"It was you, King," he went on, but with no malice in his voice, "who put a spoke in Dangerfield's wheel. If it hadn't been for you and the Comet, the governor couldn't have got word to Burke before we had all slipped past him and gotten well off toward the border. That's the way luck will take a turn sometimes."
All this was information that might be used against those of the gang who had been captured, and Matt wondered at Bascomb's recklessness in telling it.
"If José had used persuasion with Ollie instead of tying her to the wagon," Bascomb continued, with a tinge of bitterness, "there wouldn't have been any trouble, and Juan and José would have gotten clear. But a greaser never does a thing like a white man. It was while José was tying Ollie to the wagon, telling her he was doing it just to keep her from falling off, that the team got scared and began to run."
Bascomb muttered something to himself, his shoulders heaved and his hands clenched spasmodically. Some terrible emotion ran through him, as it had done before, and Matt was puzzled to account for it.
By that time they had drawn near the descent that led into the ravine. Before they started down, some one sprang out into the road in front of them.
"Matt!" yelled a familiar voice.
"Great Scott!" cried Matt, astounded. "What are you doing here, Clip?"
"Waiting for you," answered Clip, peering at Bascomb. "Think I was going back to Phœnix without finding out something about how you'd come out? Who's this?"
"One of Dangerfield's gang," said Matt. "I'm taking him in."
"Fine!" exclaimed Clip. "But don't go on just yet. The red roadster is at Frog Tanks. Those two roughs are in the tienda. If this is one of the gang, those two will make us trouble."