Motor Matt's Promise; or The Wreck of the Hawk

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  MOTOR STORIES

  THRILLING ADVENTURE

  MOTOR FICTION

  NO. 14 MAY 29, 1909

  FIVE CENTS

  MOTOR MATT'S PROMISE

  OR THE WRECK OF THE HAWK

  _By THE AUTHOR OF "MOTOR MATT"_

  _Slowly and carefully, Motor Matt went about his work watched breathlessly by Carl._]

  _STREET & SMITH PUBLISHERS NEW YORK_

  MOTOR STORIES

  THRILLING ADVENTURE MOTOR FICTION

  _Issued Weekly. By subscription $2.50 per year. Entered according toAct of Congress in the year 1909, in the Office of the Librarian ofCongress, Washington, D. C., by_ STREET & SMITH, _79-89 Seventh Avenue,New York, N. Y._

  No. 14. NEW YORK, May 29, 1909. Price Five Cents.

  MOTOR MATT'S PROMISE;

  OR,

  THE WRECK OF THE _HAWK_.

  By the author of "MOTOR MATT."

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER I. ON THE LEVEE. CHAPTER II. MIXED IDENTITIES. CHAPTER III. DOUBLE-TROUBLE. CHAPTER IV. TRICKED! CHAPTER V. MOTOR MATT'S PROMISE. CHAPTER VI. DASHINGTON DASHED. CHAPTER VII. A HARD STARTER. CHAPTER VIII. A BULLET FROM BELOW. CHAPTER IX. THE WRECK. CHAPTER X. THE UNEXPECTED. CHAPTER XI. A FRIEND FROM THE ENEMY'S CAMP. CHAPTER XII. THE BAG OF DIAMONDS. CHAPTER XIII. A DARING PLOT. CHAPTER XIV. ON THE ROAD. CHAPTER XV. A NEW MAN TAKES A HAND. CHAPTER XVI. CONCLUSION. THE MASKED LIGHT (CONCLUSION). SPANISH CEDAR LOGS. COOKING THE VENISON STEAK. BABY OSTRICHES. MINK FARM IN OREGON.

  CHARACTERS THAT APPEAR IN THIS STORY.

  =Motor Matt=, a lad who is at home with every variety of motor, and whose never-failing nerve serves to carry him through difficulties that would daunt any ordinary young fellow. Because of his daring as a racer with bicycle, motor-cycle and automobile he is known as "Mile-a-minute Matt." Motor-boats, air ships and submarines come naturally in his line, and consequently he lives in an atmosphere of adventure in following up his "hobby."

  =Carl Pretzel=, a cheerful and rollicking German boy, stout of frame as well as of heart, who is led by a fortunate accident to link his fortunes with those of Motor Matt.

  =Dick Ferral=, a young sea dog from Canada, with all a sailor's superstitions, but in spite of all that a royal chum, ready to stand by the friend of his choice through thick and thin.

  =Archibald Townsend=, a wealthy though eccentric gentleman, who owns a remarkable submarine boat on which our friends have seen various adventures in the past.

  =Cassidy=, mate of the submarine _Grampus_.

  =Whistler=, } =Jurgens=, } a trio of rogues bent upon gaining possession of a prize. =Bangs=, }

  =Joe Dashington=, Motor Matt's double, who proves how small a matter will sometimes turn a fellow from the wrong road into the right one.

  =Shirley, of Scotland Yard=, who springs a surprise at the end of the story.

  =Fetterman, assistant chief of police=, who helps the Scotland Yard man.

  CHAPTER I.

  ON THE LEVEE.

  "Py shiminy grickets!"

  "Well, strike me lucky!"

  "Can I pelieve vat I see mit my eyes, Tick, or haf I got der plindshtaggers?"

  "I'm guessing good and hard, Carl. It's main queer, and no mistake."

  "Py all der rules oof der game dot feller iss Matt King, odderviseModor Matt, oddervise Mile-a-minute Matt, King oof der Modor Poys undGaptain oof der air ship _Hawk_, aber I bed you I nefer see him likedot pefore."

  "It's Matt, all right, but sink me if I'm not taken all aback by theway he acts. What's come over the old ship to do like that?"

