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Owen Clancy's Run Of Luck - Burt L. Standish · Hardy Boys: The Mystery of Cabin Island

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  Speaker 1: Chapter one of owen Clancy's Run of Luck. This is
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  Speaker 1: a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
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  Speaker 1: Owen Clancy's Run of Luck by Burt L. Standish, Chapter one.
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  Speaker 1: Over the rim rock, honk h o n k. Look
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  Speaker 1: out there, jump jump high above these sounds. There broke
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  Speaker 1: a startled yell. Owen Clancy, who was tramping along the
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  Speaker 1: road with his coat over his arm, not only heard
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  Speaker 1: the yell, but caught one tragic glimpse of a figure
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  Speaker 1: soaring through the cloud of dust, dropping in a sprawl
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  Speaker 1: on the rocks, and then rolling over the edge of
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  Speaker 1: the cliff. Great jumping horn toads gulped the red headed
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  Speaker 1: chap coming to an astounded halt, every nerve and a
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  Speaker 1: quiver right over the precipice by thunder that fellows done for,
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  Speaker 1: And no mistake, the man behind that steering wheel ought
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  Speaker 1: to be pinched. He didn't give the fellow in the
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  Speaker 1: trail any chance at all, just ran him down and
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  Speaker 1: made him jump over the edge of the cliff. Now
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  Speaker 1: the driver of that car hasn't the common decency to
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  Speaker 1: come back and see how much harm has been done.
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  Speaker 1: The scene of this reckless automobile driving was a trail
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  Speaker 1: leading toward the city of Phoenix, Arizona. It was one
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  Speaker 1: of those mountain and desert trails which lead for miles
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  Speaker 1: over thirsty, sun scorched plains and occasionally climbed to dizzy
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  Speaker 1: heights by narrow, hair raising spirals clipped from the mountain side. Clancy,
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  Speaker 1: at the high point of the trail, had been crossing
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  Speaker 1: a rugged, boulder covered uplift. At his left was a
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  Speaker 1: blank wall a hundred feet high. Under his feet was
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  Speaker 1: a shelf barely wide enough for the road, and on
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  Speaker 1: his right was a precipice. Those heights overlooked a dusty
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  Speaker 1: stretch of flat desert, at whose farther edge could be
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  Speaker 1: seen the rooftops and spots of Phoenix peeping out of
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  Speaker 1: the green tree tops. The city from that distance presented
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  Speaker 1: a most enchanting view, and Clancy had paused to look
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  Speaker 1: and to admire. Wonder what sort of luck I'm going
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  Speaker 1: to have in that town? He had asked himself, I've
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  Speaker 1: got a notion that is going to make or break
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  Speaker 1: me well, and he frowned resolutely if it breaks me,
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  Speaker 1: I'll make goods somewhere else. I'm the head of the
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  Speaker 1: family now, and it is up to me to show
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  Speaker 1: the folks back east just what sort of a little
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  Speaker 1: red headed bread winner I am. I'll he broke off
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  Speaker 1: his reflections. Abruptly, from behind him, and altogether too close
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  Speaker 1: for comfort, came the toot of a motor horn. Accompanying
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  Speaker 1: the sound, there burst forth the loud run of a
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  Speaker 1: motor Clancy, always quick to act in an emergency, gave
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  Speaker 1: one leap for the blank wall at the trail side
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  Speaker 1: and flattened against it. Not an instant too soon did
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  Speaker 1: he accomplish this. For ere he could draw a full breath,
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  Speaker 1: a big black car lurched past the mud guards, almost
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  Speaker 1: brushing his knees. It was a six cylinder machine built
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  Speaker 1: to carry seven passengers, but there was only the driver aboard.
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  Speaker 1: Lightly ballasted, the huge machine jumped and swayed on that
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  Speaker 1: dangerous path in a manner to make the heart jump.
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  Speaker 1: But there was something else that made Clancy's heart jump.
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  Speaker 1: He suddenly became aware of another pedestrian in the road,
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  Speaker 1: a fellow he had not seen before. In the instant
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  Speaker 1: of time allowed him for making observation, Clancy saw only
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  Speaker 1: that the other foot traveler was a youngish chap and
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  Speaker 1: that he was loitering along and conscious of the speeding
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  Speaker 1: car behind him. The driver of the machine did not
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  Speaker 1: slacken gait in the least, but contented himself with merely
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  Speaker 1: sounding the horn wildly. Clancy cried out for the stranger
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  Speaker 1: to jump. The stranger, casting one frightened glance over his shoulder,
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  Speaker 1: jumped without delay, but in the wrong direction, alighting on
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  Speaker 1: the edge of the cliff. He fell in rolled over
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  Speaker 1: the edge. The car raced on and vanished behind a
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  Speaker 1: shoulder of rock, leaving a cloud of dust to mark
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  Speaker 1: its passage. Clancy ran forward, badly shaken by what he
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  Speaker 1: firmly believed would turn out to be a tragedy. The
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  Speaker 1: dust was flipped away by the wind, and as the
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  Speaker 1: air cleared, Clancy fell to his knees on the cliff's edge. Hello,
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  Speaker 1: He called, in a voice husky with apprehension. There was
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  Speaker 1: no answer, and the gruesome fears of the red headed
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  Speaker 1: fellow increased. Some of the dust was rolling below the
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  Speaker 1: brink of the wall, and he could not see clearly.
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  Speaker 1: Straining his eyes downward, he shouted again, this time he
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  Speaker 1: was electrified by hearing an answering shout. It came up
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  Speaker 1: through the thinning fog of dust, and was strong and
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  Speaker 1: apparently from near at hand. The fellow who had rolled
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  Speaker 1: over the edge had not fallen to the bottom of
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  Speaker 1: the cliff. After all, where are you, demanded Clancy. I'm
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  Speaker 1: where I'm glad to be, But where a wishel wasn't
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  Speaker 1: was the rather queer response. Feller, that's born to be
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  Speaker 1: hung or drowned, howsoever, ain't going to be put out
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  Speaker 1: of business by a chug wagon and a bit of
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  Speaker 1: up and down wall. Pard, do something for me. I
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  Speaker 1: don't reckon. I can do a thing for myself, and
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  Speaker 1: the position I'm in is right juberous. By then, the
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  Speaker 1: dust that entirely cleared away below, and a strange spectacle
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  Speaker 1: presented itself to the eyes of the lad on the brink.
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  Speaker 1: Ten or fifteen feet down, the steep, smooth wall was
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  Speaker 1: broken by a shelf. The shelf was no more than
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  Speaker 1: a foot and a half in width, and a stunted
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  Speaker 1: bush was growing at its edge. The stranger's body had
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  Speaker 1: met the obstruction in its fall and was now lying
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  Speaker 1: on the shelf, wedged in between the bush and the
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  Speaker 1: face of the cliff. The stranger lay quietly in his
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  Speaker 1: perilous berth, half on his back, with face upturned. He
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  Speaker 1: could not have been more than seventeen or eighteen years
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  Speaker 1: of age, and he wore a faded shirt of blue flannel,
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  Speaker 1: corduroy trousers and tight high heeled boots. Those cow boots,
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  Speaker 1: constructed for riding rather than for walking, had undoubtedly got
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  Speaker 1: him into his dangerous predicament. They had given him no
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  Speaker 1: firm foothold in a lighting from his sudden jump, and
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  Speaker 1: he had fallen and rolled from the edge of the cliff.
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  Speaker 1: Get up on your feet, called clancy. I'll lower myself
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  Speaker 1: as far as I can and try to take your
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  Speaker 1: hand and pull you up. Narry part, came the answer.
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  Speaker 1: I reckon as how I'd better imitate a piece of
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  Speaker 1: bloom and brick, a brawn, a mantel shelf. If I
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  Speaker 1: get to squirman, that bitter brush pulls up and lets
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  Speaker 1: me down. See how it is? Throw down a rope.
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  Speaker 1: I haven't a rope. Then, by glory, I a pine.
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  Speaker 1: I was born to be busted in fraggyments at the
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  Speaker 1: foot of this here cliff. Why ever, ain't you got
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  Speaker 1: a rope? The stranger seemed composed enough, and certainly he
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  Speaker 1: took a very peculiar view of the situation. He wasn't frightened,
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  Speaker 1: at least not so Clancy could notice it. You've got
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  Speaker 1: to upend yourself somehow, declared Clancy. Straighten yourself up right
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  Speaker 1: along the wall, nor reach as high as you can.
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  Speaker 1: Maybe our hands will meet. Bush has given way, was
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  Speaker 1: the answer. I can feel it pulling out. One thing
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  Speaker 1: I want you should do for me. Friend, what's that?
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  Speaker 1: Find out who that simmer Roune was that was driving
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  Speaker 1: that gas cart, Then scalp him and say you've done
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  Speaker 1: it for James Montague Fortune, which is me Adio's pard
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  Speaker 1: that blame. Bush can't stand the strain much longer. Oh
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  Speaker 1: take a brace, can't you? Clancy answered sharply. If you've
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  Speaker 1: got to drop anyhow, you might as well do it
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  Speaker 1: while trying to save yourself. Here. Look, with his left
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  Speaker 1: arm around a boulder at the cliff's edge, Clancy, flat
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  Speaker 1: on the ground, was reaching his right hand downward. See
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  Speaker 1: if you can't get hold of my hand, He went on,
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  Speaker 1: do that, Fortune, and I'll pull you up. Come on, now,
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  Speaker 1: you can make it if you try, you're the most
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  Speaker 1: persistentest I ever seen, rumbled James Montague Fortune. You can't
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  Speaker 1: even let a feller fall down a cliff in beasts. Well,
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  Speaker 1: if you're set on it, I'll make a stagger to
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  Speaker 1: get up. But I'm telling you it's a powerful, small
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  Speaker 1: piece of standing ground I got, and it tips the
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  Speaker 1: wrong way, and as smooth as it was greased. Here's
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  Speaker 1: where I caper reckon. I might as well shoot off
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  Speaker 1: into the dizzy void as to go rolling down the
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  Speaker 1: face of the rocks of a beasily handful of chopparrel. Slowly,
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  Speaker 1: and while Clancy held his breath and waited, Fortune began
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  Speaker 1: twisting himself into a sitting posture. The bush gave a
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  Speaker 1: sudden heath, and its top bent until it was sticking
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  Speaker 1: straight out at right angles to the cliff wall. Clancy
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  Speaker 1: whooped in an agony of fear. The other looked up
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  Speaker 1: at him calmly told you he called couldn't even hang
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  Speaker 1: up percimum and that clump or brush without giving at
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  Speaker 1: the wiggle waggles. And here I'm trying to balance a
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  Speaker 1: hundred and forty pounds on it. Don't take no head
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  Speaker 1: for arithmetic to figure out what's going to happen. I'm
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  Speaker 1: giving myself a minute and a half. How much do
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  Speaker 1: you give me? I'd like to give you a punch,
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  Speaker 1: howl Clancy for wasting time when you haven't an instant
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  Speaker 1: to spare. Get up, reach for my hand quick, Ain't
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  Speaker 1: you the funny whopper? Though? Here's where I get up
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  Speaker 1: and fall off. With a quick, wiry contortion, Fortune hoisted
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  Speaker 1: himself erect and hugged the smooth, steep wall with both arms.
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  Speaker 1: A bushel of rock and debris went bounding downward from
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  Speaker 1: the shelf, booming and echoing into the debts. The bush
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  Speaker 1: went too, and Fortune, in his absurd boots, was balanced
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  Speaker 1: on a slippery foothold with a gulf below and a
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  Speaker 1: glassy wall overhead. Darned if I can savvy this, he murmured.
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  Speaker 1: I'm here yet, Ain't I take my hand? Shouted Clancy.
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  Speaker 1: This was something Fortune could not do. One reached down
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  Speaker 1: and the other reached up. But a foot gap separated
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  Speaker 1: their groping fingers. Splice out that arm about a foot part,
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  Speaker 1: said Fortune, and we'll make it. I'll do it, declared Clancy.
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  Speaker 1: Hang on a minute longer. He drew back from the edge,
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  Speaker 1: hastily unbuckled a belt about his waist, removed it, buckled
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  Speaker 1: it once more, and then, clinging tightly to the leather loop,
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  Speaker 1: lowered it over the cliff. The maneuver was successful. Fortune
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  Speaker 1: gripped the band of stout leather, and Clancy, exerting a
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  Speaker 1: surprising amount of strength, dragged the chap below back over
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  Speaker 1: the brink into safety. Blamed if you didn't make it,
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  Speaker 1: exclaimed Fortune, in a tone of surprise, as he squatted
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  Speaker 1: on the edge of the precipice. Wouldn't have believed it possible.
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  Speaker 1: No how, what's your handle? Pard? Clancy gave him the handle,
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  Speaker 1: and the two shook hands. Now that you've pulled me
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  Speaker 1: out of that difficulty, remarked James Montague Fortune, what do
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  Speaker 1: you a pine to do with me? Huh? End of
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  Speaker 1: chapter one, chapter two of Owen Clancy's Run of Luck
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  Speaker 1: by Bert else Standish. This Librivok's recording is in the
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  Speaker 1: public domain. Jimmy Fortune. Fortune had the sort of good
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  Speaker 1: natured face that reflects an easy going disposition. He was
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  Speaker 1: about as handsome as Owen Clancy, which is the same
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  Speaker 1: as saying that he would never be hung for his
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  Speaker 1: good looks, but his face was attractive for all that.
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  Speaker 1: His nose was a snub, and his eyes were narrow
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  Speaker 1: and crinkled all around where a perennial smile had puckered
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  Speaker 1: them and left its marks. Handsome is as handsome does always,
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  Speaker 1: and it was safe to say that James Montague Fortune,
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  Speaker 1: while a peculiar chap in some respects, possessed a cheerful
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  Speaker 1: soul and a nature most companionable. What am I going
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  Speaker 1: to do with you? Repeated Clancy, studying Fortune with humorous eyes.
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  Speaker 1: That's not my business, is it. This is a free
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  Speaker 1: country and you're your own boss. Sure, was the reply.
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  Speaker 1: But I'm tired of beIN my own boss. It's too
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  Speaker 1: big a job an I ain't able to swing it.
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  Speaker 1: I'm right, smart of a feller, clancy and husky and
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  Speaker 1: able more than I can tell. But I'd be dan
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  Speaker 1: binged if I'm much of a success. How'd you like
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  Speaker 1: to sign me on for my board and keep and
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  Speaker 1: say fifty plunks a month? Humph. Clancy threw back his
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  Speaker 1: red head and burst into a laugh. Where's a joke?
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  Speaker 1: Asked Fortune? What use have I got for a chap
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  Speaker 1: like you? Clancy returned, why I'm looking for a job myself.
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  Speaker 1: That's why I'm going to Phoenix, Fortune, and I'm walking
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  Speaker 1: to save stage fare for MESA. Didn't know you might
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  Speaker 1: be a Vanderfeller or a Rocky built in disguise grinned Fortune.
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  Speaker 1: I've worked for perty night everybody in southern Arizona. An.
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  Speaker 1: I just wanted to add you to my list of employers.
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  Speaker 1: I don't seemed to be able to hold a job long.
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  Speaker 1: Shortest time I was ever hired and fired was fifteen minutes,
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  Speaker 1: and the longest time was two days. Fortune. That's a
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  Speaker 1: bully name, Ain't it? Never done me no good? Though?
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  Speaker 1: If you can't hire me, maybe you'd like me for
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  Speaker 1: a part. I'll be your compadre just for my boarding.
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  Speaker 1: Keep how about it? Clancey shook his head. I'm going
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  Speaker 1: to have all I can do to crall my own boarding. Keep, Jimmy,
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  Speaker 1: he answered, hum mused Fortune, rubbing his chin. You're the
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  Speaker 1: blamedest feller. Well, I was on that ledge down there.
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  Speaker 1: You says somethin' about punchin my head. Reckon you could
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  Speaker 1: get away with it, I don't know, said the surprised Clancy.
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  Speaker 1: If you're as good as you look, I'd probably have
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  Speaker 1: a handful. Fortune got his feet under him, stepped into
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  Speaker 1: the road and put up his hands. Come on, he yelled,
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  Speaker 1: what do you mean? Can't you tell what I mean?
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  Speaker 1: Jest I looking? Was a cheerful response. Take a hold
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  Speaker 1: of me and slam me down. Bet you can't. You
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  Speaker 1: want to fight one or two other of us? Goes
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  Speaker 1: on us back. In about two minutes, Fortune began hopping
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  Speaker 1: around in his high heeled boots. Hit me in the eye.
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  Speaker 1: He begged, sawing the air with his fists for a
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  Speaker 1: few moments. Clancy was astounded. Fortune's grin was wide and inviting.
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  Speaker 1: In fact, he was about the pleasantest slugger Clancy had
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  Speaker 1: ever seen. Cut out the foolishness, said, Owen, what reason
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  Speaker 1: have I got to fight with you? Shucks? You got
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: to have a reason for ever blame thing. Climb a
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  Speaker 1: neck if you got the sand, Ain't I big an
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  Speaker 1: hard enough? Abruptly, Clancy made up his mind to enter
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  Speaker 1: heartily into the spirit of the affair. So he sprang
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  Speaker 1: erect and sailed into Jimmy Fortune, whom he had just
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  Speaker 1: saved from being dashed to pieces at the bottom of
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  Speaker 1: the cliff. Thump, thump, thump. The sodden fall of fists
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  Speaker 1: was heard during a sharp given take. Clancy, who had
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  Speaker 1: forgotten more of the science than Fortune ever knew, had
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  Speaker 1: all the best of it. Fortune clinched, and then Clancy,
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  Speaker 1: with a fine exemplification of the old reliable double grapevine,
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  Speaker 1: laid his antagonist on his back in the middle of
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  Speaker 1: the road. Fortune got up with a joyous laugh, caressing
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  Speaker 1: a bruise on his chin with one hand and with
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  Speaker 1: the other wiping the dust out of his eyes. I
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  Speaker 1: reckon you'll do, said he, You're as good as you look, Clancy. An,
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: then some let's be parts. Huh, we'll travel together and
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  Speaker 1: all look after my own board and keep I'm for
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  Speaker 1: Phoenix to find a livin same as you. Why not
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  Speaker 1: make a stab at the old bergen double harness. I
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: could just love a feller that slammed me down like that.
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: Fortune was so delighted that his mirth was infectious. Clancy
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: saw no occasion for all that abandon of happiness, and
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: yet it was impossible not to join in his companion's
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  Speaker 1: rollicking mirth. All right, Jimmie said he we'll be parts,
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: and we'll go on together. Suppose we travel allah will
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: have to travel if we ever reached Phoenix, but see
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  Speaker 1: where it is ready. Side by side, they continued on
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  Speaker 1: along the treacherous trail. I got to uncork, remarked fortune,
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: and tell ye more about myself. Some folks calls me
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: a desert rat, but that there's a libel. I'm just
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: a rollin' stone. But I'd stop rolling blame quick if
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: anybody had hired me, an keep me hired. Why don't
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: you stay hired? Mainly because I'd do the wrong thing.
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: We'll catchin on to a new line o work. An
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: assayer gave me a chance in Prescott. An sent me
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: to grindin at a mutherboard. I tipped over the table
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: and busted a carboy of sulfuric acid. An got run
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: out of the place. That's where I lasted fifteen minutes.
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: Another time I took a throw at a general store
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: and temp an believe me. I was busy izzy for
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: one hug. Store was crowded. The hat to be in
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: about six places to want it. The boss reckoned he
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: had a prize from the way I flew around, but
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: he changed his mind when he diskivered I'd left the
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: spigot of the molasses barrel open. The floor of the
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: back room was ankle deep in sweet stuff. An the
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: old man made a pass at me with his foot.
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: I dodged the foot, and he slipped and went down
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: in the black strap. He rolled over and over, and
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: when he chased me through the front door of the emporium,
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: he had gathered up purty night everything in the store,
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: like a piece of fly paper, a bolt calico, a
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: couple of feather dusters, fifteen or twenty pounds of crackers. Oh,
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: I can't begin to tell all the stuff was stickin
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: to him. The damage was right considerable, and I ain't
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: had the nerve to go back to tamp. Since Clancy
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: enjoyed Fortune's reminiscences, there was no doubt that the Wanderer
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: drew heavily on his imagination, but that merely made his
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: recital the more interesting. It's been a year since I
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: tackled Phoenix, went on, Jimmie, I'll work that bunch of
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: adobees up and down in a crossman. Maybe some of
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: em have kind of forgot me, and I'll get another show.
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: What field of industry you aimin to hit? Bricktop want
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: to get a job in a garage, said Owen. The
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: other looked at him with quickened interest. You bug on
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: the motors, Well you might call it that, laughed Owen,
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: never tried to myself. Looks like a promising field. Wonder
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: if we couldn't get jobs in the same garage. Maybe
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: we could, And then again, maybe there isn't a garage
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: in Phoenix that has a place for us. I have
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: a note for a thousand dollars that I want to
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: collect from the proprietor of a garage. And what's the
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: matter with you? Demanded Clancy, breaking off. Suddenly fortune had
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: come to a dead stop in the trail. He stared
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: at his new part, then craned his head forward and
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: put a hand behind his ear. Oh, Travesei murmured, come
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: again with that red, I know fer how much thousand dollars? Gee, wallops,
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: I didn't know there was that much denarrow in the world.
• 19:08
  Speaker 1: And here you tune up and allow you couldn't hire
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: me at fifty plunks a month. The note doesn't belong
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: to me, Clancy explained, But to my father the folks
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: need the money, and I may have a hard time
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: collecting it. You say you have been in Phoenix Jimmy,
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: I was there good an plenty for six months. Ever
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: hear of a man named Rockwell, silas Rockwall. Jimmy gave
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: a startled jump. Wow, he yielded no Rockwall, continued Clancy.
