CHAPTER XXIV
WHAT CHEWING GUM DID
"But, Bud, how?"
"Easy enough. Hyar," he exclaimed, looking back at the horsemen behind him, "whar's that dude Chick Berry?"
"Here I be, Bud," replied a small, freckle-faced cowboy with blue silk ribbons on his shirt sleeves and other marks of the cowboy dude about him.
"Got any of that thar gum you's always achewin' so as ter be agreeable to ther ladies?" demanded Bud.
"Shore, Bud," rejoined Chick, pulling off an embroidered gauntlet and extracting a pink package from his breast pocket.
"Wall, chaw some quick, and chaw it good. I need it."
Chick's jaws worked overtime. Presently he handed a small wad of glutinous gum to his leader.
"Na-ow then," announced Bud, dismounting, "I'm goin' ter show you a hurry up repair job."
He squatted, cow-boy fashion, in front of the radiator, and with deft fingers pressed the gum into the leak.
"Let it dry a minute an' I'll bet ye that what-you-may-call-um will be as tight as a drum. No, don't give me no credit fer ther idee. I seen a feller fix his gasoline gig that way one day when I was down in San Antone,"
At the expiration of a few anxious minutes, water was poured into the radiator, and, to their immense relief, Bud's hastily contrived bit of plumbing worked. The radiator held water perfectly and a few moments later Peggy started the engine.
But at the first revolutions of the propellers a strange thing happened. On the spot where, a second before, had stood a group of interested horse hunters, not one remained after the propeller had whizzed round a couple of times. They were scattered all over the desert, their ponies maddened beyond all control by terror at the noise and smoke of the aeroplane's motor.
Bud alone managed to spur his pony close to the throbbing machine.
"Good bye and good luck!" he shouted, and waved his hat. The next instant his pony swung round on its hind legs and dashed off to join its terrified companions.
With an answering wave of the hand Peggy threw in the clutch that started the aeroplane forward, and after their long enforced delay they once more took the air. But a day had practically gone—a day in which the fight for the mine might have been lost.
Never had Peggy urged an aeroplane to greater speed than she did the fast monoplane, at the wheel of which she was now stationed. The desert floor flew by beneath them in a dull blur. The roar and vibration of the powerful motor shook the car like a leaf. Wandering William said nothing, but he gazed rather apprehensively over the side from time to time. Also he might have been observed to clutch at his hair occasionally.
"Can you see anything of the town yet?"
The professor leaned forward and shouted the question in Peggy's ear. He had to do so in order to make himself heard above the roar of the engine.
Peggy shook her head, but motioned to a pocket in which were a pair of field-glasses.
Wandering William understood, and raising them, held them to his eyes.
The sun was low and a reddish haze overhung the desert. But presently into the field of the binoculars there swung a-tall water tower. It marked the site of Blue Creek.
"I've got it," cried the observer; "swing off to the right a bit."
Obediently the big flying thing turned and rushed through the air toward the distant landmark.
"I can see the place now," cried Peggy. "Pray heaven we'll be in time."
She tried to put on more speed, but already the big monoplane was doing all it could, and a more. Under their hood the cylinders were smoking. There was a smell of blistered paint about the aerial craft. But Peggy never slackened speed for an instant. With the time that had been lost with the leaky radiator, she knew it was possible that Red Bill's men were already in the town.
If she had known that a speedy automobile had met the stealers of the location papers in mid-desert that afternoon and rushed them into Blue Creek she might have given up in despair. But, she knew nothing of Red Bill's ruse, and imagined that the trip with the stolen papers had been made on horseback all the way.
Fifteen minutes after the little settlement been first sighted the aeroplane soared roofs in a long, graceful swing, and then swooped to earth in front of the National House. Cash and the usual group of loungers came rushing out in huge excitement.
"It's an airship! Come and see the airship!"
The cry spread through the town like wildfire. In five minutes quite a large crowd was swirling and surging about the machine and its anxious occupants.
"Whar's the United States Assayer's office?" demanded Wandering
William, above the hubbub and excitement.
"Why it's two blocks to the right an' down that alley," volunteered
Cash; "you're the second party as has bin askin' fer it ter day."
Peggy's heart sank and Wandering William bit his lips. From the bottom of the chassis Roy demanded:
"Are we too late?"
"We don't know yet, Roy dear," Peggy found time to whisper, and then:
"Who else was looking for the assayer?"
"Feller in a big automobile. All dust-covered, too. Said he had a claim ter file."
Wandering William actually groaned. But Cash went on speaking.
"Funny, all this rush of business should come ter day."
"How's that?" inquired Wandering William for want of something better to say.
"Why 'cause ther assay office is closed up. Jim Dallam, as ran it, his mother is dead, an' he got leave ter go back East. Ther nearest assay office now is at Monument Rocks sixty miles east of hyar."
Straw of hope as it was they clutched at it eagerly. There might be a train leaving within a reasonable time:
"Can we get a train there?" asked Wandering William eagerly bending forward.
"Reckon ye're jes' too late; one pulled out half an hour ago."
"Did—did the man with the red auto catch it?" asked Peggy breathlessly.
"Yes, mum—miss, I mean. He allowed he was going ter git them papers filed or bust."
The blow had fallen. Peggy sat numb and limp in the chassis. But presently the necessity of attending to Roy aroused her from her lethargy. Under her directions the boy was removed to a bed in the hotel and a doctor sent for. The physician lived in the hotel, so no time was lost before he was at Roy's bedside. He had finished his examination and had pronounced the injury painful, but not dangerous, when, without ceremony, Wandering William burst into the room.
"We can make it yet! We can make it yet!" he was shouting.
The doctor looked up as if he thought he had another patient and a maniac to deal with.
"I—I beg your pardon," stammered Wandering William, "but this is a vital matter to this young lady and gentleman."
"Yes—yes, what is it?" asked Peggy eagerly. Her eyes burned with eagerness and suppressed excitement. Something in Wandering William's manner seemed to say that he had found a way out of their difficulties.
"I've made inquiries," he repeated, "and I've found out that the train to Monument Rocks makes several stops. There's just a chance that we can beat it in the aeroplane."
"You can!"
Roy raised himself up in bed despite the pain.
"I think so. But we must hurry."
"Sis, do you mean you are going to try it?"
"Of course. We must."
"Then go in and win," cried the boy; "you can follow the tracks by the lights and once you overtake the train the rest will be easy."
The amazed doctor fairly dropped his case of instruments at this whirlwind dialogue.
"But—what—why—bless my soul," he gasped, but only the first part of his remarks was heard by Peggy. Followed by Wandering William she dashed from the room and into the street. In front of the hotel Cash was having a hard time keeping souvenir hunters from the aeroplane. But a pair of blue revolvers, like miniature Gatling guns, acted as powerful dissuaders of curiosity.