The white runabout passed, however, and it had two passengers. CHAPTER XII. A STARTLING MYSTERY. Matt, on leaving the garage, gave a hasty look around for Uncle Tom. The old negro was not in sight. Matt could not spend any time looking for him, in that particular place, and ran for the road, hoping to find Uncle Tom waiting for him farther on. In this he was not disappointed. Well toward the place where Matt had had his memorable interview with his cowboy pard, the negro pushed out of the undergrowth. “Marse Matt,” he chattered, “Ah’s been er-waitin’. Ah ’low’ed ye’d come dishyer way. Whut done happen tuh dat Kelly?” “I got away from him,” Matt answered. “By golly, Ah got away, too. Nevah run so fas’ en mah life. Five times fo’ is fifty. Yo’ all ain’t er-fo’gittin’ dat, is yuh?” “No, Uncle Tom; I’m not forgetting anything.” Matt had nearly a hundred dollars in his pocket, and if he had not thought he was going to need considerable extra money for his trip back to the city he’d been given the negro nearly the whole of it. “There’s your fifty, Uncle Tom,” said Matt. “You go to Hempstead and stay with Topsy until you can find another job.” “Ah doan’ want no job twell Ah git out ob money, marse, en den Ah’s hopin’ ye’ll be ready tuh take me on as yo’ private mascot. Ah tells yuh, marse, yo’s monsus short on luck, seems lak. Yo’s had a powahful bad streak to-day. Where’d yo’ hab been ef it hadn’t been fo’ Ole Tom? Golly, Ah’s afeared tuh guess!” “How did you know I was up there over the garage?” “Ah seed yo’ when yo’ was brought intuh de garage, marse. Marse Whitmore, at de clubhouse, done sent me tuh ask Kelly somethin’, en Kelly wasn’t erroun’ de place. Ah waited; den Ah seed yo’ come in froo de back do’, yo’ han’s all tied lak dey was, en Ah jess scrooched down behin’ a car an’ waited twell yo’ was took to Kelly’s room. Den Ah went off tuh think whut all Ah was gwine tuh do tuh help yo’. Ah clean fo’got ’bout Marse Whitmore. Went tuh hunt him up, but he had done lef’ de place where he was. De idee got intuh mah ole haid dat Ah could git Kelly away fom de garage by tellin’ him somebody else wanted tuh see him, en Ah wo’ked hit out, yassuh. En she wo’ked, didn’t she? Yo’ knows ’bout dat. Say, marse, is five times fo’ fifty er skiventy? ’Pears lak Ah ain’t jess right en mah ’rithmetic.” “It’s nearer fifty than seventy, Uncle Tom. If I could spare any more money, though, I’d give it to you.” “Yo’s allers gen’rous lak dat, en dat’s de reason Ah likes tuh mascot fo’ yo’. When does yo’ all think yo’ll need me?” “I can’t tell that for a while, Uncle Tom. You go to Hempstead and stay with Topsy. That’s the place for you. You’re getting altogether too old to work.” “Huccome yo’ lef’ Denvah? Whar yo’ all been, huh?” “I’ve been in a good many places, Uncle Tom, since I left Denver. I’m certainly going to do something for you, Uncle Tom,” answered Matt; “but I can’t say just when.”