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: He's my uncle Cy, but he never had no use
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: for any of the rest of the family. Sort of
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: an even thing red because none of the rest of
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: the family ever had much use for him. He runs
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: the Red Star Garage on First Avenue, and he was
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: never known to pay a cent. If he could dodge
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: or run away. If he owes your folks money, then
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: you'd better forget it. You can get blood out of
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: a turner quicker, and you can get coal cash out
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: of uncle Ci. My people knows him by the love
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: and name of old Rocks, and Fortune's voice trailed off
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: into silence. He and Clancy were standing on the slope
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: of the mountain, near the place where the trail left
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: the uplift and straightened out across the flat desert. Fortune's
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: eyes were fixed on something at the foot of the descent,
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: something which seemed to hold him spellbound. Clancy, his wonder
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: aroused by his companion's behavior, dropped his gaze to the
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: foot of the slope. What he saw there surprised him.
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: The big automobile which had so recklessly swept past him
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: in fortune on the heights, was at a halt at
• 20:41
  Speaker 1: the edge of the brown dusty plain. A smaller car
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: facing the other way, was drawn up beside the six
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: cylinder machine. Two men had got out of the small car.
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: One of them was stoutly built, well dressed, and of
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: middle age. This man's panama hat was pushed back on
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: his head, and he seemed to be violently agitated. The
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: driver of a large machine was on the ground, and
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: to him, the stout gentleman was addressing himself. The other
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: man hovered around in the background. This third member of
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: the party at the foot of the slope was tall
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: and thin, and wore a linen duster, a cap, and
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: had a pair of goggles pushed up on his forehead.
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: Great Jumpin' Tarantula's gasped fortune. Talk O the old nick an,
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: Ye hear him a snorin' read that man in the
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: duster down there, his uncle, Cy, wouldn't this rattle your spurs?
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: Who's the other man? Jimmy queried, Owen, I'm by but
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: the feller that other Chap's talkin' to is the one
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: that drove me over the cliff. Whoop yah ride, Here's
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: where I get even watch my smoke. With that, Fortune
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: rushed down the sloping trail at top speed Glance. He
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: followed him swiftly, calling out as he went, don't do
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: anything reckless, Jimmy, look out, y'll get herself into trouble.
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: Somebody's going to get into trouble, all right. Fortune flung
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: back over his shoulder and raced on end of chapter two,
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: chapter three of Owen Clancy's Run of Luck by Bert
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: el Standish. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: the Motor Wizard. As Clancy drew nearer the group at
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: the foot of the slope, it became apparent that the
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: stout gentleman was laying down the law to the driver
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: of the big car. Rockwell continued to hang discreetly in
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: the background. Into this group. Fortune plunged like a whirlwind.
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: In half a minute, he had laid violent hands on
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: the chauffeur, and the two fell to struggling with might
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: and main. The chauffeur was older than Fortune, although about
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: the same size, and he protected himself with a good
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: deal of vigor. In spite of his utmost effort. However,
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: the Wanderer threw him and dropped on his chest with
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: both knees. Then, as he drew back his fist to strike,
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: the stout Man grabbed his arm. What do you mean,
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: you young savage, the man cried, Here, Rockwall, help me
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: get these two apart. Rockwall helped, and so did Clancy.
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: In a little time, the two antagonists were dragged away
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: from each other and held firmly at a distance. Their
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: glances crossed angrily. If it's a fight you want, snarled
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: the chauffeur, I'm willing to accommodate. No one can jump
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: me like that without taking his medicine. By gory, he
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: ought to have your face pounded in, shouted fortune. You
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: run me down on the narrower trail up the mountain,
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: and I had to roll over the edge of the
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: cliff to get away from you. What do you mean
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: by wailing along a road like that without ever giving
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: a fellow whose hoof in it a chanced for himself?
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: Look here, Dirk Hibbert called the stout man, fastening a
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: stern glance on the chauffeur. Is that what you did
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: you can't believe that? Whelp Judge answered Hibbert. You know
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: I'm a careful driver. He's making up that yarn out
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: of whole cloth. I slowed up and sounded the Gabriel,
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: and he knows it slowed up, jeered Fortune, You torp
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: pass me at forty miles an hour? Ain't that so? Part?
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: And he appealed to Clancy. Yes, said Clancy, it's so.
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: He sounded the horn but never slackened speed at all,
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: but had to be quick to get out of his way.
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: The judge favored Clancy with a keen look. Evidently he
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: was impressed by the youth's appearance and truthfulness. Well, remarked
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: the judge. Maybe Hibbert deserves a licking, but he'll get
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: worse than that before I'm done with him. You keep
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: hands off, he added to Fortune, I'll not stand for
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: any rough house. He pushed Fortune away and nodded to
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: Clancy to take charge of him and restrain his hostile ardor.
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: Clancy at once passed to the side of his friend
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: and caught his arm restrainingly. Rockwell, who did not seem
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: to recognize Fortune as a relative, got off into the background.
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: Once more so went on the judge in scathing tones,
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: again giving attention to Dirk Hibberd. You take my car
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: out without permission and go over mountain trails with it
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: at forty miles an hour. What have you to say
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: for yourself, Judge Pembroke answered Hibbert. These two hoboes are
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: pulling the wool over your eyes. I don't see why
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: you were taking their word against mine. You know me
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: and they're strangers. Is that right? Did I or did
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: I not tell you never to take that machine out
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: of the garage without permission? Flared the judge. Why yes,
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: but you knew my wishes to day. You thought I
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: was going to Prescott, and you deliberately disobeyed instructions. I
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: changed my mind about going north and telephoned the garage
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: for the car. Rockwell told me you had taken the
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: car and gone north by this road. He and I
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: followed you and found you at the foot of the
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: mountain with the car disabled. Where have you been, Hibberd?
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: The chauffeur wore a guilty look, but he made a
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: show of defending himself. The motor wasn't working well, judge said.
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: He and I took the car over the trail to
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: get it in shape. Oh, you did, answer the judge.
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: You took it over the mountain trail at forty miles
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: an hour just to get the motor in shape. Likely, Yarn,
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: you seem to have got in an excellent condition. For
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: the car is disabled and can't turn a wheel. Why
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: don't you fix it? I'm trying to answered Hibberd. But
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: it promises to be a long job. I don't know
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: just where the difficulty is. The judge whirled on Rockwell,
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: can you locate the trouble? He asked, I want to
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: take this car back to the garage. I'm not going
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: away and leave it here. The garage proprietor came up
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: to the machine. Both sides of the hood had been lifted,
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: and he stooped down and looked the motor over critically.
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: Engine seems all right, said he. Maybe there's no gasoline
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: in the tank tanks half full, returned Hibbard with a scowl.
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: Then maybe the carburetor carburetor's and apple pie order, averred
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: the chauffeur. All that being the case, went on Rockwall reflectively.
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: I reckon, we'd better hitch a rope to the machine
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: and haul it back to the garage for an overhauling.
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: Classy's keen eyes had been going over the motor. At
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: a glance. He had located the difficulty, and he was
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: amazed to hear the garage owner and the chauffeur assert
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: their ignorance of it. The trouble's plain enough, he blurted out,
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: I can locate it from here. Instantly, the red headed
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: fellow captured the complete attention of the judge. Rockwall and Hibbard.
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: You must be a wonder sneered Hibberd. I've been driving
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: a car for four years, but maybe you know a
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: heap more than I do. You act like one of
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: those chaps that know it all? Are you a mechanic?
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: Inquired Rockwall. Mechanic? Jeered Hibbert. He's an expert. Can't you
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: tell that by looking at him? Regular redheaded fix it?
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: You don't know what's wrong, Rocks, and I don't. Let's
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: see if he can go ahead and make good Clancy
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: under this fire of ill natured talk kept his temper
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: well in hand. Fortune grew restive and was plainly eager
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: to give Hibberd as good as he said, but his
• 28:26
  Speaker 1: pard checked him with a look. It doesn't take an
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: expert nor much of a mechanic to tell what is
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: wrong with that engine? Said he. If the rest of
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: the car is in order, I can settle the difficulty
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: in thirty seconds. Wow, cried Hibberd with an ugly laugh.
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: He's a wizard, a regular motor wizard. He rolls up
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: out of the desert, and that will do. Cut in
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: the judge sharply, what is your name, young man, he asked,
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: turning to Clancy. Clancy told him Rockwell. When he heard
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: the name, gave a start and looked at the lad
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: More closely, you say, continued the judge, pulling a gold
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: time piece from his vest, that you can make my
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: car ready for the road in thirty seconds. Go ahead
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: and make good. I'll time you. Clancy smiled as he
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: stepped forward. All right, said he. He bent down and
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: manipulated a couple of wires leading from the magneto to
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: the spark plug. Then he straightened up. That's all, he remarked.
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: You've got fifteen seconds more, said the judge. Go on,
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: it's all over, Judge. The wires were crossed. That's all,
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: easy enough to see and easy enough to fix. Rockwell
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: and Hibbard exchanged a quick glance It was a significant
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: glance and did not escape either Clancy or Fortune, although
• 29:44
  Speaker 1: it was entirely lost upon the judge. You mean to
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: say the trouble is remedied, inquired Judge Pembroke, incredulously. I
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: think so, Clancy answered, providing the rest of the cars
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: in condition. The crossing of wires from magneto to Sparklela
• 30:00
  Speaker 1: Luggs will disable any car. See if you can crank
• 30:03
  Speaker 1: the machine. Clancy lowered the sides of the hood, fastened
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: them in place, and then walked back and adjusted the spark.
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: One spin of the cranks set the engine to humming.
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: Well by George, exclaimed the judge, and neither Rockwall nor
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: Hibbert could tell what was wrong. What do you know
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: about that? He asked, turning to the garage proprietor. Rockwall
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: merely grunted and began cranking his own machine preparatory to
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: a return to town. Hibbert's face was like a thundercloud.
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: The animosity he had previously shown toward Fortune had seemingly
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: shifted to Clancy. Like Rockwall, However, Hibbert had nothing to say.
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: I suppose you can drive a car. Clancy, the judge asked,
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: certainly was the reply. Then I'd like to have you
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: drive me back to town. I don't want to take
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: the place of your chauffeur, Judge, said Clancy. And besides,
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: I have a little business with mister Rockwall and would
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: like to ride with him. We can transact the business
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: very nicely. On the way to town. Rockwell, who was
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: behind the wheel of the other machine, shot another quick
• 31:10
  Speaker 1: glance at Clancy. I reckon, I'll take the rumble seat
• 31:13
  Speaker 1: of the other car and ride with you, Pard, spoke
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: out Fortune. I reckon, you won't, snapped Rockwell. You'll either
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: ride with the judge, young man, or else you'll walk.
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: Judge Pembroke seemed surprised at this ugly show of temper.
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: You're welcome to ride in my car, said he to Fortune.
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: Wait for me at the garage, Jimmy, said Clancy, providing
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: you get there before we do. If we get there first,
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: I'll wait, correct, returned Fortune, and climbed into the tonneul
• 31:42
  Speaker 1: of the Judge's machine. The judge, with no very good grace,
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: motioned Hibbert to climb to the driver's seat, and then
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: followed and took the seat beside him. I'll see you again, Clancy,
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: called the judge as the big car started off, I
• 31:56
  Speaker 1: want to have a talk with you. Clancy got in
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: with rock Will, and the smaller machine got under way.
• 32:03
  Speaker 1: For several minutes, Rockwell sat bowed over the steering wheel,
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: and did not speak. At last, he thought out enough
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: to remark, I wouldn't have had that happen for a
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: hundred dollars. What business of you butting into my affairs?
• 32:16
  Speaker 1: If it comes to that, what's your business with me? Anyway?
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: Come across with it? End of chapter three, Chapter four
• 32:30
  Speaker 1: of Owen Clancy's Run of Luck by Bert L. Standish.
• 32:35
  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Clancy gets
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: a job. There was nothing friendly in Rockwell's voice. In fact,
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: his very words showed an enmity for which Clancy was
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: at a loss to account. I was helping out, the
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: judge said he. I didn't know I was butting into
• 32:54
  Speaker 1: your affairs. You may Pembroke think I didn't know what
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: was wrong with his car? Well you didn't. Did you
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: think I'm a fool? Think I? Rockwall broke off suddenly,
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: as though realizing he was going too far. Pembroke is
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: one of my best customers. He went on. He keeps
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: two cars at my garage, that big one and an
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: electric for his wife. You've made him think I don't
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: know my business and I'm liable to lose his trade.
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: That's why I'm sore about your butting in. There was
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: something here which Clancy could not understand. If Rockwell knew
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: what was wrong with the judge's car, and it was
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: foolish to think that a man who ran a garage
• 33:35
  Speaker 1: could not locate so simple a difficulty, then why hadn't
• 33:39
  Speaker 1: he fixed the motor instead of offering to tow the
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: car in for an overhauling. Clancy, who was quick witted,
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: fell to wondering if Hibbert and Rockwall might not be
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: in cohoots to secure money from the judge for repairs
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: that were not needed. The chauffeur had shown that he
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: was not to be trusted, and Clancy had heard stories
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: of Rockwell which were far from being a credit to him.
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: All this, however, was merely guesswork, knowing nothing. Absolutely, Clancy
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: reserved judgment. I'm sorry if I did you a bad turn,
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: mister Rockwall, said he but it seems queer that Hibberd
• 34:14
  Speaker 1: would misrepresent things to the judge and never mind that
• 34:17
  Speaker 1: cut in Rockwall. You made a show of Hibberd and
• 34:20
  Speaker 1: me before the judge. But that's done with now, and
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: I'll see if I can't smooth things over. Pembroke seems
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: to have taken a fancy for you, and you can
• 34:29
  Speaker 1: help me and maybe Hibberd too, by keeping away from him.
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: What's your business? I like to work with motors and
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: I want to place in a garage. I was going
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: to Phoenix to see you about it. Have you a
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: place for me? A look of relief crossed Rockwall's face,
• 34:47
  Speaker 1: and his voice took on a more friendly tone as
• 34:49
  Speaker 1: he answered, I'd like to give you a job, but
• 34:51
  Speaker 1: hanged if I see how I can got more men
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: now than I know what to do with. Is that all? No,
• 34:59
  Speaker 1: said Clancy, There's something else. Rockwall grew uneasy again, and
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: his former gruffness came back with a rush. What else?
• 35:08
  Speaker 1: He grunted? You know a man named John Clancy, don't you? Yes? Well,
• 35:15
  Speaker 1: I'm John Clancy's son. Owen Clancy is my name. Your
• 35:20
  Speaker 1: father was killed in Mexico, wasn't he. No, he went
• 35:24
  Speaker 1: down there to save some of his investments and just
• 35:26
  Speaker 1: managed to escape with his life. He's sick and in
• 35:29
  Speaker 1: bad shape, and I've sent him back east to recover
• 35:32
  Speaker 1: his health. I see what about his Mexican investments. He
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: lost everything he had down below the line. The revolutionists
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: cleaned him out. Too bad, Too bad, murmured Rockwall. John
• 35:47
  Speaker 1: Clancy was well off and a good sort of man.
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: But what's all this to do with me? The way
• 35:54
  Speaker 1: things are now, mister Rockwall, pursued Clancy, the governor needs
• 35:57
  Speaker 1: all the money he can get hold of. He'll let
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: you have a thousand dollars, and you gave him a
• 36:02
  Speaker 1: note for it. The note is long past two, and
• 36:05
  Speaker 1: I'm here to collect the money. Rockwall's brows wrinkled in
• 36:09
  Speaker 1: a hard frown. Where's that note, he demanded. Clancy drew
• 36:15
  Speaker 1: an old black wallet from the breast of his shirt,
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: opened it, and removed an oblong slip of paper. Here,
• 36:21
  Speaker 1: said he, pushing the paper over the steering wheel and
• 36:23
  Speaker 1: under the eyes of Rockwell. The latter pushed up his goggles,
• 36:27
  Speaker 1: stared at the note for a moment, and then pulled
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: the goggles down over his eyes. Again. That's the paper,
• 36:33
  Speaker 1: all right, he observed. Why wasn't it presented when due
• 36:37
  Speaker 1: I had the money? To pay it then, but I'm
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: pretty badly crowded. Just now, you'll pay it, asked Clancy.
• 36:43
  Speaker 1: Hopefully always pay my obligations if I'm given time enough.
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: But I can't do it right off, Clancy, You'll have
• 36:51
  Speaker 1: to give me a week or two to round up
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: the money. Clancy returned the note to the wallet and
• 36:56
  Speaker 1: the wallet to the breast of his shirt. I want
• 36:59
  Speaker 1: to close the matter up as quickly as possible, mister Rockwell,
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: he answered. You see, I've got to find a job
• 37:05
  Speaker 1: right away and get busy. I haven't any money to
• 37:08
  Speaker 1: waste loafing around. If there is no garage in Phoenix
• 37:11
  Speaker 1: that can find a place for me, I'll have to
• 37:13
  Speaker 1: go to some other town. Rockwell remained thoughtful for several minutes.
• 37:19
  Speaker 1: I ever work in a garage, she asked, No, was
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: the answered. Up to now, I haven't had to work.
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: Dad has had plenty of money, and I was attending
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: an academy and getting ready for college when the crash came.
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: I had to quit school and look for work. The
• 37:35
  Speaker 1: care of the family now falls on me, and and
• 37:37
  Speaker 1: I've got to make good Now that I know your
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: John Clancy's son, said Rockwell slowly, I'm inclined to do
• 37:45
  Speaker 1: more than ordinary to make a place for you. That
• 37:48
  Speaker 1: thousand I got from your father on my plain note
• 37:50
  Speaker 1: helped me over a mighty tight pinch, and that's the
• 37:53
  Speaker 1: main reason I'd like to be of some use to you.
• 37:57
  Speaker 1: Clancy was surprised and delighted at the expression of these sentiments.
• 38:01
  Speaker 1: From what he had heard regarding Rockwell, he expected to
• 38:04
  Speaker 1: find in the man a cunning and scrupulous person who
• 38:07
  Speaker 1: would be exceedingly hard to deal with. Yet here Rockwell
• 38:10
  Speaker 1: was showing a grateful disposition which did not tally with
• 38:13
  Speaker 1: the reports of his character which had come to Clancy.
• 38:17
  Speaker 1: If Clancy could have seen the goallful light in Rockwell's eyes,
• 38:20
  Speaker 1: it is safe to say he would not have been
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: so pleased. But the goggles hid the garage owner's eyes,
• 38:26
  Speaker 1: and the youth was left in the darkest to what
• 38:28
  Speaker 1: was passing in the man's mind. I'll appreciate anything you
• 38:32
  Speaker 1: can do for me, said Clancy, with feeling. Are you
• 38:35
  Speaker 1: willing to do what I tell you and to keep
• 38:37
  Speaker 1: your mouth shut? Asked Rockwell. I'll obey orders, of course,
• 38:42
  Speaker 1: and do the best I can. As for talking, I'll
• 38:45
  Speaker 1: close up like a clam about everything that concerns you
• 38:47
  Speaker 1: and your business. It was an honest, straightforward answer, but
• 38:52
  Speaker 1: it failed to make the proper impression on Rockwell. Somehow,
• 38:56
  Speaker 1: the garage business is peculiar, remarked Rockwell. To make anything
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: at all, the proprietor of a garage has to pull
• 39:02
  Speaker 1: a lot of wires. Now, Judge Pembroke just wallows and money,
• 39:07
  Speaker 1: and he wants his cars in the best condition always.
• 39:10
  Speaker 1: I've been at him for a long time to get
• 39:12
  Speaker 1: that big machine overhauled. But as long as it runs
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: fairly well, he seems to be satisfied. That's the way
• 39:19
  Speaker 1: with car owners. And a complaining note entered the man's voice.
• 39:23
  Speaker 1: I know a heap better than the judge what's best
• 39:25
  Speaker 1: for his car. And if I don't do some tinkering
• 39:28
  Speaker 1: with it before long, he'll have a bad spill on
• 39:30
  Speaker 1: the road. Can't make him see that, though. In order
• 39:34
  Speaker 1: to get that machine and put it in a one order,
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: I had to resort to tact. Get me tacked, echoed Clancy.
• 39:43
  Speaker 1: That's the word. I was doing it all for the judge.
• 39:46
  Speaker 1: I knew those wires were crossed, and so did Hibbard.
• 39:50
  Speaker 1: What it was after was to tow the big car
• 39:51
  Speaker 1: back to Phoenix and put it in apple pie order.
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: Hibbert and I were working together. Of course I had
• 39:58
  Speaker 1: to give Hibberd a bonus. But then all chauffeurs draw
• 40:01
  Speaker 1: down a commission on about everything they expect it, and
• 40:04
  Speaker 1: if a garage proprietor don't poney up, they'll work at
• 40:07
  Speaker 1: so the car finally lands in some other garage when
• 40:11
  Speaker 1: things like that happen. Clancy, I want you to keep
• 40:14
  Speaker 1: your own counsel. If you do that, maybe I can
• 40:17
  Speaker 1: find a place for you. If you can't be diplomatic,
• 40:21
  Speaker 1: there isn't much that I can do for John Clancy's son.
• 40:24
  Speaker 1: What about it? Rockwell was plausible, but he was not
• 40:29
  Speaker 1: plausible enough to fool Clancy. The red headed chap was
• 40:32
  Speaker 1: badly disappointed. Rockwell was crafty, if not downright dishonest. I
• 40:39
  Speaker 1: guess you don't want me, mister Rockwell, said Clancy. I
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: haven't been brought up to stand for that sort of thing. Bosh,
• 40:46
  Speaker 1: your too thin skinned. Business is business, young fellow, and
• 40:50
  Speaker 1: nowadays a man has to be mighty shrewd if he
• 40:53
  Speaker 1: makes good. It's principally the rich men who keep cars
• 40:56
  Speaker 1: in garages, and it's necessary to keep their machines in
• 40:59
  Speaker 1: tram even if you have to use tact once in
• 41:02
  Speaker 1: a while to get permission to overhaul a car. As
• 41:06
  Speaker 1: for the driver's end of it, well maybe that's plain graft,
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: but it's legitimate so far as the garage owner is concerned.