  It was about half-past four in the afternoon, and Carl Pretzel andDick Ferral were on their way along the water front of New Orleans.They had gone into town on an important errand and were now returningto Stuyvesant Dock, where their air ship was moored and where they hadexpected to find Motor Matt.

  Just off the foot of Canal Street a steamer was loading for FalseRiver. Four-mule teams attached to heavy drays were backed up to thewharf and long lines of darkies were crossing the gang plank with bagson their shoulders and recrossing empty-handed for other burdens.

  It was an attractive scene for the two boys and they halted for afew moments to watch; then, suddenly, a big surprise was sprung onthem. They saw Motor Matt, hands in his pockets, loafing along thelevee--at least they thought it was Motor Matt, for the lad was of thesame build, the same height and with a face exactly like the youngmotorist's. Carl and Dick knew Matt so well that they were positivethey were not mistaken, but there was something about Matt they couldnot understand.

  In the first place, Matt was slouching along. That wasn't like him,for as a rule he was as spry as a cricket in all his movements. Then,again, Matt was wearing a slouch hat, a dingy red sweater and frayedcorduroy trousers--all as different as possible from the trim youngmotorist in his leather cap and jacket. But--and this was the mostincomprehensible thing to Carl and Dick--Matt was smoking a cigarette.Now, Motor Matt was down on cigarettes good and hard, for he knew thehavoc they made with a fellow's constitution, and that no one couldkeep in the pink of condition if he used them; and yet, there he waswith one of the rice-paper things hanging between his lips.

  Small wonder Carl and Dick were astounded. If a small-sized earthquakehad happened along and shaken things up generally the two boys couldnot have been more astounded.

  Although they were in plain view, yet Matt did not seem to notice them.For a while they stared--and then, abruptly, Dick had an idea.

  "He's in disguise," averred Dick.

  "For vy iss he dot?" inquired Carl.

  "It must be he's watching somebody and don't want the fellow to knowwho he is."

  "Vat a foolishness!" muttered Carl. "He can't make some disguisesunless he geds anodder face. I vould know dot face oof his anyvere, nomadder how he vas got oop, nor how many cigarettes he shmoked. Ach, dulieber! I am surbrised ad him, und dot's all aboudt it."

  "Well," continued Dick, "this letter of Townsend's is important andI've got to get it into his hands. If Matt is watching somebody, thething is to hand him the letter without giving him away. Any one seeingus chinning with him would suspect right away that he was our chum, forall three of us are pretty well known up and down the river front."

  "Dot's righdt," said Carl. "Ve don'd vant to tip off his game oof heiss blaying vone. How ve vas going to gif him der ledder, hey?"

  "I guess I can do it, but it won't be any first-chop work. I'll give awhistle and make him look this way, then I'll flash the letter, lay iton this bale of cotton, and we'll back off and give him a wide berth."

  "Meppy der feller Matt iss vatching vill see you do dot?"

  "Mayhap, but we've got to run the risk. This letter of Townsend's, youknow, is important and must be acted upon to-night. Now listen while Ipipe up."

  Ferral put his fingers to his lips and whistled shrilly. Severalloungers looked toward the two boys, Matt himself shifting his eyeslanguidly in their direction. Ferral at once drew a letter from thebreast of his shirt, held it in front of him, cautiously pointed to itas he looked at Matt and then laid it on the bale of cotton.

  It was far from being cleverly done--the very nature of the case, withso many loungers about, put cleverness out of the question. All Dickhoped for, however, was that the man Matt was watching might not seethe move.

  The work of Carl and Dick was built entirely on surmises. Unable t
oexplain Matt's get-up and actions in any other way, they surmised thathe must be watching some one; but the biggest surmise--and which, tothe boys, seemed no surmise at all, but positive reality--was that thelad was Motor Matt.

  Matt, hands still in his pockets and cigarette between his lips,shuffled toward the cotton bale.

  "We've tipped him off," chuckled Dick, as he and Carl backed away."He'll fall afoul of that letter, now, and it's up to us to give him agood offing. I hope the move wasn't seen by the swab he's got under hiseye."

