The distasteful business finished, Lopez turned to Gilbert.
"Now, zen, you all right some more, eh?" he asked.
Gilbert could not understand. "I guess so," he said, "I—I thought you were captured!"
"Me?" said Lopez in surprise, "It is not me, ees my double!"
"Your double?" Gilbert, amazed, answered.
"Ees idea what I get from ze moving pitchers."
Gilbert and Lucia stared at each other; then at the bandit.
"Then it wasn't you they captured?" Gilbert said.
He flicked the ashes from his cigarette. "I should be capture by ze damn ranger? Ees a idea!" He roared with mirth. "No, no! Long time I 'ave fix zat."