• 41:13
  Speaker 1: If he keeps his customers, he has to pay the
• 41:15
  Speaker 1: driver his bit. I need work, said Clancy, But I'm
• 41:20
  Speaker 1: going to be square. If I can't make good without stealing,
• 41:23
  Speaker 1: then I won't make good. That's all. Silence settled down
• 41:28
  Speaker 1: between the two. The car rolled into Washington Street and
• 41:31
  Speaker 1: along it to First Avenue. As it turned into the avenue,
• 41:35
  Speaker 1: the front of the garage was brought plainly into sight.
• 41:38
  Speaker 1: A big red star hung over the door. Above the
• 41:41
  Speaker 1: star were the words red Star garage, and below it
• 41:45
  Speaker 1: the attractive legend free Air. The garage was an Adobe structure,
• 41:51
  Speaker 1: but it looked rather imposing and prosperous. The man in
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: greasy overclothes was out in front filling a radiator. Another car,
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: spick and spin from recent grip, was just sliding through
• 42:01
  Speaker 1: the broad doorway into the street. In front of the building,
• 42:05
  Speaker 1: on a bench sat Judge Pembroke and Jimmy fortune. Evidently
• 42:10
  Speaker 1: they were waiting for Clancy to arrive. Rockwell muttered something
• 42:14
  Speaker 1: under his breath. I'll give you a job as mechanics
• 42:17
  Speaker 1: helper at fifty a month to start, said he, and
• 42:20
  Speaker 1: I'll trust you to do the right thing by me.
• 42:22
  Speaker 1: Is it a go, yes, Clancy answered, when am I
• 42:27
  Speaker 1: to begin tomorrow morning? As Clancy got out of the
• 42:32
  Speaker 1: car in the garage, he turned to find Judge Pembroke
• 42:34
  Speaker 1: at his elbow. I've just discharged, Hebert said he and
• 42:39
  Speaker 1: I want another driver. I'll give you seventy five a
• 42:42
  Speaker 1: month to work for me, Clancy, Will you take the place? Clancy,
• 42:46
  Speaker 1: for a moment, was stumped. I'm sorry, sir, he answered,
• 42:50
  Speaker 1: but I've just hired out to mister Rockwell. You're not
• 42:54
  Speaker 1: half as sorry as I am, said the judge, turning away.
• 42:57
  Speaker 1: If you don't like it, here, come and see me. Rockwell,
• 43:01
  Speaker 1: just getting out of the car, chuckled under his breath.
• 43:05
  Speaker 1: End of chapter four, Chapter five of Owen Clancy's Run
• 43:14
  Speaker 1: of Luck by Bert else standish this LibriVox recording is
• 43:19
  Speaker 1: in the public domain. Hibbert shows his teeth. It was
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: hard for Clancy to understand Rockwell at first. He had
• 43:28
  Speaker 1: no place opened for Clancy at all. After he saw
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: the thousand dollar note, he suddenly discovered that he could
• 43:35
  Speaker 1: put him on the pay roll, providing he could do
• 43:37
  Speaker 1: his work and keep his own counsel. And finally, when
• 43:40
  Speaker 1: Clancy declined the position if he must turn his back
• 43:43
  Speaker 1: and his principles, Rockwell took him on anyway. It did
• 43:48
  Speaker 1: not occur to Clancy that Rockwell might have a design
• 43:50
  Speaker 1: in these shifty tactics, and that the design underwent changes
• 43:54
  Speaker 1: as Clancy developed his aims and intentions. As the judge
• 43:58
  Speaker 1: walked off leading cl Nancy poorer by twenty five dollars
• 44:02
  Speaker 1: a month because of his promise to Rockwell. Fortune saw
• 44:05
  Speaker 1: a chance and took quick advantage of it. Hold your
• 44:08
  Speaker 1: bronx a minute, judge, he called, hurrying after pembroke, I'm
• 44:12
  Speaker 1: big for my size, an oh from my age, and
• 44:14
  Speaker 1: I reckon I could pull down that seventy five a
• 44:17
  Speaker 1: least same Clancy, what do you say? The judge paused
• 44:21
  Speaker 1: and cast a reflective eye over Jimmy. Can you drive
• 44:25
  Speaker 1: a car? He inquired me Gee, Wallops say I invented cars.
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: If the diaphragm gets cross ways of the rasmatas so
• 44:35
  Speaker 1: that the needle valve backfires. I can fix it in
• 44:38
  Speaker 1: ten seconds with my eyes done up in a cloth. Bosh,
• 44:42
  Speaker 1: interfered Rockwall. You don't want a thing to do with
• 44:45
  Speaker 1: that good for nothing judge. I happen to know him.
• 44:48
  Speaker 1: He can't tell a radiator from a bale of hay.
• 44:52
  Speaker 1: I don't think you'll do, said the judge to Fortune,
• 44:54
  Speaker 1: and walked off down the street. You're a fine uncle
• 44:58
  Speaker 1: for a wanderin' boy that's trying to get at a foothole,
• 45:00
  Speaker 1: cried Fortune, turning on the garage owner out with a
• 45:04
  Speaker 1: hammer and knock on the rest of the family ass
• 45:06
  Speaker 1: per usual. If I had a disposition like Yorn blamed,
• 45:10
  Speaker 1: if I wouldn't go down where the boats come in
• 45:12
  Speaker 1: an jump off, you get out o here, shouted Rockwall.
• 45:17
  Speaker 1: When I get good an ready, I ain't an your
• 45:20
  Speaker 1: old chug wagon corral, but out in front you don't
• 45:23
  Speaker 1: own the street, I reckon. If you don't like my company,
• 45:27
  Speaker 1: start your feet and change locations. Whoosh see. If I
• 45:31
  Speaker 1: was as mean an backbitin' as full of low down
• 45:34
  Speaker 1: schemes as you, I'd be glad to bob up an
• 45:37
  Speaker 1: straighten on a society once again a while, just to
• 45:40
  Speaker 1: catch your breath the good air, i'd Brockwell, red with
• 45:44
  Speaker 1: rage and muttering to himself, did not pause to hear
• 45:47
  Speaker 1: any more, but dive through the front door of the garage.
• 45:51
  Speaker 1: He looked out again to call to his new employee.
• 45:54
  Speaker 1: I'll expect you to sleep here nights, Clancy. If you
• 45:57
  Speaker 1: go away, get back by eight o'clock. All right, sir
• 46:01
  Speaker 1: Clancy answered. Rockwell disappeared, and Fortune dropped down on the
• 46:05
  Speaker 1: bench and drew Clancy down beside him. You low coed, pard,
• 46:10
  Speaker 1: Fortune demanded, I hope not, was the reply. Why what's
• 46:16
  Speaker 1: all Rocks payin you fifty a month? Why didn't you
• 46:21
  Speaker 1: jump at the judge of seventy five? Because I had
• 46:24
  Speaker 1: already agreed to work for Rockwell? Why didn't you turn
• 46:28
  Speaker 1: Rocks down when I give a promise? I tried to
• 46:31
  Speaker 1: stand by it. Who's goin a pin a rose on
• 46:35
  Speaker 1: you for that? Old Rocks? Forget it. He's workin a scheme,
• 46:40
  Speaker 1: and already you're beginnin to get the worst of it.
• 46:42
  Speaker 1: What did he say about that? Note said he pay
• 46:46
  Speaker 1: me the money in a week or two? He never will,
• 46:49
  Speaker 1: and all he's doin' is playin for time you an
• 46:52
  Speaker 1: me can't trot in double harness if you stay here, Red,
• 46:56
  Speaker 1: I was sort of bankin on takin your little hand
• 46:59
  Speaker 1: in mine. An goin up for a look at the universe.
• 47:02
  Speaker 1: And here you've cut yourself off from Jimmy and Joan
• 47:05
  Speaker 1: A first clatter out of the box. We'll keep track
• 47:08
  Speaker 1: of each other, laughed Clancy, and maybe I'll be able
• 47:11
  Speaker 1: to help you to a job before long. How are
• 47:14
  Speaker 1: you fixed for money, Jimmy, money, gasped Fortune. What's that
• 47:20
  Speaker 1: I ain't on speakin terms with the sue mar Key.
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: Clancy took two silver dollars from his pocket and pressed
• 47:26
  Speaker 1: them into his friend's hand. That's not much, Jimmy said he,
• 47:30
  Speaker 1: but it's the best I can do for the present.
• 47:33
  Speaker 1: That ought to keep you going for a short time.
• 47:35
  Speaker 1: I don't think I'm going to like it at this garage,
• 47:38
  Speaker 1: she went on, dropping his voice. But I've got to
• 47:40
  Speaker 1: stay here till I collect the money on that note.
• 47:43
  Speaker 1: Drop around occasionally, let me know where you are. Fortune
• 47:47
  Speaker 1: looked at the two pieces of silver reflectively. You aren't
• 47:51
  Speaker 1: the clear quill Red. He finally observed this, here's a
• 47:55
  Speaker 1: grubstay and that means you got a half interest in
• 47:57
  Speaker 1: any vain of pay Rock I'm able to kiver maybe
• 48:01
  Speaker 1: I ain't named Fortune for nothing after all. And we
• 48:04
  Speaker 1: go snooks on whatever grows up from these two plunks
• 48:07
  Speaker 1: after I've planted em hoop allah. The queer chap got
• 48:12
  Speaker 1: up from the bench with a wide smile, jingling the
• 48:14
  Speaker 1: money in his trouser pocket. Just as he started away,
• 48:18
  Speaker 1: Dirk Hibbert darted around the corner of the garage and
• 48:21
  Speaker 1: rushed up to Clancy. The fellow's manner was distinctly hostile,
• 48:25
  Speaker 1: and in a flash, Clancy was on his feet. I reckon,
• 48:29
  Speaker 1: you're plumb satisfied now, exclaimed Hibbert, bitterly resentful Fortune on
• 48:34
  Speaker 1: his way toward Washington Street, halted and faced around. Well, yes,
• 48:39
  Speaker 1: drawl Clancy, looking the discharge chauffeur squarely in the eyes.
• 48:43
  Speaker 1: I've got a job, and I suppose I ought to
• 48:45
  Speaker 1: be satisfied. You laid your plans to get old Pembroke
• 48:49
  Speaker 1: to fire me. It's nothing to me whether the judge
• 48:52
  Speaker 1: keeps you or fires you, and I didn't lay any plans.
• 48:56
  Speaker 1: I'm working for Rockwell and not for Judge Pembroke. You
• 48:59
  Speaker 1: want to to get my jaw for that mutton head
• 49:01
  Speaker 1: friend of yours, breathed Hibbert through his teeth. Who's the
• 49:05
  Speaker 1: mutton head, demanded Fortune, stepping forward truscelently me keep off, Jimmy,
• 49:11
  Speaker 1: said Clancy. Hibbert's business is with me, not with you.
• 49:15
  Speaker 1: I don't care a rap about you, one way or
• 49:17
  Speaker 1: the other. He went on to Hibbert. But it's my
• 49:20
  Speaker 1: private opinion that the judge did a good piece of
• 49:22
  Speaker 1: work when he pulled the pin on you. I've an
• 49:24
  Speaker 1: idea that you have been double crossing him right along,
• 49:27
  Speaker 1: and that he has just begun to find it out.
• 49:31
  Speaker 1: Mean to say, I'm a thief, asked the other hotly.
• 49:34
  Speaker 1: Any fellow who will disable a car just to get
• 49:37
  Speaker 1: a commission for having it over hauled isn't giving much
• 49:40
  Speaker 1: attention to the interests of his employer. What's more, Hibbert's
• 49:44
  Speaker 1: face was full of wrath. With a muttered oath, he
• 49:47
  Speaker 1: struck at Clancy with his fist. The red headed chap
• 49:50
  Speaker 1: was not taken by surprise. He had kept his eyes
• 49:53
  Speaker 1: on the chauffeur's face, and he knew that blow was
• 49:56
  Speaker 1: coming an instant before it was launched. Clancy, sa I
• 50:00
  Speaker 1: stepped with the swiftness of lightning, and the clenched hand
• 50:03
  Speaker 1: found only space. Before Hibbert could recover his balance, Clancy
• 50:07
  Speaker 1: had struck him and sent him to his knees. Glee.
• 50:11
  Speaker 1: You'll read to snakes and all Slashet, piped Fortune jubulantly
• 50:15
  Speaker 1: hard You've found him. That little surprise party was something
• 50:18
  Speaker 1: of a jolt. The sim Roon went gunning for more
• 50:22
  Speaker 1: than he expected. With a bellow of rage, Hibbert regained
• 50:26
  Speaker 1: his feet and plunged into the garage. The next moment,
• 50:29
  Speaker 1: a monkey wrench came sailing through the door, but Clancy
• 50:32
  Speaker 1: saw it in time to dodge. Hibbert followed the monkey
• 50:35
  Speaker 1: wrench in person, armed with a hammer. His face was
• 50:38
  Speaker 1: working convulsively, and he seemed absolutely beside himself. I'll kill you,
• 50:44
  Speaker 1: he cried huskily. Fortune leapt to take a hand in
• 50:48
  Speaker 1: the set to, but Clancy ordered him back. Leave Hibbert
• 50:52
  Speaker 1: to me, he said, I can handle him. Fortune, his
• 50:56
  Speaker 1: eyes wide with apprehension for his part, retreated slowly, and
• 50:59
  Speaker 1: why what he saw was something of a revelation to him.
• 51:03
  Speaker 1: In the art of self defense, the red headed chap
• 51:06
  Speaker 1: gave a pretty demonstration of coolness and skill as opposed
• 51:09
  Speaker 1: to brute strength and unreasoning rage. Whirling the hammer in short,
• 51:13
  Speaker 1: vicious circles, Hibbert executed a furious attack. Clancy stood his
• 51:18
  Speaker 1: ground until the fellow was close. Then he sprang high
• 51:21
  Speaker 1: into the air. His feet shot out, and the toe
• 51:24
  Speaker 1: of one shoe landed on the wrist of the hand
• 51:26
  Speaker 1: that held the hammer. The heavy weapon went clattering to
• 51:29
  Speaker 1: the cement walk. Then, while the driver stood disarmed, Clancy
• 51:34
  Speaker 1: sailed into him with vigor and determination. In almost less
• 51:38
  Speaker 1: time than it takes to tell of it, Hibberd was tripped,
• 51:40
  Speaker 1: flung from his feet, and cast against the adobe wall.
• 51:44
  Speaker 1: The force of his fall dazed him, and he sat
• 51:46
  Speaker 1: in a quivering heap, his back to the adobe and
• 51:49
  Speaker 1: his eyes blinking up at Clancy. What's this? Called the
• 51:53
  Speaker 1: sharp voice of Rockwell, who came hurrying through the door.
• 51:57
  Speaker 1: Hibberd picked a quarrel with me, answered Clancy calmly. His
• 52:00
  Speaker 1: fists weren't good enough, and he went after a monkey
• 52:03
  Speaker 1: wrench and a hammer. The garageonder looked down on the driver.
• 52:08
  Speaker 1: Haven't you got any sense at all? He asked sternly.
• 52:11
  Speaker 1: Do you think you're helping yourself any by this kind
• 52:13
  Speaker 1: of work? Hibbert shook his head as though to clear
• 52:17
  Speaker 1: the fog from his brain and got up slowly. That
• 52:20
  Speaker 1: red headed skunk has uchred me out of a job,
• 52:23
  Speaker 1: he growled. I'll get even with him by thunder. If
• 52:26
  Speaker 1: I can't get him one way, I will another. My
• 52:30
  Speaker 1: advice to you, Hibbert, is to sing small, said Rockwall.
• 52:33
  Speaker 1: Don't want to get yourself in the lock up, do you?
• 52:37
  Speaker 1: I don't care a whoop where I get myself if
• 52:39
  Speaker 1: I can saw off. Even with that dub, he made
• 52:42
  Speaker 1: another pass the Clancy with his fist, but Rockwell grabbed
• 52:45
  Speaker 1: the doubled arm and pulled the baffled chauffeur off along
• 52:48
  Speaker 1: the walk toward the main street. The two presently turned
• 52:51
  Speaker 1: the corner and were lost to sight. Hibberd's no match
• 52:55
  Speaker 1: for you, ready, said Fortune. But you look out for
• 52:58
  Speaker 1: him jest the same. He's a sort that'll hit from
• 53:01
  Speaker 1: behind a strike in the dark mind that Clancy laughed lightly.
• 53:07
  Speaker 1: Hibbert can't scare me, he answered. He's sore because he
• 53:10
  Speaker 1: lost his job. An he's blaming everybody but himself. Why
• 53:14
  Speaker 1: you're watchin him, pard, said Fortune. Keep a weather eye
• 53:18
  Speaker 1: up for old rocks. He aller says. A few tricks
• 53:21
  Speaker 1: up his wide and flown sleeve an I don't like
• 53:24
  Speaker 1: the looks of things around these diggin's. That's honest. End
• 53:29
  Speaker 1: of chapter five, Chapter six of Owen Clancy's Run of
• 53:38
  Speaker 1: Luck by Bert else Standish. This LibriVox recording is in
• 53:42
  Speaker 1: the public domain Rockwell's scheme. Hibbert sputtered wrathfully while Rockwell
• 53:50
  Speaker 1: led him across the street and to a bench in
• 53:53
  Speaker 1: the City Hall plaza. The bench was partly screened from
• 53:56
  Speaker 1: passers by by a clump of tall oleanders. Sit down,
• 54:00
  Speaker 1: Hibbert said, Rockwell, I want to talk a little sense
• 54:03
  Speaker 1: into that foolish brain of yours if I can. I
• 54:06
  Speaker 1: don't want to do any chinning, protested Hibbert. I lost
• 54:09
  Speaker 1: a good job and don't want to get even with
• 54:12
  Speaker 1: the chap that stole it away from me. Pembroke paid
• 54:15
  Speaker 1: me seventy five a month, but the calms and er
• 54:18
  Speaker 1: other things brought me in a hundred and fifty and
• 54:21
  Speaker 1: sometimes two hundred. I ain't a goin to be pried
• 54:24
  Speaker 1: loose on that snap without makin that red headed robbers
• 54:27
  Speaker 1: smart for it. Oh hush, returned the garage owner impatiently.
• 54:32
  Speaker 1: You're talking at the top of your voice, and it
• 54:35
  Speaker 1: would be easy for someone to overhear you. That wouldn't
• 54:38
  Speaker 1: do Hibbert, You know Pesky, Well, it might get you
• 54:40
  Speaker 1: into trouble me, was the grim response. I allowed, there
• 54:45
  Speaker 1: are some others that would get into trouble too. He
• 54:48
  Speaker 1: peered at Rockwell significantly. Eh, never mind about that, was
• 54:53
  Speaker 1: the uneasy response. Just cool off, will you so we
• 54:56
  Speaker 1: can talk? Sensibly, Hibbert seemed to get him self better
• 55:00
  Speaker 1: in hand. His voice dropped, his manner changed, and he
• 55:04
  Speaker 1: sank down on the bench. Did you give that red
• 55:07
  Speaker 1: headed bud Ensky a job? He asked resentfully. Yes, if
• 55:13
  Speaker 1: you've got any jobs to throw around, you might toss
• 55:15
  Speaker 1: one my way. Why in blazes did you want to
• 55:18
  Speaker 1: hire that other yap? I hired him to keep him
• 55:21
  Speaker 1: away from Pembroke. The judge was waiting when we got
• 55:25
  Speaker 1: back to the garage, but he was too late. I
• 55:28
  Speaker 1: had already taken Clancy into my employ at fifty dollars
• 55:30
  Speaker 1: a month. Didn't the judge offer him what I was getting? Yes,
• 55:35
  Speaker 1: chuckled Rockwell. But the fellow has got peculiar ideas about business.
• 55:40
  Speaker 1: He wouldn't accept the judge's offer of seventy five a
• 55:42
  Speaker 1: month when he had hired out to me for fifty.
• 55:45
  Speaker 1: I thought he was a fool. Grunted Hibbert. He's easy.
• 55:49
  Speaker 1: He wants to be straight and square, he says, And
• 55:52
  Speaker 1: and work for you, Struck in the other significantly, No comments, Dirck.
• 55:58
  Speaker 1: I'd do as legitimate a garage business as I can,
• 56:00
  Speaker 1: but with the commissions demanded by you drivers, I have
• 56:04
  Speaker 1: to figure close and use tact in order to make
• 56:06
  Speaker 1: a living. If chauffeurs would play fair, garage keepers wouldn't
• 56:10
  Speaker 1: have to scheme so confound at heart to make both
• 56:13
  Speaker 1: ends meet. Piffle, sneered Hibbert. Everybody knows you're a skinner, Rocks,
• 56:18
  Speaker 1: and if the drivers didn't make you whack up with them,
• 56:20
  Speaker 1: you'd stuff all the velvet into your own pocket. That's
• 56:24
  Speaker 1: your way of looking at it. Rockwell answered patiently, but
• 56:27
  Speaker 1: you're wrong. That has nothing to do with this case. Though,
• 56:31
  Speaker 1: that red headed chump beat me out of a big
• 56:33
  Speaker 1: commission on overhauling the Judge's machine, didn't he I was
• 56:36
  Speaker 1: to get twenty five percent of the bill you ran
• 56:38
  Speaker 1: up on the judge, in addition to ten and five
• 56:41
  Speaker 1: on extra parts for repairs. Whose scheme was that? Eh?
• 56:45
  Speaker 1: You hatched it up and asked me to work it
• 56:47
  Speaker 1: out for you. Your new employee got next to the
• 56:50
  Speaker 1: crossed wires. Now I'm out of a job, and the
• 56:53
  Speaker 1: judge don't even suspect that you had a hand in
• 56:56
  Speaker 1: putting the car at a commission? Is that right? You
• 56:59
  Speaker 1: ought to find a place for me, Rockwall, the garage owner,
• 57:03
  Speaker 1: did not reply at once. He appeared to be turning
• 57:05
  Speaker 1: something over in his mind. Why didn't you let Pembroke
• 57:09
  Speaker 1: take him on, continued Hibbert. Then I could have had
• 57:12
  Speaker 1: this place you've given him. I had to give Clancy
• 57:16
  Speaker 1: a job, Rockwell answered, why. Rockwall peered around cautiously. There
• 57:22
  Speaker 1: was no one on the graveled walks of the plaza
• 57:24
  Speaker 1: in their vicinity. There's something you can do for me, Hibbert,
• 57:28
  Speaker 1: he proceeded, I'll give you a couple of hundred if
• 57:30
  Speaker 1: you pull it off. If you have a grouch against
• 57:33
  Speaker 1: young Clancy, you can wipe it out. At the same time,
• 57:37
  Speaker 1: Hibbert was profoundly interested on the instant. Tell me about it,
• 57:41
  Speaker 1: said he, I'll do anything to play even with Clancy.
