“Tom,” said he, returning, “I’m going to take you into my confidence.  Listen.”

In as few words as possible he related their adventures that day and the part played by Remedios.  Then he added that in Mr. Rollins’s companion he had recognized the Mexican chauffeur.

“What do you make of it?” he asked.

“Treachery,” said Tom, emphatically.  “But who’da thought it of Mr. Rollins?”

They looked at each other puzzled.

“I wish I knew whom he spoke to by radio and what he said,” declared Jack.

“Wish I’da listened,” mourned Tom.

Both stood silent.  Suddenly the still night was shattered by a series of racketing explosions.  Jack sprang for the door.

“Remedios’s flivver,” he cried to his companion.  “There isn’t another car in the world can cough like that.”

By the time he had emerged from the radio station the car could be heard shooting away down the desert trail toward Ransome.

“Too late,” said Jack, disgustedly.  “He’s gone.  I should have surprised them together.”

He thought a moment, then turned to the other.

“Listen, Tom,” said he.  “Not a word about all this.  I think I’ll not let Rollins know that I suspect him, but will talk this over first with my friends.  And if he comes here to radio again listen to him, and report to me what he says.”

“All right,” said the big ex-cowboy.  Then as a new idea occurred to him, he asked:  “But how about tellin’ my side pard, Dave?  He’s on duty days.  He oughta know, too.”

“I don’t know Dave as well as I do you,” said Jack.  “Certainly he ought to be informed, so that he can be on the watch, too.  Can he be trusted?”

“You can count on Dave,” said Tom.  “We been pardners for years.  That bow-legged son o’ Satan an’ me been through lots o’ ruckuses in our time.  If there’s any shootin’ to be done, count us in.  You know how I kin shoot.”

“I ought to know,” said Jack.  “You taught me.”

“Well, then, I’ll let Dave in on the secret.”

“All right,” said Jack, moving away toward the house.  “Good night.”

He started for the ranch house, but again came back.

“Rollins mustn’t know I was down here,” he said.

“He won’t know from me,” Tom assured him.

When Jack reached the house, he found Mr. Temple, Bob and Jack on the front porch in their night-clothes.  Rollins was there and had introduced himself.  All four were discussing the disappearance of the flivver.

“You know how I sleep,” said Bob.  “But it made so much noise it waked even me.”

“Where have you been, Jack?” asked Frank.  “Why, you haven’t undressed.  I thought you turned in when I did.  But I was so sleepy I never noticed when I tumbled out of bed that you weren’t there.”

Jack felt Mr. Rollins’s eyes on him.  It made him uncomfortable.

“Oh, I couldn’t sleep,” he said.  “So I came out for a turn in the night air before going to bed.”