  From a safe distance the two boys watched while Matt came close tothe bale and leaned against it while he picked up the letter. He wasamazingly open and aboveboard while he examined that letter. Carl andDick thought he would sneak it off the cotton bale, tuck it in hispocket and lounge carelessly away. But they were mistaken. Matt heldthe letter up curiously and turned it around and around in his hand.

  "Well, keelhaul me!" growled Dick. "He might just as well telleverybody what we've done as to examine the letter like that. Theremust be a screw loose in his head! Why, I never saw him act like thatbefore. I can't smoke his roll any way you put it."

  "I vas all mixed oop aboudt it meinseluf," said Carl, in a puzzledtone. "He iss acting so keveer as I can't tell. Oof he vas keepingdrack oof somepody, vy don'd----"

  Just then something happened that caused Carl to catch his breath. Astartled exclamation escaped Dick.

  In a flash the cotton bale had leaped into flame!

  Wild shouts came from everywhere on that part of the levee. Stevedoresdropped their burdens, bystanders lost their passive demeanor andteamsters jumped from their trucks. Buckets were secured and dipped inthe river, and hustled toward the blazing bale with the water.

  Meanwhile, Matt had slouched off to a good distance from the fire.While the boys drew nearer and watched excitedly, they saw an officerrush up to their chum, seize the cigarette from his lips and dash it onthe planks and crush it under his foot.

  "Can't you read, you idiot?" fumed the officer. "Look there!"

  With his club he pointed to a sign which read, "No smoking." All overthe levee there were signs to that effect. No matter which way a fellowturned the curt order, "No smoking," stared him in the face.

  "Aw, forget it!" said Matt, with a curt disregard for legal authoritythat came to Dick and Carl like a slap in the face. "You're a copper,all right, but you can't get gay with me."

  This insolence astounded the officer. Likewise it served to arouse histemper.

  "I'll get gay with you, all right, my festive kiskedee," he snapped."That cigarette of yours set fire to that bale, an' you'll justconsider yourself pinched."

  The officer's hand dropped on Matt's shoulder.

  "You will pinch me, eh?" answered Matt. "Well, you've got another guesscoming!"

  With that his languid air vanished in a twinkling and he became imbuedwith the fiercest kind of energy. With a swift leap he wrenched himselffree of the policeman's detaining hand. The policeman, with an angryshout, jumped at him, swinging his club. Matt's foot went out and thepoliceman was neatly tripped and measured his length on the planks.

  This was energy of the kind Motor Matt could display, upon occasion,but he had never been known to direct it against an officer of the law.Nor was Motor Matt insolent--he had other ways for meeting injustice.

  Astonishment at the swift progress of events and the unheard-of actionsof their chum held Carl and Dick stunned in their tracks.

  "He iss grazy!" averred Carl, with a gasp. "Modor Matt has gone off derchump! He iss pughouse, yah, so helup me!"

  "He's all ahoo in his top hammer and no mistake!" agreed Dick. "Butwe've got to help him, Carl. We can't stand off and on while Matt's introuble. Avast there!" he yelled, running toward the exciting scene.

  "Hold back a minute, officer! Sheer off, and keep those men back!"

  The policeman had scrambled to his feet, and stevedores and bystanderswere all making a concerted rush in Matt's direction.

  "Yah, yah," taunted Matt defiantly. "I'm ready for anything from afight to a foot race."

  He was lightning-like in his movements now. Pulling over a barrel thatstood on end, he rolled it into the midst of his pursuers. Half a dozenof them went down in a tangled heap and so interfered with the othersthat pursuit was, for a moment, checked.

  Matt made the most of this period of grace and ducked away toward CanalStreet. There were two or three carriages at the edge of the wharf, andby the open door of one of them a man was standing.

  "This way, King!" the man shouted, beckoning.

  Carl and Dick saw the fugitive swerve in the direction of the carriage.Another moment and he and the man were inside, the door slammed, andthe darky on the box whipped away. In less time than it takes to tellit, the carriage was lost in a crowd of vehicles, while Dick and Carlwere gasping on the levee, staring blankly into each other's eyes.