Presently a swarthy face showed through the murk of the tunnel, and a roughly dressed man pushed into sight. Matt bounded up as though touched by a livewire.
"Pima Pete!" he cried.
A gleam darted through the half-breed's eyes.
"You savvy um, hey?" he returned. "You git um paper-talk, come plenty quick. Ugh! Bueno!"
Matt stood like one in a daze. He had not been expecting to see Pima Pete, although he wondered later how he could have expected to see any one else.
"You know Clipperton's in trouble, don't you?" said Matt, suddenly getting control of his wits. "He's arrested, and being tried for stealing Josh Fresnay's money, and——"
"All same savvy," interrupted Pima Pete, waving his hand. "Savvy plenty before me leave Phœnix, send paper-talk to Motor Matt. How we save um? Clip heap fine boy. White men make um big mistake. You think um Pete better go Phœnix, give himself up?"
"You told us to be here Thursday," said Matt. "Why didn't you send word to us sooner?"
"Me no can make um. Find trouble. Two men b'long to ole gang make um trouble. No let um go to Prescott. They hike off last night, then Pete write um note, go Prescott, throw um note through window. Ugh! How we save um Clip? Odder two men want Clip to go to prison. Me no want um. What we do, huh?"
"Where are those other two men?" asked Matt.