat.Burton, you and Hill come up here with me."
The excitement that had claimed the passengers in Ike's boat had beenmissed by the other boats. The rest of the glass-bottom fleet had gonearound Sugarloaf Rock, and Clancy was now able to look across the lowrise of rocks, separating the headland from the shore, and see the othersight-seers.
"Hill and I came over here to find Hill's father," said Clancy, turningto Burton, "and we find you. That strikes me as being mighty strange,Hank. What are you and Gerald Wynn and Bob Katz doing here?"
"Who said Gerald and Bob were with me?" returned Burton sullenly.
"You said something before we got out of the boat which proved to methat Gerald Wynn was here with you. And, if Gerald is here, Katz isalong, too. Why are you in this place?"
Burton did not answer.
"Why did one of you write that letter to Hill and try to get him to SanDiego?"
Still nothing from Burton.
"Did you fellows bring the fifteen thousand with you?"
Clancy's voice was sharp as he put this question.
"It must be clear to you," returned Burton, "that I haven't any of thatfifteen thousand. If I had, do you think I'd be divin' for quarters?"
The motor wizard seated himself on a bowlder. The sun was hot, but acool breeze from the sea tempered its warmth. As he stared at thestubborn face of Burton, his eyes hardened.
"Hank," he went on, "I haven't any cause to love you, or Gerald Wynn, orBob Katz. One of you put a bullet into my shoulder, at the old adobenear Wickenburg. The three of you, also, made off with fifteen thousanddollars belonging to me and to Lafe Wynn. Now I can put you through forall that, and put you through good and hard. Even if I can't get handson Gerald and Katz, I've got you securely. Do you want to save yourself,or don't you?"
"Save myself? How?"
"Why, by helping me get back that stolen money. Tell us where GeraldWynn and Katz are hiding themselves, where the money is, and how we'reto get hold of it."
"Think I'm a squealer?" demanded Burton indignantly.
"Where are your clothes?"
Clancy asked.
"Boltwood knows."
The motor wizard walked down to the water's edge.
"Boltwood," said he, "I want you to go and get Burton's clothes. Alsoget from Ike the clothes belonging to Hill and me. Bring them back here.And--listen! Don't say a word to anybody about what happened.Understand?"
"I don't know what's