• 57:45
  Speaker 1: Rockwall's face grew stern and uncompromising as he went on,
• 57:49
  Speaker 1: If I let you in on this and you betray
• 57:51
  Speaker 1: my confidence in any way, you'll get yourself into a
• 57:54
  Speaker 1: peck of trouble. Hibbert, the chauffeur looked at him curiously.
• 58:00
  Speaker 1: It comes to handing out trouble rocks, he returned grimly.
• 58:03
  Speaker 1: I allow two can play at that game. We know
• 58:06
  Speaker 1: too much about each other to do any double crossing.
• 58:09
  Speaker 1: Play square with me, and I'll do the same with you. You've
• 58:12
  Speaker 1: got such a blooming temper. The garage man hesitated that
• 58:16
  Speaker 1: I don't know whether it would be wise to trust you.
• 58:19
  Speaker 1: The minute you lose the whip hand of yourself, you
• 58:22
  Speaker 1: fly all to pieces and blurt out everything you know.
• 58:26
  Speaker 1: Don't you believe it? I never blurred out anything that's
• 58:29
  Speaker 1: liable to get me into hot water. But why did
• 58:32
  Speaker 1: you bring this matter up? If you think I can't
• 58:34
  Speaker 1: be trusted, well, I'm going to take a chance. You're
• 58:38
  Speaker 1: about the only one that fills the bill for this
• 58:40
  Speaker 1: particular piece of work, and circumstances have shaped themselves so
• 58:44
  Speaker 1: that you are the logical man. I'll have to explain
• 58:47
  Speaker 1: a few details so that you'll get the matter straight.
• 58:50
  Speaker 1: This Owen Clancy, the fellow I have just hired, is
• 58:53
  Speaker 1: the son of a man named John Clancy. John Clancy
• 58:57
  Speaker 1: hired cars from the garage a good many times, and
• 59:00
  Speaker 1: we got to know each other pretty well. He's a
• 59:02
  Speaker 1: mining engineer and picked up a pot of money. I understand, though,
• 59:07
  Speaker 1: that he has lost most of it in Mexico, and
• 59:09
  Speaker 1: that he has now gone back to his home in
• 59:11
  Speaker 1: the east, a physical and mental wreck. Young Clancy is
• 59:15
  Speaker 1: taking care of the family. What has all that to
• 59:18
  Speaker 1: do with my work? It has a bearing on it.
• 59:22
  Speaker 1: Several months ago, I was pretty hard pressed and I
• 59:25
  Speaker 1: needed a thousand dollars to see me through. I got
• 59:28
  Speaker 1: the money of John Clancy, giving him my plain unendorsed note.
• 59:32
  Speaker 1: The note became due, but was not presented for payment.
• 59:36
  Speaker 1: I heard Clancy had been killed by Mexican revolutionists, and
• 59:39
  Speaker 1: I naturally believed I never would have to pay that note.
• 59:43
  Speaker 1: Now and the sharp lines gathered in Rockwell's face. Young
• 59:47
  Speaker 1: Clancy turns up with the paper and wants the money.
• 59:50
  Speaker 1: Hibberd laughed softly. And you don't want to cough it up, eh,
• 59:54
  Speaker 1: he asked, Not just at present? What's more, Hibbard, I
• 59:58
  Speaker 1: don't want any trouble on account that note. You'll not
• 1:00:02
  Speaker 1: have any trouble. Everybody knows that all your property is
• 1:00:05
  Speaker 1: in your wife's name. She didn't sign the note with you,
• 1:00:08
  Speaker 1: did she No? Then let Clancy whistle. I can't do that.
• 1:00:14
  Speaker 1: If young Clancy Susan tries to collect, the publicity would
• 1:00:17
  Speaker 1: be a bad thing for the business. Why didn't Clancy's
• 1:00:20
  Speaker 1: father deposit the note in the bank before he went
• 1:00:23
  Speaker 1: to Mexico? I don't know. The thing that concerns me
• 1:00:27
  Speaker 1: is that young Clancy is here with the note and
• 1:00:29
  Speaker 1: demands payment. I have told him that I would try
• 1:00:32
  Speaker 1: and give him the money in a couple of weeks,
• 1:00:35
  Speaker 1: so remarked Hibbert, in order to keep him quiet and comfortable,
• 1:00:39
  Speaker 1: you have given him a job. Is that the way
• 1:00:41
  Speaker 1: of it? That is partly the way of it. So
• 1:00:45
  Speaker 1: long as he has the note, he possesses a weapon
• 1:00:47
  Speaker 1: which he can use against me at any time. Frankly, Hibbert,
• 1:00:51
  Speaker 1: I don't see how I can get the money together
• 1:00:53
  Speaker 1: in a couple of weeks. Borrow it of missus Rockwell
• 1:00:57
  Speaker 1: the garage under winked. That is out of the question,
• 1:01:01
  Speaker 1: he answered. I borrowed the money of Clancy to pay
• 1:01:04
  Speaker 1: a gambling debt, and I want to keep the whole
• 1:01:06
  Speaker 1: thing quiet. Where do I come in? What do you
• 1:01:09
  Speaker 1: want me to do? Here's the way of it, returned Rockwell,
• 1:01:13
  Speaker 1: if I had that note in my possession, if I
• 1:01:16
  Speaker 1: could get hold of it without Young Clancy's knowledge, I could.
• 1:01:20
  Speaker 1: You could tear it up and save yourself a thousand
• 1:01:23
  Speaker 1: dollars plus interest, said Hibbard, with an evil grin. I
• 1:01:26
  Speaker 1: get you, Old Rocks. The other frowned. No, you don't
• 1:01:31
  Speaker 1: get me, he growled. You're too ready to think me crooked.
• 1:01:34
  Speaker 1: If I had the note of my own hands, and
• 1:01:36
  Speaker 1: if it got to me without Young Clancy's knowledge, I
• 1:01:39
  Speaker 1: could hold it until I was ready to pay over
• 1:01:41
  Speaker 1: the money. And while I was getting ready, Clancy couldn't
• 1:01:45
  Speaker 1: make me any trouble at all. He'd simply think he
• 1:01:47
  Speaker 1: lost the note. See, I'd be white with him too. Well.
• 1:01:51
  Speaker 1: I was getting the money together to take up the note.
• 1:01:53
  Speaker 1: I'll let him work for me at fifty a month. Then,
• 1:01:57
  Speaker 1: coming down to cases, observed Hibberd. You won't tell me
• 1:02:00
  Speaker 1: to steal that note from young Clancy. Turn it over
• 1:02:02
  Speaker 1: to you and get a couple of hundred for my trouble.
• 1:02:06
  Speaker 1: I'm not interested particularly in how you secure the paper
• 1:02:09
  Speaker 1: from Clancy. The moment you put it in my hands,
• 1:02:12
  Speaker 1: I will give you two hundred dollars. It will be
• 1:02:14
  Speaker 1: worth that to me to have two or three months
• 1:02:16
  Speaker 1: extension of time on the obligation. Does Clancy carry the
• 1:02:21
  Speaker 1: note around with him? Asked Hibbert, already beginning to figure
• 1:02:24
  Speaker 1: on ways and means for his rascally exploit. Yes, it
• 1:02:28
  Speaker 1: is in a black wallet, in the breast of his
• 1:02:29
  Speaker 1: flannel shirt. Where does he hang out at nights? He'll
• 1:02:34
  Speaker 1: be in the little broom back of the garage with
• 1:02:36
  Speaker 1: a significant rejoinder. I'm having him sleep there to help
• 1:02:40
  Speaker 1: out the night man in case there is a rush
• 1:02:41
  Speaker 1: of work. You know all about the garage, Hibbert, the
• 1:02:45
  Speaker 1: trick ought to come easy for you. All I want
• 1:02:48
  Speaker 1: is a little more time on that note, and this
• 1:02:50
  Speaker 1: is about the only way I can get it. Hibbard,
• 1:02:54
  Speaker 1: knowing Rockwell's so well, felt positive in his own mind
• 1:02:57
  Speaker 1: that the note, once in the signer's hands, would be destroyed.
• 1:03:02
  Speaker 1: The garage man had a way of giving a plausible
• 1:03:04
  Speaker 1: touch to his rascally undertakings that fooled very few of
• 1:03:07
  Speaker 1: those who understood his character. Are you going to help
• 1:03:10
  Speaker 1: me or aren't you? Demanded Rockwell. I'm going to earn
• 1:03:14
  Speaker 1: that two hundred and get even with Clancy providing Hibbert paused,
• 1:03:19
  Speaker 1: looking at Rockwell out of the tails of his eyes,
• 1:03:22
  Speaker 1: providing what the other asked, providing you give me young
• 1:03:26
  Speaker 1: Clancy's job or another where the chance of rakoff is
• 1:03:29
  Speaker 1: as good. After the thing is over, I've got to live,
• 1:03:33
  Speaker 1: and where in this burg can I get another job
• 1:03:35
  Speaker 1: as chauffeur without a recommendation from Pambrouke. I'll take care
• 1:03:40
  Speaker 1: of you, Hibbert, said Rockwell, end of chapter six, chapter
• 1:03:50
  Speaker 1: seven of Owen Clancy's Run of Luck by Bert al Standish.
• 1:03:54
  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. In the
• 1:03:59
  Speaker 1: Red Star Garage. As soon as Rockwell and Hibbert had disappeared,
• 1:04:04
  Speaker 1: Jimmy Fortune took rather an abrupt leave of Owen. He
• 1:04:07
  Speaker 1: walked rapidly in the direction taken by the garage man
• 1:04:09
  Speaker 1: and the chauffeur, jingling his silver dollars as he went.
• 1:04:13
  Speaker 1: I'll bet something handsome. He's going to keep an eye
• 1:04:16
  Speaker 1: on Rockwall and Hibberd muttered Clancy. Those two fellows trouble
• 1:04:19
  Speaker 1: him a lot more than they do me. Jimmy's a
• 1:04:22
  Speaker 1: pretty good sort of chap, though, if I'm any hand
• 1:04:25
  Speaker 1: at reading character truth to tell, Owen had taken a
• 1:04:28
  Speaker 1: great liking to the irresponsible, happy go lucky Jimmy the
• 1:04:32
  Speaker 1: wanderer had shown no great capacity for anything but celerity
• 1:04:36
  Speaker 1: in losing the various jobs which he had managed to secure,
• 1:04:39
  Speaker 1: and yet his oddness and good nature made him likable
• 1:04:42
  Speaker 1: and a good companion. Clancy went to the garage and
• 1:04:46
  Speaker 1: looked around with considerable interest. One corner of the huge
• 1:04:50
  Speaker 1: room was partitioned off for an office. A couple of
• 1:04:52
  Speaker 1: young fellows who looked as though they might be chauffeurs,
• 1:04:55
  Speaker 1: sat at a table in the office, smoking cigarettes and
• 1:04:58
  Speaker 1: playing cards. The interior walls of the garage were painted
• 1:05:02
  Speaker 1: white and marked off with perpendicular black lines six or
• 1:05:06
  Speaker 1: seven feet apart. Cars of many different makes were berthed
• 1:05:09
  Speaker 1: between these lines. Other cars were drawn out toward the
• 1:05:13
  Speaker 1: middle of the floor, and workmen were tinkering with them
• 1:05:16
  Speaker 1: in an l opening off the rear end of the
• 1:05:18
  Speaker 1: big room. Machines were being washed in another l on
• 1:05:22
  Speaker 1: the opposite side, a sandy whiskered man was vulcanizing attire.
• 1:05:26
  Speaker 1: His face was smudged with oil and grease, but the
• 1:05:29
  Speaker 1: flame striking his features sharply revealed eyes that captured Owen's confidence.
• 1:05:35
  Speaker 1: You're the mechanic here, the new employee asked, approaching the
• 1:05:38
  Speaker 1: bench or the man was at work, you've hit it, son,
• 1:05:41
  Speaker 1: was the reply. I'm going to begin working here tomorrow,
• 1:05:45
  Speaker 1: and I'm sort of looking around to get an idea
• 1:05:47
  Speaker 1: of the place. The man leaned back against the side
• 1:05:51
  Speaker 1: of the bench, picked up a pipe, lighted it, and
• 1:05:54
  Speaker 1: surveyed Clancy thoughtfully through wreaths of smoke. Don't do it,
• 1:05:58
  Speaker 1: said he, shaking his head. I don't know why in
• 1:06:01
  Speaker 1: blazes Rockwall is hiring more help, but that's his business.
• 1:06:05
  Speaker 1: I suppose it's none of my business, either where you
• 1:06:07
  Speaker 1: work or what you do. But you look to be
• 1:06:09
  Speaker 1: as square as a die. If that's the case, then
• 1:06:12
  Speaker 1: the Red Star Garage is no place for you. Clancy
• 1:06:16
  Speaker 1: was surprised at this bit of advice coming from one
• 1:06:19
  Speaker 1: of Rockwall's men. He must have shown how he felt
• 1:06:22
  Speaker 1: for the other, went on quickly. Of course, I'm not
• 1:06:25
  Speaker 1: yelling my advice to you in Rockwall's ears. What I'm
• 1:06:28
  Speaker 1: saying to you is strictly on the q T. If
• 1:06:30
  Speaker 1: you've got a job here, chuck it. But mister Rockwall
• 1:06:34
  Speaker 1: made me an offer, and I accepted it, returned Clancy,
• 1:06:38
  Speaker 1: did he say anything to you about tact and all that. Yes,
• 1:06:42
  Speaker 1: then you're going into the game with your eyes open.
• 1:06:45
  Speaker 1: I guess I didn't read you, right. I guess you did,
• 1:06:48
  Speaker 1: said Owen. I won't stand for the kind of tact
• 1:06:50
  Speaker 1: Rockwell mentioned, and I told him so. Suffer in snakes,
• 1:06:55
  Speaker 1: and then he hired you after that. Yes, I I'm
• 1:07:00
  Speaker 1: by you must have some kind of hold on him,
• 1:07:03
  Speaker 1: I reckon. This garage is a good place for a
• 1:07:05
  Speaker 1: young fellow to start on the downgrade. If you can
• 1:07:08
  Speaker 1: work here and keep square, you're entitled to a medal.
• 1:07:12
  Speaker 1: My name is Barton, Andy Barton. In case you bump
• 1:07:15
  Speaker 1: into anything here where you think a little advice would help,
• 1:07:18
  Speaker 1: call on me. Much obliged, Andy, my name's Owen Clancy,
• 1:07:23
  Speaker 1: and I guess I'm to take hold as one of
• 1:07:24
  Speaker 1: your helpers. Ever worked with cars any not in a garage.
• 1:07:30
  Speaker 1: This is my first job. Andy Barton shook his head gruesomely.
• 1:07:35
  Speaker 1: I reckon, I hadn't better talk to you much just now,
• 1:07:37
  Speaker 1: said he. The boss will want to do that. There
• 1:07:40
  Speaker 1: he comes, and Barton went back to his work. Clancy
• 1:07:44
  Speaker 1: looked around and saw Rockwell just coming into the shop
• 1:07:47
  Speaker 1: wing of the building getting the lay of the land, Clancy,
• 1:07:50
  Speaker 1: the garage man asked pleasantly enough, Yes, was the reply.
• 1:07:55
  Speaker 1: This looks like a pretty good sized establishment. There are
• 1:07:58
  Speaker 1: bigger ones in town, but I don't think you'll find
• 1:08:00
  Speaker 1: any much better. You've met Barton Good. He'll tell you
• 1:08:04
  Speaker 1: what to do when you show up for work in
• 1:08:06
  Speaker 1: the morning. Of course, he added, as Owen strolled away
• 1:08:10
  Speaker 1: with him, there are a lot of car stored here
• 1:08:12
  Speaker 1: that are looked after by the owners themselves. We get
• 1:08:15
  Speaker 1: six dollars a month for space between two of those
• 1:08:17
  Speaker 1: black lines. The rent, along with the sale of gasoline
• 1:08:21
  Speaker 1: and oil, is about all the revenue we get from
• 1:08:23
  Speaker 1: that class of customers. It's the big bugs like Judge
• 1:08:26
  Speaker 1: Pembroke who make the business worth while. He opened a
• 1:08:30
  Speaker 1: door at the rear of the big room and ushered
• 1:08:31
  Speaker 1: Owen into a small apartment, equipped with a bunk, washstand
• 1:08:35
  Speaker 1: and chair, and having a single window for light and air.
• 1:08:39
  Speaker 1: My night man's name is Pruet, continued Rockwell. He takes
• 1:08:43
  Speaker 1: care of the business during the off hours. Occasionally, not
• 1:08:46
  Speaker 1: very often, he is rushed and needs help. That's why
• 1:08:50
  Speaker 1: I want you to sleep in this room, Clancy, and
• 1:08:52
  Speaker 1: I wish you'd sleep here to night if Pruitt has
• 1:08:55
  Speaker 1: much for me to do, said Owen. I can see
• 1:08:57
  Speaker 1: where I'm not going to be of much help to Barton.
• 1:09:01
  Speaker 1: You may never be routed out during the night, but
• 1:09:03
  Speaker 1: I want some one around in case Pruitt has to
• 1:09:05
  Speaker 1: leave the garage with a car. You'll show up here
• 1:09:08
  Speaker 1: this evening. Yes, all right, I'll depend on you. I'll
• 1:09:13
  Speaker 1: tell the helper who has been sleeping here that he
• 1:09:15
  Speaker 1: can begin berthing at home. Give me faithful service, Clancy,
• 1:09:19
  Speaker 1: and I'll see that your wages are raised from time
• 1:09:21
  Speaker 1: to time. I reckon that will be all. You'd better
• 1:09:24
  Speaker 1: go and hunt your supper. Where's your baggage? I've got
• 1:09:28
  Speaker 1: a grip coming over from temp on the stage. Why
• 1:09:31
  Speaker 1: didn't you bring it with you? Because I walked to
• 1:09:34
  Speaker 1: save stage fare Rockwell stared and whistled. Your old man
• 1:09:39
  Speaker 1: must be pretty badly crimped if you had to do that,
• 1:09:41
  Speaker 1: he remarked. Show up here at eight o'clock. You'll not
• 1:09:45
  Speaker 1: be on duty, you understand, Accepting case you're needed, you
• 1:09:48
  Speaker 1: can turn in at eight, or light up and read,
• 1:09:50
  Speaker 1: or spend your time in the office. Please yourself about that.
• 1:09:54
  Speaker 1: Report to Barton in the morning, Clancy went away to
• 1:09:57
  Speaker 1: find a place where he could get his supper. As
• 1:10:00
  Speaker 1: he went, he wondered a little why it was necessary
• 1:10:02
  Speaker 1: for the proprietor of such a prosperous establishment to take
• 1:10:06
  Speaker 1: so much time getting together a thousand dollars. I guess
• 1:10:10
  Speaker 1: Rockwell's a bandit, all right, he muttered. But I'm going
• 1:10:13
  Speaker 1: to be on my guard and see that he doesn't
• 1:10:14
  Speaker 1: get the better of me. That note is a thing
• 1:10:17
  Speaker 1: he can't dodge, and I'm going to keep it right
• 1:10:19
  Speaker 1: in my hands until he takes it up. Clancy found
• 1:10:23
  Speaker 1: a modest restaurant in Washington Street, where the food was
• 1:10:26
  Speaker 1: good and price as reasonable. Although it was still early
• 1:10:29
  Speaker 1: in the evening, the electric lights were sparkling up and
• 1:10:32
  Speaker 1: down the business thoroughfare. As he came out of the
• 1:10:35
  Speaker 1: short order place. He felt like a stranger in a
• 1:10:38
  Speaker 1: strange land, and would have given a good deal for
• 1:10:41
  Speaker 1: the companionship of Jimmy Fortune just then. Never before had
• 1:10:45
  Speaker 1: he been so impressed with the responsibilities that had been
• 1:10:48
  Speaker 1: heaped upon his shoulders, and he was hungry for a
• 1:10:51
  Speaker 1: little friendly talk, and Fortune was his only friend in
• 1:10:54
  Speaker 1: that big town. In better and happier times, the money
• 1:10:58
  Speaker 1: represented by that note of Rockwall's would have had small
• 1:11:01
  Speaker 1: bearing on the fortunes of the Clancys. But now with
• 1:11:05
  Speaker 1: his father sick and his financial affairs gone to reckon Ruin,
• 1:11:08
  Speaker 1: a thousand dollars was a lot of money. Clancy had
• 1:11:12
  Speaker 1: been told that collecting the amount of that note from
• 1:11:14
  Speaker 1: Rockwall was a hopeless undertaking, that the garage man would
• 1:11:18
  Speaker 1: exercise every resource of an unscrupulous nature to get out
• 1:11:22
  Speaker 1: of pain. So he had been surprised and pleased when
• 1:11:25
  Speaker 1: promised the money in a week or two. Perhaps he
• 1:11:28
  Speaker 1: told himself Rockwell wasn't so bad after all, he appeared
• 1:11:32
  Speaker 1: to want to do the square thing, and maybe he
• 1:11:35
  Speaker 1: was not so prosperous as he seen, and would have
• 1:11:38
  Speaker 1: to hustle a little to get the money to take
• 1:11:40
  Speaker 1: up his note. I'll wait on him, murmured Clancy. And
• 1:11:44
  Speaker 1: while I'm waiting, I'll be earning something and getting a
• 1:11:46
  Speaker 1: start in this garage business. The Clancies are about due
• 1:11:49
  Speaker 1: for a run of luck, and maybe this is where
• 1:11:51
  Speaker 1: it starts. The big clock on the court house in
• 1:11:55
  Speaker 1: the plaza was booming the hour of eight as Clancy
• 1:11:58
  Speaker 1: got back to the Red Star Garage. At that time,
• 1:12:01
  Speaker 1: there was not much doing about the place, and Clancy
• 1:12:04
  Speaker 1: passed through the wide doors and made his way to
• 1:12:06
  Speaker 1: the rear room. A man, Pruit, no doubt, was smoking
• 1:12:10
  Speaker 1: a pipe in the office. Clancy did not stop to
• 1:12:13
  Speaker 1: speak with him, but went directly to his own quarters.
