“It’s rather dangerous to leave them around that way,” grumbled the man. “Maybe you would have done better if you had brought them over here.”
“I thought there would be no use in carting them back and forth,” returned the son. “I wanted to have them handy, in case the Basswoods met my demands.”
“Well, we’ll see what comes of it, Ward. I hope we do get that money. I certainly need some,” and Jarvey Porton heaved something of 280 a sigh. Evidently father and son were equally unscrupulous and took no pains to disguise that fact from each other.
More talk followed, Ward telling something of the way in which the miniatures had been obtained and his father relating the particulars of his troubles with the Mentor Construction Company. In the midst of the latter recital Dave and Roger heard Packard Brown returning on the run.
“Hi there!” called out the man in evident alarm. And then as the two chums hid in the closet once more, he burst into the room occupied by the Portons. “Those greasers are coming back and they are heading for this place!” he explained.
“In that case we had better get out,” answered Jarvey Porton, quickly.
“But you and Brown helped them in that raid, Dad,” interposed the son. “Why should you get out?”
“We had a big quarrel after that raid, Ward,” explained the parent. “And now those greasers have no use for us. We’ll have to get out, and in a hurry, too.”
Shouting could now be heard at a distance, and this was followed by a volley of shots which surprised all the listeners.
“I’ll tell you what it must be,” said Jarvey 281 Porton, as he led the way from the deserted ranch. “A detachment from the regular army must be after General Bilassa’s crowd. Maybe they’ll have a fight right here along the border!”