The Radio Boys on the Mexican Border Part 11

"Asked me to throw on the juice so he could use the telephone."

"Whom did he talk to?"

"Why, I don't know," said Tom. "How would I?"

"How long was he in there?"

"Why, fifteen, twenty minutes. Maybe half an hour. Why, Jack? Anything wrong?"

"Yes, Tom, there is," said Jack. "Can I trust you?"

Tom looked hurt.

"That's fer you to say."

"Excuse me, Tom," said Jack. "But after what I've just seen I don't know whom to trust. Yes, I believe you're true blue, Tom. I'll tell you. But wait a minute."

He walked to the door and looked out. The coast was clear.

"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 a.s.sured 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."

"Where were you walking?" asked Mr. Rollins quickly.

Jack found lying distasteful, but decided it would not do in this case to tell the whole truth. Fortunately, on leaving the radio station, he had swung about in a circle, so as to approach the house from an almost opposite direction.

"Over there," said Jack, indicating the direction from which he had come. "There's a little rise some distance beyond there, but in this feeble moon-light you can't see much, so I came back. Then I heard the flivver."

"Do you think that fellow Remedios came here himself and drove it off?" asked Frank.

"He certainly had his nerve, if it was he," said Bob.

Jack noticed that while Rollins was watching him keenly Mr. Temple, who had not taken part in the conversation, was studying Rollins.

"Oh, it must have been Remedios," Jack said boldly. "Did anybody get close enough to see him? Who came out first? Did you notice, Mr.

Rollins? You must have just arrived. I see you are still dressed."

"Yes, I had put my horse up in the corral," said Rollins, calmly, "and was walking over here to the house, when I heard the car. I came around to see who was calling at this late hour, but all I could see was the disappearing car. Of course, I knew nothing of your day's adventures until your friends came out, when we introduced ourselves and explanations followed."

CHAPTER XIII

THE NET IS DRAWN TIGHTER