• 1:12:16
  Speaker 1: He had bought a jumper, a pair of overalls, and
• 1:12:18
  Speaker 1: a pair of gloves. These he took out of the
• 1:12:21
  Speaker 1: paper in which they were wrapped and laid them to
• 1:12:23
  Speaker 1: one side. In the morning, he thought whimsically, I'll get
• 1:12:26
  Speaker 1: into them and begin brooding for the family. I'm going
• 1:12:30
  Speaker 1: to make good too, although I wish I was starting
• 1:12:32
  Speaker 1: out with any other fellow than Rockwell. For a long
• 1:12:36
  Speaker 1: time he sat in that dingy little room, thinking over
• 1:12:39
  Speaker 1: the past and trying to forecast the future. There was
• 1:12:42
  Speaker 1: a man's work ahead of Owen Clancy, but he faced
• 1:12:45
  Speaker 1: it with an indomitable spirit. Collecting that note was only
• 1:12:48
  Speaker 1: the beginning. After that had been accomplished, bigger things lay ahead.
• 1:12:54
  Speaker 1: An hour or two passed while he sat in the
• 1:12:55
  Speaker 1: little room, wrapped up in his reflections. Then suddenly he
• 1:12:59
  Speaker 1: heard a sound that caused him to start bolt upright
• 1:13:01
  Speaker 1: in his chair. Some one was tapping on the window.
• 1:13:05
  Speaker 1: He turned to look and saw a face pressed against
• 1:13:07
  Speaker 1: the glass. It was the face of Jimmy Fortune, and
• 1:13:10
  Speaker 1: Jimmy had a warning finger laid against his lips. Clancy
• 1:13:14
  Speaker 1: got to his feet and slowly approached the window. Fortune
• 1:13:18
  Speaker 1: motioned upward with his hands, and Clancy carefully raised the sash.
• 1:13:22
  Speaker 1: Somethin doin, pard said Fortune in a husky whisper. I
• 1:13:26
  Speaker 1: got to come in and tell you about it. Lock
• 1:13:28
  Speaker 1: the door over there. I don't want nobody button in
• 1:13:30
  Speaker 1: on us. Make everything tight, and then I'll crawl in
• 1:13:33
  Speaker 1: and bath the hull. Proposition up to you. Clancy secured
• 1:13:37
  Speaker 1: the door, sliding the bolts softly. Meanwhile, Fortune had been
• 1:13:41
  Speaker 1: climbing into the room. As soon as he was inside,
• 1:13:44
  Speaker 1: he lowered the sash noiselessly and pulled down the shade.
• 1:13:48
  Speaker 1: What's the matter, Jimmy, Owen inquired excitedly. I don't know
• 1:13:52
  Speaker 1: just what's the matter, compadre, was the guarded response. But allah,
• 1:13:56
  Speaker 1: I've got the tail end of a wailin' big mystery.
• 1:13:59
  Speaker 1: I come to you for help in figuring it out.
• 1:14:03
  Speaker 1: End of chapter seven, Chapter eight of Owen Clancy's Run
• 1:14:12
  Speaker 1: of Luck by Bert el Standish. This Librivoks recording is
• 1:14:17
  Speaker 1: in the public domain. Fortune's mystery. Jimmy walked over and
• 1:14:23
  Speaker 1: sat down on the edge of the bed. I'm all
• 1:14:27
  Speaker 1: in a takin over what I found out, he remarked.
• 1:14:30
  Speaker 1: But in spite of that, I could slop down on
• 1:14:32
  Speaker 1: this bump and sleep to beat four of a can er. Wow,
• 1:14:37
  Speaker 1: And he threw up his arms and yawned. Ain't it awful?
• 1:14:41
  Speaker 1: He went on, to be so chalk full of agitating things,
• 1:14:44
  Speaker 1: and yet feel like layin rightin down on him an
• 1:14:47
  Speaker 1: pounding your ear. If you've got anything in your system,
• 1:14:51
  Speaker 1: Jimmy said, Owen, now is your chance to get it out.
• 1:14:54
  Speaker 1: When you've done that, you can crawl in between those
• 1:14:56
  Speaker 1: blankets and sleep as long as you please. Maybe I
• 1:15:00
  Speaker 1: won't have no chance to sleep. It all depends on
• 1:15:03
  Speaker 1: how you figure out my diskiveries fussed off part I
• 1:15:08
  Speaker 1: found where Dirk Hibbert went when he hacked off with
• 1:15:11
  Speaker 1: the Jig's car. There was no joy ride you can gamble,
• 1:15:15
  Speaker 1: And he wasn't just trying out the machine to see
• 1:15:17
  Speaker 1: what was wrong with it. He was across the mountain
• 1:15:20
  Speaker 1: palaverorun with Tom Long's got to pass like a bandit.
• 1:15:25
  Speaker 1: Tom Long never heard of him that sim Maroon has
• 1:15:29
  Speaker 1: been keeping pretty quiet for some sort of a while,
• 1:15:32
  Speaker 1: and I opine he's about due to break out if
• 1:15:36
  Speaker 1: there's a train robbery, any other kind of hold up
• 1:15:39
  Speaker 1: anywheres in this part of the range fuss. Thing the
• 1:15:41
  Speaker 1: sheriff does is go inquiring for Tom Long otherwise, chantay
• 1:15:45
  Speaker 1: seech Tom. That's a sort of a maverick he is.
• 1:15:50
  Speaker 1: Why ever do you suppose Hibbert went across the mountain
• 1:15:52
  Speaker 1: to talk to a feller like that? Give it up?
• 1:15:56
  Speaker 1: That ain't all. Maybe I've got something that'll help you
• 1:16:00
  Speaker 1: get a twist on this little game of muggins. But
• 1:16:03
  Speaker 1: I sort of begun my yarn wrong and too. I
• 1:16:06
  Speaker 1: urdd to have commenced at the start instead of going
• 1:16:08
  Speaker 1: along down toward where you're right finish. When your trail
• 1:16:12
  Speaker 1: and mine forked a spell of gold, I had a
• 1:16:15
  Speaker 1: notion I keep track of old Uncle Si and the chauffeur.
• 1:16:20
  Speaker 1: I seen him on a bench in the plaza, thick
• 1:16:22
  Speaker 1: as two thieves, But I couldn't get nigh enough to
• 1:16:24
  Speaker 1: catch the running to conversation. I'll bet it was crooked palaver, though,
• 1:16:29
  Speaker 1: cause old Rocks ain't no better than Hibbert and you
• 1:16:32
  Speaker 1: and me, sabby, what Hibbert is? I didn't linger along
• 1:16:36
  Speaker 1: around the plaza when them two got up and hiked
• 1:16:39
  Speaker 1: two silver dollars. Was burning a hole in my pocket,
• 1:16:42
  Speaker 1: so I mose it over to the palace and played
• 1:16:44
  Speaker 1: him on the red. You gambled that money, Owen demanded, sharply.
• 1:16:50
  Speaker 1: I didn't think it was gambling, part I reckoned. It
• 1:16:52
  Speaker 1: was a cinch. You'd saved my scalp on the cliff side,
• 1:16:56
  Speaker 1: hadn't you? And you and me was pards wasn't we
• 1:17:00
  Speaker 1: an that thatchy yours is karm? I figurin from all
• 1:17:03
  Speaker 1: that I allow it. I'd drop two cases on the red,
• 1:17:06
  Speaker 1: an pull out four. Then I'd stake the four on
• 1:17:09
  Speaker 1: red to win an corral eight, leave the eight on
• 1:17:11
  Speaker 1: the same color, a grap sixteen. I was plannin to
• 1:17:15
  Speaker 1: keep this up till I had to narrow sufficient to
• 1:17:17
  Speaker 1: buy a garage for you in a private yacht, and
• 1:17:19
  Speaker 1: a few other things for myself. But dog gun it
• 1:17:22
  Speaker 1: Red didn't win that fuss time, and the croupyard juggled
• 1:17:26
  Speaker 1: my little two bones into the till. Ain't it scandalous?
• 1:17:30
  Speaker 1: I should say so, muttered Clancy. I ain't give you
• 1:17:34
  Speaker 1: that money to use in gambling fortune, but to keep
• 1:17:36
  Speaker 1: you going till you'll land it a job. Now your
• 1:17:39
  Speaker 1: money's gone and you haven't a thing to show for it,
• 1:17:43
  Speaker 1: easy part. Sure I've got somethin to show for it.
• 1:17:46
  Speaker 1: If I hadn't gone to the palace, I wouldn't a
• 1:17:48
  Speaker 1: met Slim Simmons, would I who was Slim Simmons, desert rat?
• 1:17:54
  Speaker 1: I seen him a heap of times when we saw
• 1:17:56
  Speaker 1: each other, a whole lot. He come over the same
• 1:17:59
  Speaker 1: trail whe did, but he was ahead of us. I
• 1:18:02
  Speaker 1: got to Prelavern with Slim and refers incidental to Hibbert
• 1:18:06
  Speaker 1: and the way he forked me over the cliffs. Simmons
• 1:18:09
  Speaker 1: allows Hibberd was the same juniper he'd seen gassing with Long.
• 1:18:12
  Speaker 1: Tom otherwise Tom Long, you see. Slim stopped at chant
• 1:18:17
  Speaker 1: Ay siege us for a drink, and he glimpsed Hibbert
• 1:18:20
  Speaker 1: and Long pow wow and cautious and careful by the
• 1:18:22
  Speaker 1: ranch corral. Slim asked Hibert for a ride into town,
• 1:18:26
  Speaker 1: and Hibbert wouldn't have it. Hibbert must have stayed at
• 1:18:29
  Speaker 1: Tom Long's quite a while, for Slim was able to
• 1:18:32
  Speaker 1: get pretty well over the trail afore Hibbert came along
• 1:18:34
  Speaker 1: and passed you and me. That's how I discovered where
• 1:18:37
  Speaker 1: Hibert had been. There's more, though, While Slim and me
• 1:18:41
  Speaker 1: was gassing at one corner of the palace, who rolls
• 1:18:44
  Speaker 1: into the place, but chant day siege himself. This long
• 1:18:49
  Speaker 1: Tom came to the gambling house, surest thing you know.
• 1:18:53
  Speaker 1: He walked in big as life, and twice at his
• 1:18:56
  Speaker 1: ordery and dropped down at the table behind the piano.
• 1:19:00
  Speaker 1: I allowed, I'd walk over to him past the time
• 1:19:02
  Speaker 1: of day and acquire as to what Hibbard was doing
• 1:19:04
  Speaker 1: in his ranch. That was my id, And just as
• 1:19:07
  Speaker 1: I was going to carry it out, in comes Hibbard
• 1:19:10
  Speaker 1: and sits down at the same table with Long. Neither
• 1:19:13
  Speaker 1: rhythm saw me, so I just hung back and watched.
• 1:19:17
  Speaker 1: They got real confidential them two by and by. Hibbert
• 1:19:21
  Speaker 1: takes a pencil and paper from his pocket, makes a
• 1:19:23
  Speaker 1: diagram chant a Seach considers it. There's more talk, a
• 1:19:28
  Speaker 1: little drinking, then the two shakes hands and separates. They
• 1:19:32
  Speaker 1: leave the table together and they forget to take the diagram.
• 1:19:36
  Speaker 1: I ain't more'n a minute freezing to that paper and
• 1:19:38
  Speaker 1: looking it over. I haven't got savvy enough to make
• 1:19:42
  Speaker 1: head or tail to it. But I thinks of my
• 1:19:45
  Speaker 1: red headed part and hacks for here, not being what
• 1:19:48
  Speaker 1: they called person or grata to the front of the establishment.
• 1:19:51
  Speaker 1: I sneak up to your room from the rear. So
• 1:19:54
  Speaker 1: here I am gappin' like rip band winkle, gettin ready
• 1:19:57
  Speaker 1: for thirty years of sleep. And here's the and you're
• 1:20:00
  Speaker 1: welcome to tell me what it's about, if you can.
• 1:20:04
  Speaker 1: Jimmy handed over the paper. It was a small sheet
• 1:20:07
  Speaker 1: and seemed to have been torn from a memorandum book.
• 1:20:10
  Speaker 1: It was marked with lines in the form of a
• 1:20:12
  Speaker 1: rough oblong square. This square was crossed and recrossed with
• 1:20:17
  Speaker 1: other lines, and there were subdivisions indicated here and there.
• 1:20:21
  Speaker 1: Clancy studied the diagram closely. Looks like a chink puzzle, eh, said, Fortune,
• 1:20:27
  Speaker 1: Can you make anything of it? Read seems to be
• 1:20:30
  Speaker 1: the ground plan of a house? Clancy answered thoughtfully, Well, now,
• 1:20:35
  Speaker 1: murmured the other blamed if I thought of that, it
• 1:20:38
  Speaker 1: might be the ground plan of a house or the
• 1:20:40
  Speaker 1: picture of tracks in a chicken yard. What makes you
• 1:20:43
  Speaker 1: think it's a diagram of Adobe. The plan is divided
• 1:20:47
  Speaker 1: into rooms, and there are little marks in the outside walls.
• 1:20:50
  Speaker 1: That may indicate doors and windows. But the best proof
• 1:20:53
  Speaker 1: that this is a diagram of a house is given
• 1:20:56
  Speaker 1: by the only written words on the paper. Along one
• 1:20:59
  Speaker 1: side the word second, and along the other side we
• 1:21:02
  Speaker 1: find the two words Sarah Gordo. Is there a street
• 1:21:06
  Speaker 1: in this town called Sarah Gordo Street? Jimmy, by glory
• 1:21:11
  Speaker 1: guat Fortune, you hit it right between the eyes. Sure,
• 1:21:15
  Speaker 1: there's a street called Sarah Gordo, and it's the best
• 1:21:18
  Speaker 1: resident street in town. Corner of Sarah Gordo on Second
• 1:21:22
  Speaker 1: Avenue is right in the middle of Magnateville an upper tandem.
• 1:21:26
  Speaker 1: You cracked the shell of the mystery. Red Clancy smiled
• 1:21:31
  Speaker 1: and shook his head. We're a good way yet from
• 1:21:33
  Speaker 1: cracking the shell of the mystery, said he. If this
• 1:21:36
  Speaker 1: is really the ground plan of a house at the
• 1:21:38
  Speaker 1: corner of Second and Sarah Gordo, why did Hibbert draw
• 1:21:42
  Speaker 1: it and show it to Chantey seat that's the mystery, Jimmy,
• 1:21:46
  Speaker 1: and we haven't begun to solve it. Fortune's face went blank.
• 1:21:52
  Speaker 1: That's you. I missed the pint and no mistake. But
• 1:21:56
  Speaker 1: Hibberd and Chantey wasn't considering that plan for any good purpose.
• 1:22:00
  Speaker 1: Leave mate, there is a hen on in trouble's hatching.
• 1:22:03
  Speaker 1: How we gonna find out what's in the wind? I
• 1:22:07
  Speaker 1: believe I'll go over to Washington Street and see if
• 1:22:09
  Speaker 1: I can find out anything. You stay here, Jimmy, get
• 1:22:13
  Speaker 1: in bed and go to sleep. If you want to,
• 1:22:16
  Speaker 1: don't go up by the front, Pard begged Fortune. I'll
• 1:22:19
  Speaker 1: go out the way you came in. Suppose somebody wants
• 1:22:23
  Speaker 1: you for something while you're gone, I might help out.
• 1:22:26
  Speaker 1: But not being on good terms with the boss of
• 1:22:28
  Speaker 1: this establishment, I reckon I heaven better try, No, said Clancy.
• 1:22:33
  Speaker 1: Don't try. We'll take chances and hope the nightman won't
• 1:22:37
  Speaker 1: call on me for anything. Anyhow. I'll not be gone long,
• 1:22:40
  Speaker 1: crawl into the blankets and go to sleep. The BET's
• 1:22:43
  Speaker 1: big enough for two, and I'll make use of my
• 1:22:45
  Speaker 1: half of it when I get back. Fortune had already
• 1:22:49
  Speaker 1: kicked off his boots and removed his flannel shirt. He
• 1:22:52
  Speaker 1: was out of his trousers and a jiffy and and
• 1:22:54
  Speaker 1: rolled up head and ears in a blanket. Buenos Nachez
• 1:22:58
  Speaker 1: part came in a muffled tone from the depths of
• 1:23:00
  Speaker 1: the blanket. Clancy turned off the light, passed to the window,
• 1:23:05
  Speaker 1: raised the shade and then the sash, and softly climbed
• 1:23:08
  Speaker 1: through and dropped to the ground. By a roundabout course,
• 1:23:11
  Speaker 1: he gained first Avenue, went by the front of the
• 1:23:13
  Speaker 1: garage on the opposite side of the street, and so
• 1:23:16
  Speaker 1: came into the main thoroughfare of the town. Clancy did
• 1:23:20
  Speaker 1: not intend to be gone long, for he believed that
• 1:23:22
  Speaker 1: he could discover all he wanted to know in a
• 1:23:25
  Speaker 1: very few minutes. He was longer in his quest, however,
• 1:23:28
  Speaker 1: than he had supposed he would be. He went into
• 1:23:31
  Speaker 1: a hotel across from the court House plaza and approached
• 1:23:35
  Speaker 1: the desk in the lobby. Eleven o'clock was just chiming
• 1:23:38
  Speaker 1: from the court house bell. The night clerk, after surveying Clancy,
• 1:23:42
  Speaker 1: rather uncertainly, pushed the register around and handed him a pen. No,
• 1:23:47
  Speaker 1: said the youth. I'm not going to put up here.
• 1:23:50
  Speaker 1: All I want is a little information. Fire away, said
• 1:23:54
  Speaker 1: the clerk. Can you tell me who lives at the
• 1:23:56
  Speaker 1: corner of second Avenue in Sarah Gordle Street? Hanged if
• 1:24:01
  Speaker 1: I can, I haven't been here long and don't know
• 1:24:03
  Speaker 1: this town very well. Why don't you go to the
• 1:24:06
  Speaker 1: place and find out? Clancy didn't care to do that,
• 1:24:10
  Speaker 1: and carried his search farther. Place after place was visited fruitlessly,
• 1:24:15
  Speaker 1: until it seemed that the only way for him to
• 1:24:17
  Speaker 1: learn what he wanted to know was by really going
• 1:24:20
  Speaker 1: to the house and making his inquiries on the spot.
• 1:24:23
  Speaker 1: At last, however, he found himself in the same restaurant
• 1:24:26
  Speaker 1: where he had taken supper, and the cashier gave him
• 1:24:29
  Speaker 1: the required information. Sarah Gordo went second, repeated the cashier,
• 1:24:35
  Speaker 1: that's easy, Judge Pembroke lives there, and what's the matter
• 1:24:39
  Speaker 1: with you. A sudden whiteness had flashed into Clancy's face,
• 1:24:43
  Speaker 1: and he had drawn a quick, rasping breath. Nothing, he answered,
• 1:24:47
  Speaker 1: turning away, nothing at all. Much obliged, he ran out
• 1:24:52
  Speaker 1: of the restaurant and started back to the Red Star Garage.
• 1:24:54
  Speaker 1: Greatly excited, twelve o'clock came booming from the Court House
• 1:24:58
  Speaker 1: Plaza as he turned into First from Washington Street. It
• 1:25:02
  Speaker 1: has taken me an hour to find out what I
• 1:25:04
  Speaker 1: wanted to know, he murmured. If there is lawlessness going on,
• 1:25:08
  Speaker 1: I wonder if we're too late to stop it. Maybe
• 1:25:11
  Speaker 1: there's a chance for fortune in me to do something
• 1:25:13
  Speaker 1: for the judge my guesses may be all wrong, but
• 1:25:17
  Speaker 1: if they're right, Jimmy and I will have to do
• 1:25:19
  Speaker 1: some quick work. And the chapter eight, chapter nine of
• 1:25:29
  Speaker 1: Owen Clancy's Run of Luck by Bert L. Standish. This
• 1:25:34
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain. A weird state
• 1:25:38
  Speaker 1: of affairs. Clancy regained the rear of the garage by
• 1:25:43
  Speaker 1: the same devious course he had taken in leaving it.
• 1:25:46
  Speaker 1: All was dark and silent within the room. Jimmy, he whispered,
• 1:25:50
  Speaker 1: thrusting his head through the window. There was no answer,
• 1:25:54
  Speaker 1: and he repeated the call as loudly as he dared.
• 1:25:57
  Speaker 1: Still there was no response from fortune. He's sleeping like
• 1:26:01
  Speaker 1: a log, thought Clancy. We'll have to get in and
• 1:26:03
  Speaker 1: give him a shaking. With great care, he climbed to
• 1:26:07
  Speaker 1: the window, groped his way through the dark to the bed,
• 1:26:09
  Speaker 1: and laid both hands on the blanketed form Jimmy. He
• 1:26:13
  Speaker 1: muttered and shook the form briskly. A stifled gurgle came
• 1:26:17
  Speaker 1: from Jimmy, but no words which Owen could understand. In
• 1:26:21
  Speaker 1: some alarm, the red headed chap whirled to the window,
• 1:26:23
  Speaker 1: drew the shade, and snapped on the light. What he
• 1:26:26
  Speaker 1: saw startled him. Jimmy's trousers lay on the floor. Beside
• 1:26:31
  Speaker 1: them lay his shirt fairly torn to ribbons. The door
• 1:26:34
  Speaker 1: leading into the garage was unbolted and swinging open by
• 1:26:37
  Speaker 1: a couple of inches. Jimmy, entirely swathed in a blanket,
• 1:26:42
  Speaker 1: lay on the bed. He was wrapped outside the blanket
• 1:26:45
  Speaker 1: with coil on coil of stout rope and looked more
• 1:26:48
  Speaker 1: like a mummy than anything else. The blanket covered his
• 1:26:52
  Speaker 1: head and face so that it was impossible for him
• 1:26:54
  Speaker 1: to talk, and it must have been almost impossible for
• 1:26:57
  Speaker 1: him to breathe. Jimmy, in his helples busness, was twisting
• 1:27:01
  Speaker 1: and writhing about on the bed. Clancy, astounded by all this,
• 1:27:06
  Speaker 1: hurried to Jimmy and began removing the rope. First, he
• 1:27:09
  Speaker 1: freed his friend's head, pulled back the blanket, and Jimmy
• 1:27:13
  Speaker 1: began gasping like a stranded fish while he was pumping
• 1:27:17
  Speaker 1: the fresh cool air into his lungs. Clancy removed the
• 1:27:20
  Speaker 1: rest of the rope and pulled the blanket away entirely.
• 1:27:24
  Speaker 1: Fortune lay on his back, looking up at his part
• 1:27:26
  Speaker 1: with astonished eyes. What the deuce has been going on here?
• 1:27:30
  Speaker 1: Demanded Owen Jimmy sat up on the edge of the
• 1:27:34
  Speaker 1: bed and rubbed his arms. Whosh. He answered, here's a
• 1:27:38
  Speaker 1: fine kiddle of fish. I must say. A couple of
• 1:27:41
  Speaker 1: plug uglies was here, and Raisin Cane pard it thought
• 1:27:45
  Speaker 1: I was you an they was after that note, after
• 1:27:48
  Speaker 1: the note. Ain't I a tellin you gee wallops? But
• 1:27:53
  Speaker 1: this is fierce. I took all that was coming to
• 1:27:56
  Speaker 1: you that trip. You see, I was all covered up
• 1:27:59
  Speaker 1: with the banket and them junipers couldn't tell a difference
• 1:28:02
  Speaker 1: between Jimmy the Join and Red Owen, so they handed
• 1:28:05
  Speaker 1: it to me proper, he chuckled. But they got fooled,
• 1:28:09
  Speaker 1: he added, When did this happen? Jimmy asked Owen, trying
• 1:28:14
  Speaker 1: to keep down his excitement. No, sob it parted. I
• 1:28:18
  Speaker 1: was sleeping like old rit fan when I felt someone
• 1:28:21
  Speaker 1: a ropin me. The blanket was twisted about my head
• 1:28:24
  Speaker 1: and tied close to my neck, and I couldn't talk
• 1:28:26
  Speaker 1: and couldn't hardly breathe them. My hands was lashed to
• 1:28:30
  Speaker 1: my size, on my feet tight at the ankles, and
• 1:28:33
  Speaker 1: it wasn't a thing I could do again, he chuckled,
• 1:28:36
  Speaker 1: rubbing his throat tenderly. But they sure got fooled plumb
• 1:28:40
  Speaker 1: out of their eye teeth. He finished. They thought you
• 1:28:43
  Speaker 1: were me and they were trying to get that thousand
• 1:28:45
  Speaker 1: dollar note. I wasn't so badly wrapped up that I
• 1:28:49
  Speaker 1: couldn't hear a little of what went on proceeded fortune.
• 1:28:53
  Speaker 1: The feller that was tying me says to someone else,
• 1:28:56
  Speaker 1: get that note out of the wallet and yer shirt.
• 1:28:58
  Speaker 1: He says, it ain't here. The other comes back, lookin'
• 1:29:03
  Speaker 1: his pants, says number one. Not their nuther, says number
• 1:29:08
  Speaker 1: two see if he ain't got it under his pillar.
• 1:29:12
  Speaker 1: Then number one throws me around and looks under the pillar.
• 1:29:15
  Speaker 1: An you don't find a thing. I heard somebody swear
• 1:29:18
  Speaker 1: good an hearty asking what he's done with it, says
• 1:29:22
  Speaker 1: number two, blow his head off for him. If you
• 1:29:25
  Speaker 1: don't tell somethin hard was poked against a head, and
• 1:29:28
  Speaker 1: I allowed it was a muzzle of a six gun,
• 1:29:31
  Speaker 1: although of course I ain't able to see a thing.
• 1:29:34
  Speaker 1: Where's that note? Says number one? Real cross, speak out,
• 1:29:38
  Speaker 1: or I'll start you fer Kingdom. Come you don't get it,
• 1:29:42
  Speaker 1: I says, pantin' for air. I put it in the bank.
• 1:29:46
  Speaker 1: They couldn't tell part that it wasn't you talkin the blanket?
• 1:29:50
  Speaker 1: Gagmus so, And my voice was low and husky. After
• 1:29:54
  Speaker 1: that there was more piratical language then them fellers win
• 1:29:58
  Speaker 1: at somethin else. Now's I chance, said Number one, to
• 1:30:02
  Speaker 1: carry out the other scheme. We can't make good at
• 1:30:04
  Speaker 1: this game, we will at that one. We got to
• 1:30:08
  Speaker 1: have a car, says number two, and we got to
• 1:30:10
  Speaker 1: get it from this garage. How we work it, asked
• 1:30:14
  Speaker 1: the juniper who stands close to me. You go out
• 1:30:17
  Speaker 1: to a telephone, says the other, and call up this place.
• 1:30:20
  Speaker 1: Prudal answer. Tell him you gotta have a car for
• 1:30:24
  Speaker 1: a night trip, summrs an that you'll furnish your own driver.
• 1:30:28
  Speaker 1: Say it's job Arnold or Colonel Chiswick or any of
• 1:30:32
  Speaker 1: them big bugs talkin' prudle bye. As soon as he leaves,
• 1:30:36
  Speaker 1: I'll steal a carn pick you up on first Avenue,
• 1:30:38
  Speaker 1: corner Hackberry. That's close. You can get there easy, I'm off,
• 1:30:44
  Speaker 1: says number one. An I hear him crossin the room
• 1:30:46
  Speaker 1: and gettin through the winder by n by seemed like
• 1:30:49
  Speaker 1: a year to me. Fightin for airin' that blanket. Some
• 1:30:53
  Speaker 1: one pounds on a door, Leadin into the garage. Hey,
• 1:30:57
  Speaker 1: you help her, calls the voice. Number two answers right off,
• 1:31:01
  Speaker 1: what's wanted. I've got a call to take a car
• 1:31:05
  Speaker 1: to mister Arnold, says Pruet, And I want you to
• 1:31:08
  Speaker 1: keep an eye on the garage till I get back.
• 1:31:10
  Speaker 1: I won't be gone more than twenty minutes, all right,
• 1:31:13
  Speaker 1: says number two. Right after that, I hear a car
• 1:31:17
  Speaker 1: humming and gliding away. The machine was hardly out of
• 1:31:20
  Speaker 1: garage afore the bolt and that door was shoved back.
• 1:31:23
  Speaker 1: Then another car began a home and that slipped away too.
• 1:31:27
  Speaker 1: But then I was wide awake, you better believe, and
• 1:31:29
  Speaker 1: right excited. I tried to yell, but the best I
• 1:31:32
  Speaker 1: could make of it was a gasp and a gurgle.
• 1:31:35
  Speaker 1: Tried to get up, too, but it was no go.
• 1:31:38
  Speaker 1: Right after that part you got here, What do you
• 1:31:41
  Speaker 1: suppose is going on? Those two men are going to
• 1:31:44
  Speaker 1: commit a crime of some sort, answered quancy. I wouldn't
• 1:31:48
  Speaker 1: put it past them. None. I recognized their voice's part,
• 1:31:53
  Speaker 1: you did? Who were they? One was hibberd number two,
• 1:31:57
  Speaker 1: and to other number one? It fell that done the
• 1:32:00
  Speaker 1: telephoner with chant a sech tom. They're a fine pair
• 1:32:04
  Speaker 1: to turn loose at the Dead and Knight and a
• 1:32:05
  Speaker 1: stolen automobile. Somebody do for a hold up, yes, said Clancy.
• 1:32:11
  Speaker 1: And that's somebody is Judge Pembroke It never een. He
• 1:32:16
  Speaker 1: lives at the corner of Second Avenue in Sarah Gordo Street.
• 1:32:20
  Speaker 1: As soon as I discovered that, I came right back
• 1:32:22
  Speaker 1: to the garage. Can't you see what is going on?
• 1:32:25
  Speaker 1: Jimmy Clancy paced the floor of the little room nervously
• 1:32:29
  Speaker 1: while he talked, I know something of what's going on,
• 1:32:32
  Speaker 1: Pard returned fortune because I was right in the middle
• 1:32:35
  Speaker 1: of excitement. I can't see ahead very far, though, and
• 1:32:38
  Speaker 1: that's always been the trouble with me. How does the
• 1:32:41
  Speaker 1: business stack up to you? Why Hibbert was the Judge's driver,
• 1:32:47
  Speaker 1: You must have known a good deal about the Judge's
• 1:32:49
  Speaker 1: affairs and probably could have traveled all around his residence blindfolded.
• 1:32:54
  Speaker 1: Hibbert has some reason for wanting to be at the
• 1:32:56
  Speaker 1: Judge's house tonight. What it is we don't know, but
• 1:32:59
  Speaker 1: the business looks black. The fact that Hibbert got this
• 1:33:02
  Speaker 1: rascal long time to help him gives the whole thing
• 1:33:05
  Speaker 1: a criminal appearance. Who put Hibbert up to get the note?
• 1:33:09
  Speaker 1: Away from you. Never mind that now it was old rocks,
• 1:33:14
  Speaker 1: and I bet a bushel of pay sos that must
• 1:33:17
  Speaker 1: have been what them too, was chinning about in the plaza.
• 1:33:20
  Speaker 1: But Hibbert didn't get the note. Fortune laughed gleefully because
• 1:33:24
  Speaker 1: I was here in place a you by glory. Then
• 1:33:27
  Speaker 1: Fellows got hocus good. We've got to do something to
• 1:33:31
  Speaker 1: help the judge, Jimmy. And time is limited. Longtim and
• 1:33:34
  Speaker 1: Heberd have stolen a car and gone to Second Avenue
• 1:33:37
  Speaker 1: in Sarah Gordo Street. How long since Hebberd left with
• 1:33:40
  Speaker 1: the machine? Not such a blame? Long while part not
• 1:33:44
  Speaker 1: many minutes past since he left, and you got here
• 1:33:46
  Speaker 1: and took the lastings off me. Clancy pulled the door
• 1:33:50
  Speaker 1: wide and stepped out into the garage. I can't see
• 1:33:53
  Speaker 1: anything of prude, he reported, Cause why returned Fortune, Cause
• 1:33:58
  Speaker 1: he's waiting at Arnold's for someone toime to come out
• 1:34:00
  Speaker 1: and take the car off in his hands. He'll keep
• 1:34:03
  Speaker 1: waitin and honkin the horn till somebody shows up and
• 1:34:05
  Speaker 1: tells him there's nothing doing reckon. We are to put
• 1:34:08
  Speaker 1: the police wise to this, eh. By the time we
• 1:34:12
  Speaker 1: got the police on the trail, Hibbert and long Tom
• 1:34:14
  Speaker 1: might be able to do their work and rush for
• 1:34:16
  Speaker 1: the hills in that stolen car. Do you know how
• 1:34:19
  Speaker 1: to get the second in, Sarah Gordo. If I don't, Pard,
• 1:34:23
  Speaker 1: nobody does. Didn't I tell you I worked for people here.
• 1:34:27
  Speaker 1: I can take you right to the place by the
• 1:34:28
  Speaker 1: shortest cut. Then let's be moving the quicker. We reached
• 1:34:32
  Speaker 1: the judge and tell him what's going on the better.
• 1:34:35
  Speaker 1: Fortune pulled on his boots and trousers. There was no
• 1:34:38
  Speaker 1: use trying to put on the flannel shirt, for it
• 1:34:40
  Speaker 1: was literally torn in pieces. He slipped into his coat, however,
• 1:34:44
  Speaker 1: and buttoned it up all ready compadre, he announced. They
• 1:34:49
  Speaker 1: went out through the front of the garage. Clancy hated
• 1:34:52
  Speaker 1: to leave the place alone, but he reflected that Pruit
• 1:34:55
  Speaker 1: would soon be back, and that this was a case
• 1:34:57
  Speaker 1: of facing circumstances as they were and not as he
• 1:35:00
  Speaker 1: would like to have them. He took the precaution of
• 1:35:03
  Speaker 1: closing the big garage doors. I don't like to start
• 1:35:07
  Speaker 1: till prove it comes back, remarked Clancy. But there's no
• 1:35:09
  Speaker 1: help for it. Don't you care, said Fortune. Just think
• 1:35:14
  Speaker 1: what old rocks trieth to do to you tonight. Pard
• 1:35:17
  Speaker 1: you don't owe that old schemer nothin anyway. I don't
• 1:35:21
  Speaker 1: reckon anybody would run away with the old chabang. Fortune
• 1:35:25
  Speaker 1: turned out a first avenue into a cross street that
• 1:35:27
  Speaker 1: ran parallel with the main business thoroughfare. A block brought
• 1:35:31
  Speaker 1: them into second avenue, and they started along it in
• 1:35:34
  Speaker 1: the direction of Sarah Gordo Street. Very soon pretentious houses
• 1:35:38
  Speaker 1: showed themselves in either hand, and after a time Fortune
• 1:35:41
  Speaker 1: slowed his pace and dropped a hand on Clancy's arm.
• 1:35:45
  Speaker 1: That's Sarah Gordon Street just ahead, he whispered. And the
• 1:35:48
  Speaker 1: judge's house must be on the cornder. I never knowed
• 1:35:52
  Speaker 1: where he lived, but if your information is key wreck,
• 1:35:55
  Speaker 1: we're close to the place. End of chapter nine, Chapter
• 1:36:05
  Speaker 1: ten of Owen Clancy's Run of Luck by Bert el Standish.
• 1:36:10
  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Helping the judge.
• 1:36:17
  Speaker 1: Sarah Gordo Street was a wide, paved thoroughfare with date
• 1:36:20
  Speaker 1: palms bordering it on both sides. Between walk and kerb
• 1:36:24
  Speaker 1: there were four corners, of course, to the intersection of
• 1:36:27
  Speaker 1: the two streets, and the two youths halted in the
• 1:36:30
  Speaker 1: shadow of a palm to decide which corner was the
• 1:36:32
  Speaker 1: one that ought to claim their attention. How we going
• 1:36:35
  Speaker 1: to know which cass is the judges, murmured Fortune blankly.
• 1:36:40
  Speaker 1: According to that diagram of Hebbert's owen return, there's an
• 1:36:43
  Speaker 1: addition jutting out from the Pembroke House towards Sarah Gordo Street.
• 1:36:47
  Speaker 1: Maybe that will give us a clue. Look for the automobile.
• 1:36:52
  Speaker 1: That'll be a clue. I don't think so, Jimmy. They'd
• 1:36:56
  Speaker 1: be foolish to leave the machine too close to the house.
• 1:36:59
  Speaker 1: You stay here, Will I do a little quiet investigating
• 1:37:02
  Speaker 1: If you need me, yell, I'll come hot foot. Leaving
• 1:37:06
  Speaker 1: Fortune in the black shadow of the palm, Clancy moved
• 1:37:09
  Speaker 1: off cautiously along Sarro Gordo Street toward the right. In
• 1:37:13
  Speaker 1: that direction, he failed to find the house that seemed
• 1:37:15
  Speaker 1: to tally with Hibberd's roughly drawn plan. Returning on the
• 1:37:19
  Speaker 1: opposite side of the street, creeping like a wraith from
• 1:37:22
  Speaker 1: the shadow of one palm to the shadow of another,
• 1:37:25
  Speaker 1: he crossed Second Avenue and reconnoitered in another direction. Here
• 1:37:29
  Speaker 1: he had better success. On the other side of Sarah
• 1:37:32
  Speaker 1: Gordo Street was a house with a glass conservatory jutting
• 1:37:35
  Speaker 1: out the yard was a mass of dark shrubbery which
• 1:37:38
  Speaker 1: the faint glow from the electric light on the corner
• 1:37:41
  Speaker 1: could not penetrate. That must be the place, thought Clancy.
• 1:37:45
  Speaker 1: I'll go down a little farther and cross over. If
• 1:37:48
  Speaker 1: I'm careful, I may find out what Hibberd and long
• 1:37:50
  Speaker 1: Tom are doing. From Palm to Palm. He skulked along
• 1:37:54
  Speaker 1: Sarah Gordo Street and then suddenly came to a halt.
• 1:37:58
  Speaker 1: Ahead of him at the curb stood a motor car.
• 1:38:01
  Speaker 1: It did not show a light. There's the machine Hibbert
• 1:38:04
  Speaker 1: took from the garage, thought Clancy, and it proves were
• 1:38:07
  Speaker 1: on the right trail. He investigated the car and found
• 1:38:11
  Speaker 1: that it was Pembroke's big six cylinder machine, the one
• 1:38:14
  Speaker 1: that had figured in events earlier in the day. There
• 1:38:17
  Speaker 1: was no one around the car, and this proved that
• 1:38:20
  Speaker 1: both plotters were giving their attention to the house. Here's nerve,
• 1:38:24
  Speaker 1: muttered Clancy. Hibbert is using the judge's car for his
• 1:38:27
  Speaker 1: knight's work and will run away with it when he
• 1:38:30
  Speaker 1: gets through at the house. Unless, well, I'll fix the
• 1:38:33
  Speaker 1: machine so he won't run away with it. Getting up
• 1:38:36
  Speaker 1: on the running board, Clancy reached over to the dash
• 1:38:39
  Speaker 1: and removed the switch plug. After that, he sped lightly
• 1:38:42
  Speaker 1: to the opposite side of the street and returned along
• 1:38:45
  Speaker 1: the side of the judge's premises. Getting down on his
• 1:38:48
  Speaker 1: knees under the lee of an iron fence, he crawled
• 1:38:51
  Speaker 1: past the house, listening sharply as he proceeded. He could
• 1:38:55
  Speaker 1: hear nothing. Not a sound reached his ears that would
• 1:38:58
  Speaker 1: indicate that anything unusual was take taking place around the
• 1:39:01
  Speaker 1: house or inside it. At the corner, Clancy arose to
• 1:39:04
  Speaker 1: his feet. A few seconds later he was with his
• 1:39:07
  Speaker 1: comrade again. Find out what you wanted to know, queried
• 1:39:12
  Speaker 1: Fortune eagerly. I've spotted the house, Clancy answered, and the car.
• 1:39:17
  Speaker 1: Fix the car so it can't be used. If those
• 1:39:19
  Speaker 1: chaps try to get away in it, they'll have their
• 1:39:22
  Speaker 1: trouble for their pains. That's you. Where's the house? Clancy
• 1:39:28
  Speaker 1: faced Fortune in the right direction and pointed, Are them
• 1:39:31
  Speaker 1: coyotes around the place? Asked Fortune. I came past the yard,
• 1:39:35
  Speaker 1: but couldn't hear or see anything of them. We'll have
• 1:39:38
  Speaker 1: to get over the iron fence and prowl through the shrubbery. Jimmie,
• 1:39:42
  Speaker 1: of course they're there. They must be, and it's up
• 1:39:45
  Speaker 1: to us to find them and block their game, whatever
• 1:39:48
  Speaker 1: it is. Wisht I had a gun, said Fortune. Both
• 1:39:52
  Speaker 1: them fellers are healed, and I'll bit my spurs. What'll
• 1:39:56
  Speaker 1: we do if they poke a muzzle in our faces? Huh,
• 1:39:59
  Speaker 1: Dollge answered Clancy shortly. Come on. Clancy led the way
• 1:40:03
  Speaker 1: to the Sarah Gordo Street side of the Pembroke property,
• 1:40:07
  Speaker 1: and he and Fortune crouched under the iron fence and
• 1:40:09
  Speaker 1: listened intently. Still there was not a sound to be heard.
• 1:40:13
  Speaker 1: Maybe we made a mistake, Pard, whispered Fortune. Lack enough,
• 1:40:17
  Speaker 1: it's another house. Wished i'd knowed more about the judge
• 1:40:21
  Speaker 1: in the Wigwam where he camps. What if we're wrong
• 1:40:25
  Speaker 1: while we're loafing here, Hibbard and Chantey Seech may be
• 1:40:28
  Speaker 1: doin their work on one of the other three corners.
• 1:40:31
  Speaker 1: I don't think we're wrong, returned Clancy in a tense undertone.
• 1:40:35
  Speaker 1: This is our best bet. Anyway, We've got to get
• 1:40:37
  Speaker 1: over the fence and look around. Jimmy, make as little
• 1:40:40
  Speaker 1: noise as you can and keep close to me. You'd
• 1:40:43
  Speaker 1: to take a whole lot to primely loose from you
• 1:40:45
  Speaker 1: at this stage. Of the game, Red answered Fortune, Tew's
• 1:40:48
  Speaker 1: company just about now, and I'm right hungry for company.
• 1:40:53
  Speaker 1: Laying hands on the top of the iron fence, Clancy
• 1:40:55
  Speaker 1: bounded lightly over and into the yard. Fortune tried to
• 1:40:59
  Speaker 1: vault put his book handicapped him. The toe of one
• 1:41:02
  Speaker 1: of them caught on the iron pick, and he came
• 1:41:04
  Speaker 1: down among the bushes in a sprawl. He started the sputter,
• 1:41:07
  Speaker 1: but Clancy laid a quick hand over his lips. Sh
• 1:41:11
  Speaker 1: hiss Clancy warningly. So far as they could discover, Fortune's
• 1:41:15
  Speaker 1: floundering had not aroused any one. After a few moments,
• 1:41:19
  Speaker 1: they began crawling toward the side wall of the house.
• 1:41:22
  Speaker 1: They reached the wall about midway of the length of
• 1:41:24
  Speaker 1: the house. There they paused and continued to listen and
• 1:41:27
  Speaker 1: peer around them. Wrong trail, Pard murmured Fortune, let's make
• 1:41:32
  Speaker 1: sure of it before we leave, returned Clancy. You crawl
• 1:41:35
  Speaker 1: toward the front, and I'll go toward the rear. If
• 1:41:38
  Speaker 1: you hear or see anything suspicious, don't try to let
• 1:41:40
  Speaker 1: me know. I'll join you before long, and then you
• 1:41:43
  Speaker 1: can tell me. Clancy's maneuvers brought him point blank against
• 1:41:47
  Speaker 1: the glass side of the conservatory. He had found not
• 1:41:50
  Speaker 1: the least sign of intruders. Half convinced that he and
• 1:41:53
  Speaker 1: Fortune were really on the wrong trail, he crawled forward
• 1:41:56
  Speaker 1: along the wall to get his friend and carry investigations elsewhere. Fortune, however,
• 1:42:01
  Speaker 1: had made a discovery which caused Clancy to change his
• 1:42:04
  Speaker 1: plans for leaving the premises. I'm next to somethin' red,
• 1:42:08
  Speaker 1: Jimmy whispered, what is it? Open window right over my head?
• 1:42:13
  Speaker 1: See for yourself. Clancy arose to his knees. Fortune was right.
• 1:42:18
  Speaker 1: There was a window there with the lower sash raised
• 1:42:22
  Speaker 1: by Jove, murmured Clancy in his companion's ear. It's a
• 1:42:25
  Speaker 1: case of robbery. I'm both those fellows are inside. We'll
• 1:42:30
  Speaker 1: wait till they come out, parts, said Fortune excitedly, and
• 1:42:32
  Speaker 1: nab em one at a time as they drop. They
• 1:42:35
  Speaker 1: won't be able to shoot if we're quick. But suppose
• 1:42:39
  Speaker 1: they leave by a door and don't come through the window.
• 1:42:42
  Speaker 1: That's me an my fool head work again, grunted Fortune,
• 1:42:46
  Speaker 1: You boss this job, read and off, father orders, what's
• 1:42:49
  Speaker 1: a next move? I'm going inside, don't you. Maybe the
• 1:42:54
  Speaker 1: winder's only open for air and you'll be grab for
• 1:42:57
  Speaker 1: a thief yourself I wouldn't go inside, as stack is
• 1:43:01
  Speaker 1: all for a farm. If the window was open for air, Jimmy,
• 1:43:05
  Speaker 1: the screen wouldn't have been taken off, would it. I
• 1:43:08
  Speaker 1: don't reckon it would. Hibbard and long Tom are inside,
• 1:43:12
  Speaker 1: and I'm going to make sure they don't get out
• 1:43:14
  Speaker 1: through a door with any boodle. What'll I do? Stay
• 1:43:18
  Speaker 1: here and wait for something to happen. S'pose more happens
• 1:43:22
  Speaker 1: and I can take care of what. Then do the
• 1:43:25
  Speaker 1: best you can. That's all. Gee, wallaps, I'm so nervous.
• 1:43:30
  Speaker 1: I feel as though I wanted to yell. But go on,
• 1:43:34
  Speaker 1: I'll stay here. Clancy had been pulling off his shoes.
• 1:43:39
  Speaker 1: Fortune did not have to tell him what disagreeable consequences
• 1:43:42
  Speaker 1: would follow if he crawled into Judge Pembroke's house and
• 1:43:45
  Speaker 1: failed to find Hibbert and long Tom there. Clancy's imagination
• 1:43:49
  Speaker 1: was good enough to picture his plight in such a
• 1:43:51
  Speaker 1: condition of affairs, but nevertheless, he was determined to go in. Carefully.
• 1:43:57
  Speaker 1: He placed his hands on the sill, drew himself upward,
• 1:44:00
  Speaker 1: and wriggled through into the darkness of the room beyond.
• 1:44:03
  Speaker 1: Fortune had many tremors as he watched his part vanish
• 1:44:07
  Speaker 1: bah Glory, said Jimmy to himself, as he crouched downward
• 1:44:10
  Speaker 1: and made himself as small as possible. Red has got
• 1:44:13
  Speaker 1: a heap more nerve than me. I don't allow I
• 1:44:16
  Speaker 1: could do a thing like that. No ways. As for Owen,
• 1:44:20
  Speaker 1: whenever he made up his mind that it was necessary
• 1:44:22
  Speaker 1: to do a thing, he banked on his judgment and
• 1:44:24
  Speaker 1: did it. He might be wrong. If he was, he
• 1:44:27
  Speaker 1: could explain to the judge. Once inside the room with
• 1:44:31
  Speaker 1: the open window, Glancey found himself in surroundings totally unfamiliar,
• 1:44:36
  Speaker 1: and he dared not strike a light, for fear of
• 1:44:37
  Speaker 1: betraying himself, not only to Hibberd in long tongue, but
• 1:44:41
  Speaker 1: also to the judge's household. Either might spell disaster for him.
• 1:44:46
  Speaker 1: As he stood in the gloom, he recalled as distinctly
• 1:44:49
  Speaker 1: as possible the diagram which Hibbert had drawn for Chantey
• 1:44:53
  Speaker 1: s each long. He wished then that he had paid
• 1:44:56
  Speaker 1: more attention to that rude drawing. As near as he
• 1:45:00
  Speaker 1: he could remember, this room had two doors, one in
• 1:45:03
  Speaker 1: the front wall and another in the rear. If he
• 1:45:05
  Speaker 1: was right, through which of those doors had Hebberd and
• 1:45:08
  Speaker 1: long Tom passed? He reflected that they would not go
• 1:45:12
  Speaker 1: toward the front of the house, providing they could get
• 1:45:14
  Speaker 1: what they were after by keeping more to the rear
• 1:45:16
  Speaker 1: of the building. I'll chance the rear door, thought Clancy,
• 1:45:20
  Speaker 1: and groped his way in that direction. He went slowly,
• 1:45:23
  Speaker 1: avoiding chairs and passing around the table. At the wall,
• 1:45:27
  Speaker 1: he ran his hands carefully over the blank surface until
• 1:45:30
  Speaker 1: he came to a swinging curtain. He pulled the curtain
• 1:45:33
  Speaker 1: a side and reached out his hand, encountered only space beyond,
• 1:45:37
  Speaker 1: and his eyes stared into pitchy darkness. I'm headed right,
• 1:45:41
  Speaker 1: he said to himself. Those fellows went this way and
• 1:45:44
  Speaker 1: left the door open. Now all his thoughts suddenly left him.
• 1:45:49
  Speaker 1: Out of the blank gloomed Two arms stretched themselves and
• 1:45:52
  Speaker 1: folded him in a vise like embrace, and wrenched his
• 1:45:55
  Speaker 1: feet out from under him. He fell suddenly on a
• 1:45:59
  Speaker 1: thick carpet with a neoni's chest and penning him down.
• 1:46:04
  Speaker 1: End of chapter ten, chapter eleven of Owen Clancy's Run
• 1:46:13
  Speaker 1: of Luck by Bert el Standish. This LibriVox recording is
• 1:46:17
  Speaker 1: in the public domain. Caught red handed, that sudden attack
• 1:46:23
  Speaker 1: was a big surprise to Clancy, sure that Hibberd and
• 1:46:27
  Speaker 1: long Tom had turned the tables on him. He tried
• 1:46:30
  Speaker 1: to yell and arouse the house and convey a warning
• 1:46:32
  Speaker 1: to fortune. A hand was clapped over his mouth, however,
• 1:46:36
  Speaker 1: and outcry was impossible. Stop your struggling. A voice hissed
• 1:46:40
  Speaker 1: in Clancy's ear, and don't try to call out. It
• 1:46:43
  Speaker 1: will be the worse for you if you do. I
• 1:46:45
  Speaker 1: am holding a revolver to your breast, and if I
• 1:46:48
  Speaker 1: have to, I will use it. Here was another surprise
• 1:46:51
  Speaker 1: for Clancy. A refined voice, although with a crisp, business
• 1:46:55
  Speaker 1: like ring, had done the talking. Certainly it was not
• 1:46:59
  Speaker 1: Hibbert's voice, and it could not possibly be chantay seech Tom's.
• 1:47:03
  Speaker 1: Whose then was it? The hand was withdrawn from Clancy's lips.
• 1:47:08
  Speaker 1: Who are you? He whispered, That's none of your affair?
• 1:47:12
  Speaker 1: Came the sharp answer, How many of your pals are
• 1:47:14
  Speaker 1: in this house? I heard them a while ago and
• 1:47:17
  Speaker 1: came downstairs. What are you after? Anyhow? The man, whoever
• 1:47:22
  Speaker 1: it was, evidently belonged in the place. I'm not one
• 1:47:25
  Speaker 1: of the thieves, protested Clancy. I that's a likely story.
• 1:47:29
  Speaker 1: What are you doing in here if you don't belong
• 1:47:31
  Speaker 1: to the gang? I came here to do what I
• 1:47:34
  Speaker 1: could to prevent the villains from robbing the judge. Judge
• 1:47:37
  Speaker 1: Pembrooke knows me a friend of mine, and I blundered
• 1:47:40
  Speaker 1: upon a tip that something was going to happen here tonight.
• 1:47:43
  Speaker 1: There wasn't time to call the police, and we came
• 1:47:46
  Speaker 1: to see what we could do for the judge. Clancy's
• 1:47:49
  Speaker 1: captor was a cool one. He gave a low, incredulous laugh.
• 1:47:53
  Speaker 1: You can't expect me to believe any such stuff as that,
• 1:47:56
  Speaker 1: he answered. How many besides yourself are in this house?
• 1:48:00
  Speaker 1: Two Dirk Hibbert and a fellow called Tom long Chan't
• 1:48:04
  Speaker 1: a seech. Tom Hibbard, he knew about that Prescott money,
• 1:48:08
  Speaker 1: and he's probably trying to get hands on it. We'll
• 1:48:11
  Speaker 1: give them a jolt, I guess. Don't move, Stay right
• 1:48:14
  Speaker 1: where you are. The man reached away from Clancy in
• 1:48:18
  Speaker 1: half a rose snap, an electric switch was pressed, and
• 1:48:21
  Speaker 1: a glow of light flooded the room. For a second.
• 1:48:25
  Speaker 1: Clancy was blinded and could see little. As his vision cleared,
• 1:48:29
  Speaker 1: he discovered that the man who had made a prisoner
• 1:48:31
  Speaker 1: of him was a young fellow who bore a striking
• 1:48:34
  Speaker 1: facial resemblance to the judge. He wore a blanket robe
• 1:48:37
  Speaker 1: and slippers, and held a small automatic pistol in his
• 1:48:40
  Speaker 1: right hand. Jove murmured the chap with the gun. You
• 1:48:45
  Speaker 1: don't look much like a tough and that's a fact.
• 1:48:47
  Speaker 1: But circumstances are against you, my lad. See that door yonder.
• 1:48:52
  Speaker 1: They were in what was evidently the dining room. As
• 1:48:55
  Speaker 1: the young man spoke, he knodded toward a door on
• 1:48:57
  Speaker 1: the other side of the apartment. I see, Clancy answered.
• 1:49:02
  Speaker 1: That door leads into a hall, and the hall leads
• 1:49:04
  Speaker 1: to the Governor's study. There is a safe in the study,
• 1:49:07
  Speaker 1: and the Prescott money is in the safe. Your pals
• 1:49:10
  Speaker 1: are there, I presume, walk ahead of me. I'm going
• 1:49:14
  Speaker 1: to pay them a visit and use you as a
• 1:49:15
  Speaker 1: screen against any bullets they send in my direction. Start.
• 1:49:20
  Speaker 1: Clancy got up from the floor. Hibbert has no love
• 1:49:23
  Speaker 1: for me, said he, and he'll probably be glad to
• 1:49:26
  Speaker 1: shoot when he sees who I am. There are two
• 1:49:28
  Speaker 1: of them, and they must be armed. You don't want
• 1:49:31
  Speaker 1: them to get away, do you. I don't want them
• 1:49:34
  Speaker 1: to get away with the money. I guess I'll be
• 1:49:36
  Speaker 1: able to save that. Stir yourself. We can't lose any
• 1:49:39
  Speaker 1: more time. The curtain of the doorway through which Clancy
• 1:49:43
  Speaker 1: had just come was pushed back. The bright glow in
• 1:49:46
  Speaker 1: the dining room shone out through the doorway and into
• 1:49:48
  Speaker 1: the room at the open window. Clancy, shifting his eyes
• 1:49:51
  Speaker 1: towards the drawn curtain, whirled like lightning. In a flash.
• 1:49:55
  Speaker 1: He had knocked aside the pistol in his captor's hand
• 1:49:58
  Speaker 1: and had overthrown him. As the young man dropped, fire
• 1:50:01
  Speaker 1: streamed through the curtained doorway. A revolver roared in the
• 1:50:05
  Speaker 1: other room, and a bullet crashed into a piece of
• 1:50:07
  Speaker 1: china on the sideboard, and then broke the heavy French
• 1:50:10
  Speaker 1: mirror behind it into a thousand fragments. If Clancy had
• 1:50:14
  Speaker 1: not been quick, that bullet would have struck the young
• 1:50:16
  Speaker 1: fellow with the gun, for it traversed a line that
• 1:50:19
  Speaker 1: crossed the exact point where he had been standing. The
• 1:50:23
  Speaker 1: young fellow was quick witted, and while at first he
• 1:50:25
  Speaker 1: may have misunderstood Clancy's action, the crash of the bullet
• 1:50:28
  Speaker 1: gave him knowledge of the true state of affairs. There
• 1:50:32
  Speaker 1: they go, cried Clancy, keep back if you're not arm
• 1:50:35
  Speaker 1: shouted the other, bounding erect and dashing through the door.
• 1:50:39
  Speaker 1: Clancy was ahead of him, but swift as they were,
• 1:50:42
  Speaker 1: they were too late. The prowlers had flung themselves through
• 1:50:45
  Speaker 1: the window, and wild aills were coming from the yard,
• 1:50:47
  Speaker 1: where Fortune, single handed, was having all and more than
• 1:50:51
  Speaker 1: he could attend to. There was excitement in other parts
• 1:50:54
  Speaker 1: of the great house. Voices were calling, doors were opening
• 1:50:57
  Speaker 1: and closing, and feet could be heard running down the
• 1:51:00
  Speaker 1: stairs and over hardwood floors. The young fellow stood in
• 1:51:04
  Speaker 1: the window with the automatic revolver in his hand. I'll
• 1:51:07
  Speaker 1: give one of them his cruel anyway, he muttered. Before
• 1:51:11
  Speaker 1: he could shoot, Clancy grabbed his arm. Don't fire, he exclaimed.
• 1:51:15
  Speaker 1: A friend of mine is out there. You might hit him,
• 1:51:18
  Speaker 1: are you the Judge's son? Yes, was the answer. And
• 1:51:21
  Speaker 1: I want to get this over with before the governor
• 1:51:23
  Speaker 1: presents himself. He might get hurt. Are you game to
• 1:51:27
  Speaker 1: follow those fellows? Of course? Come on? Then there was
• 1:51:32
  Speaker 1: the flutter of a bath robe in the open window.
• 1:51:34
  Speaker 1: Then the space cleared for Clancy. He landed on the
• 1:51:37
  Speaker 1: ground beside Pembroke. They've skipped, said Pembroke. Even your friend
• 1:51:41
  Speaker 1: isn't here. Which way do you think the scoundrels, went,
• 1:51:46
  Speaker 1: I know they got a car waiting for them this way.
• 1:51:49
  Speaker 1: Clancy darted for the fence and cleared the iron pickets
• 1:51:52
  Speaker 1: at a bound Young Pembroke was tight at his heels.
• 1:51:56
  Speaker 1: If they've got a car, he panted, they're bound to
• 1:51:58
  Speaker 1: get away from us. I fixed the car so they
• 1:52:01
  Speaker 1: can't use it. Pembroke laughed choppily as he followed Clancy
• 1:52:05
  Speaker 1: down the street. You're a wonder old man, he cried.
• 1:52:08
  Speaker 1: And I thought when I nailed you that I had
• 1:52:10
  Speaker 1: one of the thieves. Two dark figures could be seen
• 1:52:13
  Speaker 1: rushing across the street toward the dark bulk of the car.
• 1:52:17
  Speaker 1: There they go, exclaimed Clancy. They've got a surprise in
• 1:52:20
  Speaker 1: store for themselves. Look, they're trying to crank the engine.
• 1:52:24
  Speaker 1: One of the forms could be seen working at the
• 1:52:25
  Speaker 1: front of the car. He started up with a frantic oath.
• 1:52:29
  Speaker 1: Take to your heels, chantey, they've tampered with the car. Run.
• 1:52:34
  Speaker 1: A figure jumped from the taunel of the machine and
• 1:52:36
  Speaker 1: flung off through the night. Hibbert, who had been pulling
• 1:52:39
  Speaker 1: the crank, ran back along the line of palm trees.
• 1:52:43
  Speaker 1: Clancy took after him and for a minute. There was
• 1:52:46
  Speaker 1: an exciting chase. Clancy, however, was far and away the
• 1:52:50
  Speaker 1: better sprinter. As he came close to Hibbard, the latter
• 1:52:53
  Speaker 1: turned and brandished a revolver. Keep off the heeld or
• 1:52:57
  Speaker 1: I'll drop you. Clancy ducked, lurched forward and came up
• 1:53:01
  Speaker 1: under the extended arm, whose hand gripped the revolver. There
• 1:53:05
  Speaker 1: was a bit of a struggle, and then hibberd fell
• 1:53:07
  Speaker 1: the red headed chap on top of him. Have you
• 1:53:10
  Speaker 1: got one of them, mass Pembroke, coming up, Yes, Hibbert
• 1:53:14
  Speaker 1: said Clancy. Has he got a canvas bag? No? Then
• 1:53:20
  Speaker 1: the other scoundrel has the money. I couldn't find it
• 1:53:22
  Speaker 1: in the car. Dash it. We'll have to call in
• 1:53:25
  Speaker 1: the police, and maybe it's too late. We'll take Hibbert
• 1:53:28
  Speaker 1: to the house where we can use the telephone. Let
• 1:53:31
  Speaker 1: him up, old Chap. Clancy drew away from Hibbard, while
• 1:53:35
  Speaker 1: Pembroke caught his arm and leveled the automatic. You're a
• 1:53:39
  Speaker 1: nice sort of chap, aren't you, sneered Pembroke, robbing the
• 1:53:42
  Speaker 1: man for whom you used to work. Get up, Hibbert
• 1:53:45
  Speaker 1: got sulkily erect Pick up that revolver, said Pembroke to Clancy.
• 1:53:51
  Speaker 1: The latter stooped and gathered in the weapon which had
• 1:53:53
  Speaker 1: fallen from the chauffeur's hand when he fell. Come on
• 1:53:57
  Speaker 1: to the house, Hibbert said, young Pembroke. We'll let the
• 1:53:59
  Speaker 1: govern and your talk with you. I don't want to
• 1:54:02
  Speaker 1: talk with the judge, growled Hibbert. Take me to jail.
• 1:54:05
  Speaker 1: If that's what your plan is to do, not much.
• 1:54:09
  Speaker 1: You'll face the governor. Step lively and don't try to
• 1:54:12
  Speaker 1: get away. If you make a move to run, the
• 1:54:14
  Speaker 1: bullets will chase you. Between Clancy and Pembroke, the rascally
• 1:54:19
  Speaker 1: chauffeur was led back toward the house. You're responsible for this, Clancy,
• 1:54:24
  Speaker 1: snarl Hibbert. I don't know whether I am or not.
• 1:54:27
  Speaker 1: Clancy answered, I guess, mister Pembroke was next to what
• 1:54:30
  Speaker 1: you were doing before we reached the house. You'd better
• 1:54:34
  Speaker 1: jug me, said Hibbert to Clancy. There was teeth, or
• 1:54:37
  Speaker 1: I'll clamp on your trail and settle for you. You're
• 1:54:40
  Speaker 1: running up a pretty big score. Your name, Clancy, queried Pembroke,
• 1:54:46
  Speaker 1: Yes so it answered. Then you're the fellow who repaired
• 1:54:49
  Speaker 1: the Governor's car. Out on the trail. He told us
• 1:54:51
  Speaker 1: about you sorry. I mistook you for a burglar, Clancy.
• 1:54:56
  Speaker 1: I hardly see how you could help it. Clancy returned,
• 1:54:59
  Speaker 1: wonder where the two fortune as he added, as he
• 1:55:01
  Speaker 1: and Pembroke and Hibberd mounted the front steps of the house.
• 1:55:05
  Speaker 1: He was in this too, egro Owledhibbert. The front door
• 1:55:09
  Speaker 1: of the house was open, and the judge, in shirt,
• 1:55:11
  Speaker 1: trousers and slippers, stood in the entrance. What in the
• 1:55:14
  Speaker 1: world is the matter, Larry, the judge queried, staring at
• 1:55:17
  Speaker 1: his son. Has there been a robbery? That's the size
• 1:55:21
  Speaker 1: of it, that answered young Pember. Your Prescott money is
• 1:55:24
  Speaker 1: gone to bally Hack. I reckon. There were two of
• 1:55:27
  Speaker 1: the scoundrels, and the other fellow gave us the slip.
• 1:55:30
  Speaker 1: He must have had the canvas bag. Never mind the money,
• 1:55:33
  Speaker 1: said the judge. If you're not hurt, who's that you
• 1:55:36
  Speaker 1: have there? One of them is young Clancy, the chapter
• 1:55:40
  Speaker 1: repaired your car out in the hills. He came here
• 1:55:43
  Speaker 1: to prevent the robbery if he could. The other is Hibbard.
• 1:55:46
  Speaker 1: He knew about that Prescott money and he came here
• 1:55:49
  Speaker 1: after it. The judge led the way into the drawing room.
• 1:55:53
  Speaker 1: A number of the women members of the household re
• 1:55:55
  Speaker 1: clustered there, shivering with fright. The judge reassured them and
• 1:55:59
  Speaker 1: sent them upstairs. After they were gone, he turned to
• 1:56:02
  Speaker 1: his son, Clancy and the prisoner. I can't understand this,
• 1:56:06
  Speaker 1: said he, Hibbert, Did you come to this house to
• 1:56:09
  Speaker 1: rob me? I don't look as though I was here
• 1:56:12
  Speaker 1: of my own free will, do I? The chauffeur replied
• 1:56:14
  Speaker 1: with an ugly leer. I heard some one in the
• 1:56:17
  Speaker 1: house explain Larry and went down to the dining room.
• 1:56:21
  Speaker 1: Some one was just coming through the window, and I
• 1:56:23
  Speaker 1: waited for him at the door leading from the den
• 1:56:25
  Speaker 1: into the dining room. When I grabbed him, he proved
• 1:56:28
  Speaker 1: to be Clancy. There, Clancy exclaimed the judge. Is it
• 1:56:32
  Speaker 1: possible that No, Dad, it isn't possible that he's one
• 1:56:35
  Speaker 1: of the thieves. He came to warn us about the robbery,
• 1:56:38
  Speaker 1: but got to the house a little too late. He
• 1:56:41
  Speaker 1: saved me from getting nipped by a bullet, upset me
• 1:56:44
  Speaker 1: just as one of the robbers pulled a trigger. After that,
• 1:56:47
  Speaker 1: he joined in the chase and down Herbert's single handed.
• 1:56:50
  Speaker 1: Clancy has proved a good friend of ours this night.
• 1:56:54
  Speaker 1: Who was the fellow that got away? With the money inquired.
• 1:56:56
  Speaker 1: The judge Tom Long spoke up Clancy, the fella they
• 1:57:00
  Speaker 1: call chan't e seech Tom, he's equal to a thing
• 1:57:04
  Speaker 1: like this. I can easily believe that he had a
• 1:57:07
  Speaker 1: hand in it. I'm out five thousand dollars, But Jedge,
• 1:57:12
  Speaker 1: you ain't out a cent. I happened to grab the
• 1:57:14
  Speaker 1: bag in the yard, and I ran off with it
• 1:57:17
  Speaker 1: like a streak of grease latinin James Montague. Fortune has
• 1:57:21
  Speaker 1: done something at Lass that didn't have a babble in it. Whoop.
• 1:57:26
  Speaker 1: All eyes turned toward the broad doorway that led from
• 1:57:28
  Speaker 1: the drawing room into the hall. Fortune stood there, striking
• 1:57:32
  Speaker 1: an attitude and holding high a small canvas bag. His
• 1:57:36
  Speaker 1: face wore a broad and complacent grin. Well, here's luck,
• 1:57:41
  Speaker 1: exclaimed Larry Pembroke, Clancy and his friend have saved the
• 1:57:44
  Speaker 1: day for us after all. End of chapter eleven Chapter
• 1:57:54
  Speaker 1: twelve of Owen Clancy's Run of Luck by Bert el Standish.
• 1:57:59
  Speaker 1: This leap Brivok's recording is in the public domain. Hibbard Weakens.
• 1:58:06
  Speaker 1: Clancy was mightily relieved to know that Fortune had not
• 1:58:09
  Speaker 1: only kept himself from being injured, but had also covered
• 1:58:12
  Speaker 1: himself with glory by saving the five thousand dollars. Good
• 1:58:16
  Speaker 1: for you, Jimmy, Clancy exclaimed, how did you ever manage
• 1:58:19
  Speaker 1: to get away with that bag of money? Plumb easy
• 1:58:23
  Speaker 1: returned fortune swaggering into the room. I was waiting under
• 1:58:27
  Speaker 1: the open window where you left me, Clancy, and I
• 1:58:30
  Speaker 1: was all of a sheik on accounting to hear in
• 1:58:32
  Speaker 1: that revolver shot. While I was still in a quiver,
• 1:58:36
  Speaker 1: them somem maroons dropped the money out and started to
• 1:58:38
  Speaker 1: follow it. I jumped for the bag. While I was
• 1:58:42
  Speaker 1: picking it up, one of the junipers fell on me.
• 1:58:45
  Speaker 1: We had a mix, but I tore loose and slope
• 1:58:47
  Speaker 1: for the iron fence. See. I got over that fence
• 1:58:51
  Speaker 1: with about six feet in the clear. Then I ran
• 1:58:54
  Speaker 1: till I was clean winded. By then I led it
• 1:58:58
  Speaker 1: was safe to return around and come Alice the sat
• 1:59:02
  Speaker 1: when some of you came in the front door. So
• 1:59:04
  Speaker 1: I trailed along jedge and he turned to Pembroke, allow
• 1:59:09
  Speaker 1: me to fork over the missing to Nero. With that,
• 1:59:13
  Speaker 1: he placed the bag in the judge's hand. Explain this
• 1:59:17
  Speaker 1: to me, said the judge. With so many of you
• 1:59:19
  Speaker 1: concerned in what happened, it is a little difficult to
• 1:59:22
  Speaker 1: follow the sequence of events, Clancy, how does you and
• 1:59:25
  Speaker 1: Fortune come to learn that my house was to be robbed?
• 1:59:29
  Speaker 1: Clancy explained, and in that explanation he did his friend
• 1:59:32
  Speaker 1: full credit. Fortune, however, put in a few words to
• 1:59:36
  Speaker 1: the effect that Clancy's brains in following up the clue,
• 1:59:40
  Speaker 1: helped up more than any work of his own. I
• 1:59:43
  Speaker 1: stumblonged to a heap of things, observed Jimmy grinning. But
• 1:59:46
  Speaker 1: I ain't got the sobby to figure him out. My
• 1:59:49
  Speaker 1: red headed part is the feller who does that. During
• 1:59:53
  Speaker 1: Clancy's recital, the fact had developed that Fortune was occupying
• 1:59:56
  Speaker 1: Clancy's bed at the rear of the garage when Hibberd
• 1:59:59
  Speaker 1: and Tom Law came hunting for the note. This was
• 2:00:02
  Speaker 1: a revelation which Hibbert listened to with wide eyes thunder,
• 2:00:06
  Speaker 1: he exclaimed, disgustedly, I deserve all that's coming to me
• 2:00:10
  Speaker 1: for making that bubble. Hibberd said the judge, sternly, facing
• 2:00:14
  Speaker 1: the chauffeur, this is pretty bad business for you. I
• 2:00:18
  Speaker 1: suppose you know what this means to you. I'm not
• 2:00:21
  Speaker 1: doing any sobbing, snarled Hibbert. Put on the screws, I
• 2:00:25
  Speaker 1: reckon I can stand it. Give him the limit, Dad,
• 2:00:28
  Speaker 1: urge Larry. He deserves it treating you like this after
• 2:00:32
  Speaker 1: the way you've treated him for the past six months.
• 2:00:35
  Speaker 1: The judge frowned at his son. You knew, did you, Hibbert?
• 2:00:39
  Speaker 1: He went on to the chauffeur, that I was expecting
• 2:00:41
  Speaker 1: to get this five thousand from Prescott for the sale
• 2:00:44
  Speaker 1: of the ranch. There. Sure I knew it. You thought
• 2:00:48
  Speaker 1: i'd gone to Prescott after the money, but you did
• 2:00:51
  Speaker 1: not know that the purchaser of the ranch brought it
• 2:00:53
  Speaker 1: to Phoenix to me, and that I received it after
• 2:00:56
  Speaker 1: banking hours. I didn't know that, but I figured that
• 2:00:59
  Speaker 1: you couldn't return from Prescott till after the bank had
• 2:01:02
  Speaker 1: closed and would have to keep the money in the
• 2:01:04
  Speaker 1: study safe. Answered Hibbert. The only difference you're not going
• 2:01:08
  Speaker 1: to Prescott made was that you caught me out with
• 2:01:10
  Speaker 1: the car you slipped off to tell Chantey seach Tom
• 2:01:14
  Speaker 1: about the money and get his help in robbing me.
• 2:01:18
  Speaker 1: I'm not going to talk, Hibbert, said the judge. I
• 2:01:22
  Speaker 1: don't want to be hard on you. Make a clean
• 2:01:24
  Speaker 1: breast of everything, and I'll let you go. You've got
• 2:01:27
  Speaker 1: a father and mother and Mesa and they're good friends
• 2:01:30
  Speaker 1: of mine. I don't want to do anything to bring
• 2:01:32
  Speaker 1: disgrace upon them. But and the judge's face grew stern,
• 2:01:37
  Speaker 1: I'll put you through for this if you don't tell
• 2:01:39
  Speaker 1: me everything about the affair. A gleamp of hope flickered
• 2:01:43
  Speaker 1: in the chauffeur's eyes. Do you mean that, judge, he asked,
• 2:01:47
  Speaker 1: I'm not in the habit of saying things that don't mean,
• 2:01:49
  Speaker 1: was the quiet reply. Then ask your questions and I'll
• 2:01:53
  Speaker 1: come across with straight answers. You sneaked out of town
• 2:01:57
  Speaker 1: to get chante seech Tom to help you rob me. Yes,
• 2:02:01
  Speaker 1: Tom was to come in to Phoenix and meet me
• 2:02:03
  Speaker 1: at the palace. After that we were to get the
• 2:02:06
  Speaker 1: note from Clancy and make a grab for your five thousand.
• 2:02:09
  Speaker 1: Why were you going to get the note from Clancy
• 2:02:13
  Speaker 1: because Rockwell offered me two hundred dollars for it Rockwell
• 2:02:17
  Speaker 1: burst from Clancy. Do you mean to say that Rockwell
• 2:02:20
  Speaker 1: hired you to steal that note from me? That's what
• 2:02:23
  Speaker 1: I mean to say, said Hibbert. Why, asked the judge,
• 2:02:27
  Speaker 1: what was his reason? He don't want to pay the note?
• 2:02:31
  Speaker 1: Clancy hasn't got it. How can he collect on it.
• 2:02:34
  Speaker 1: Oh he's a shark. Uncle Sie has struck in fortune.
• 2:02:38
  Speaker 1: That's what I told Red. Maybe he'll believe it now.
• 2:02:42
  Speaker 1: The judge turned to Clancy. It was an unendorsed note,
• 2:02:46
  Speaker 1: he asked, Yes, said Clancy, it was a note for
• 2:02:50
  Speaker 1: a thousand dollars given to my father. I came to
• 2:02:53
  Speaker 1: Phoenix to collect it. Rockwell said the note was all right,
• 2:02:57
  Speaker 1: and that he would get the money together in a
• 2:02:58
  Speaker 1: week or two and take it up up. Meanwhile, I
• 2:03:01
  Speaker 1: was to work at his garage at fifty dollars a month.
• 2:03:05
  Speaker 1: That was just a scheme put in Hibbert to get
• 2:03:07
  Speaker 1: Clancy in a place where it would be easy to
• 2:03:09
  Speaker 1: take the note away from him, and you enchant they seech,
• 2:03:13
  Speaker 1: Tom said Larry, with a laugh, tied up the wrong
• 2:03:16
  Speaker 1: fellow and couldn't find a note. That's where they got fooled,
• 2:03:20
  Speaker 1: chuckled fortune. I was all wrapped up in a blanket,
• 2:03:24
  Speaker 1: and they didn't know the difference between me and my part.
• 2:03:27
  Speaker 1: Funniest thing that ever happened, Only it wasn't so blame
• 2:03:30
  Speaker 1: funny for me. While it was happening. Clancy said the judge.
• 2:03:34
  Speaker 1: You had better let me take that note and keep
• 2:03:36
  Speaker 1: it for you tomorrow. I'll see that you'd get justice
• 2:03:39
  Speaker 1: from this scoundrel Rockwell. I owe you that and more.
• 2:03:44
  Speaker 1: Clancy had made a powerful friend. He realized that and
• 2:03:48
  Speaker 1: was quick to take the note from the wallet and
• 2:03:50
  Speaker 1: put it in the hands of Judge Pembroke. I'm sorry,
• 2:03:53
  Speaker 1: went on the judge, that you agreed to work for
• 2:03:55
  Speaker 1: rock Roll and turned down my offer. I hired a
• 2:03:58
  Speaker 1: driver an hour after I left. Jimmy gave a hollow
• 2:04:02
  Speaker 1: groan an here was me bankin on gettin that job.
• 2:04:07
  Speaker 1: He will, Oh, Judge, this here is what I call
• 2:04:10
  Speaker 1: blink tough. Maybe I can do something for you, said
• 2:04:14
  Speaker 1: the judge, smiling, Or do something for Clancy so he
• 2:04:16
  Speaker 1: can help you. I'll come to the Red Star Garage
• 2:04:19
  Speaker 1: tomorrow morning at ten. Meet me there, Clancy, and we'll
• 2:04:23
  Speaker 1: see what can be done. I'll be there, Judge answered Clancy,
• 2:04:27
  Speaker 1: and I'll be mighty grateful for anything you can do
• 2:04:29
  Speaker 1: that will help me. I'll ring that thousand dollars out
• 2:04:33
  Speaker 1: of Rockwell. You may be sure of that. The judge
• 2:04:36
  Speaker 1: once more turned to Hibbard. How did you and long
• 2:04:40
  Speaker 1: Tom get into the safe? You didn't blow it open?
• 2:04:43
  Speaker 1: Worked the combination you had the combination changed the spell ago,
• 2:04:48
  Speaker 1: and I stole the paper from your pocket book one
• 2:04:50
  Speaker 1: day when I had you out in the car. After
• 2:04:53
  Speaker 1: I copied the number, I put the paper back in
• 2:04:55
  Speaker 1: the pocket book and got the leather into your pocket
• 2:04:58
  Speaker 1: again without your knowing. Hibberd observed the judge, more in
• 2:05:02
  Speaker 1: sorrow than in anger. You're a bad one. You've gone
• 2:05:06
  Speaker 1: down grade pretty fast since you went to work for
• 2:05:08
  Speaker 1: me and had dealings with Rockwell. Any One will hit
• 2:05:12
  Speaker 1: at the boggin that gets mixed up with Rockwell, declared Hibberd.
• 2:05:15
  Speaker 1: Anything else you want to know, Judge, No, Hibberd, you
• 2:05:19
  Speaker 1: can go. For the sake of your people. I hope
• 2:05:22
  Speaker 1: you will live a different life from now on. He
• 2:05:24
  Speaker 1: pointed to the door, and Dirk Hibbard, with head bowed,
• 2:05:28
  Speaker 1: passed through it and out of the house. End of
• 2:05:31
  Speaker 1: chapter twelve. Chapter thirteen of Owen Clancy's Run of Luck
• 2:05:41
  Speaker 1: by Bert L. Standish. This LibriVox recording is in the
• 2:05:45
  Speaker 1: public domain. The judge takes a hand. Clancy did not
• 2:05:51
  Speaker 1: return to the Red Star Garage that night. He went
• 2:05:54
  Speaker 1: to a hotel with Jimmy Fortune, and the two of
• 2:05:57
  Speaker 1: them slept late. The next morning, had breakfast that arrests
• 2:06:00
  Speaker 1: drawnt at nine o'clock, and when ten strokes boomed from
• 2:06:03
  Speaker 1: the court house clock made their way to the garage.
• 2:06:07
  Speaker 1: The judge and Rockwell were alone in the office when
• 2:06:09
  Speaker 1: the two youths entered the place. Get out of here,
• 2:06:12
  Speaker 1: both of you, shouted Rockwall. I know that young scally
• 2:06:16
  Speaker 1: wag fortune, and I don't want him around on general principles.
• 2:06:20
  Speaker 1: As for you, Clancy, I've no use for a fellow
• 2:06:23
  Speaker 1: who can't be trusted. You didn't stay in the back
• 2:06:25
  Speaker 1: room last night, and you didn't show up here in
• 2:06:28
  Speaker 1: time for work this morning. That's what lets you out.
• 2:06:32
  Speaker 1: Just a minute, intersposed the judge, taking a long wallet
• 2:06:35
  Speaker 1: from his pocket. Before Clancy leaves this place, Rockwall, you'd
• 2:06:40
  Speaker 1: better settle your account with him. He took the note
• 2:06:43
  Speaker 1: from the wallet and laid it down on the desk
• 2:06:45
  Speaker 1: in front of the garage owner. Give him a check
• 2:06:48
  Speaker 1: for a thousand dollars, finished the judge, and no words
• 2:06:51
  Speaker 1: about it. Rockwell appeared astounded. His startled eyes traveled to
• 2:06:56
  Speaker 1: the judge and then returned to the note. I I
• 2:07:00
  Speaker 1: told Clancy, I take this up in a week or two,
• 2:07:02
  Speaker 1: he muttered, shiftily. You're going to take it up now,
• 2:07:05
  Speaker 1: said Judge Pembroke. I know you have the money in
• 2:07:08
  Speaker 1: the bank and that note is long past due. Be
• 2:07:12
  Speaker 1: sure and add the interest when you make out the check.
• 2:07:15
  Speaker 1: You don't know about this note, judge continued Rockwell, I
• 2:07:18
  Speaker 1: don't reckon I owe them money? Or why did you
• 2:07:21
  Speaker 1: just say you had told Clancy you'd paid in a
• 2:07:23
  Speaker 1: week or two if you questioned the validity of the note. Well,
• 2:07:28
  Speaker 1: I I don't hamm in Han's side. Step with me,
• 2:07:31
  Speaker 1: said the judge, sternly. You have been trying to beat
• 2:07:34
  Speaker 1: young Clancy out of the money. Do you want me
• 2:07:37
  Speaker 1: to tell your customers how you hired Hibbert to steal
• 2:07:39
  Speaker 1: that note from Clancy so you could get out of
• 2:07:41
  Speaker 1: paying it. Would that sound well? Rockwell fell back in
• 2:07:46
  Speaker 1: his chair, limp and dumbfounded. His lips moved, but no
• 2:07:49
  Speaker 1: sound came from them, you see, pursued the judge relentlessly.
• 2:07:54
  Speaker 1: That I know what I am talking about. I'll publish
• 2:07:57
  Speaker 1: your contemptible methods far and wide if you don't instantly
• 2:08:00
  Speaker 1: settled this debt. I'm not here to waste words on you.
• 2:08:04
  Speaker 1: Write that check. With his face ashen and his hands trembling,
• 2:08:09
  Speaker 1: Rockwell thoroughly cowed, bent over his desk, fishing a check
• 2:08:13
  Speaker 1: buck out of a pigeon hole. He opened it, picked
• 2:08:15
  Speaker 1: up a pen, and did a little figuring on a
• 2:08:17
  Speaker 1: scratch block. When he wrote the check, it was for
• 2:08:20
  Speaker 1: one thousand, one hundred and twenty dollars. There, Clancy, said
• 2:08:25
  Speaker 1: the judge, handing the check to Owen. Now you were
• 2:08:28
  Speaker 1: square with Rockwell, he'd have nothing more to do with him.
• 2:08:32
  Speaker 1: There is a young fellow in this town who was
• 2:08:34
  Speaker 1: recently opened a garage. He is square as a die,
• 2:08:37
  Speaker 1: and I happen to know that you can buy a
• 2:08:39
  Speaker 1: half interest in his place for that money. Of course,
• 2:08:42
  Speaker 1: and the judge smiled. It isn't a big place like this,
• 2:08:45
  Speaker 1: but the business is growing. I'd advise you to buy
• 2:08:49
  Speaker 1: in with lafey Win. Win murmured Rockwell, he's one of
• 2:08:53
  Speaker 1: my competitors. I didn't think, Judge, that you do anything
• 2:08:56
  Speaker 1: to help lafay Win. I'll do everything to help lafey Win,
• 2:09:00
  Speaker 1: said Judge Pembroke, getting up from his chair. Clancy will
• 2:09:04
  Speaker 1: buy a half interest, give a job to his friend
• 2:09:06
  Speaker 1: jimmy fortune, and it won't be many months Rockwell until
• 2:09:10
  Speaker 1: Clancy and Winn run You out of business. They'll treat
• 2:09:13
  Speaker 1: their patrons on the square, and that's a principle that
• 2:09:16
  Speaker 1: will help them to grow. Don't think for a minute.
• 2:09:19
  Speaker 1: He added that I don't know how I have been
• 2:09:21
  Speaker 1: robbed here. I suspected what was going on. Now I'm
• 2:09:25
  Speaker 1: no longer in doubt. My two cars are going over
• 2:09:28
  Speaker 1: to the Square deal garage, and I guess I know
• 2:09:31
  Speaker 1: a few more cars that will follow them. You might
• 2:09:34
  Speaker 1: be easy with me, whimpered Rockwell, now that I've given
• 2:09:36
  Speaker 1: Clancy that money. Easy with you for paying an honest debt,
• 2:09:41
  Speaker 1: returned the judge contemptuously. Why man, if you had your desserts,
• 2:09:45
  Speaker 1: it would be in jail. He moved toward the door.
• 2:09:49
  Speaker 1: Come on, Clancy, said he you and Fortune we're through here.
• 2:09:53
  Speaker 1: The judge left the place, Clancy in Fortune trailing along
• 2:09:56
  Speaker 1: behind him. The two parts were smiling happily. Fortune was
• 2:10:00
  Speaker 1: hanging to Clancy's hand and working his arm up and
• 2:10:03
  Speaker 1: down like a pump handle. Rockwell watched them through the
• 2:10:06
  Speaker 1: dingy window of his office. We'll see about this, he muttered,
• 2:10:10
  Speaker 1: between his teeth, shaking his fist. I'll break that new
• 2:10:14
  Speaker 1: firm of Clancy and Wind. You're a keen one Pembroke,
• 2:10:18
  Speaker 1: but you'll find that I can go you one better.
• 2:10:20
  Speaker 1: I I reckon I shouldn't have trusted that fellow Hibbert
• 2:10:23
  Speaker 1: after all, he added, as he turned heavily away from
• 2:10:26
  Speaker 1: the window. End of Owen Clancy's run of luck.