"How far is it to the place where the automobiles were left?"
"We're close t' dere now. I'm wonderin' w'y Brisco dropped yous widin a short walk o' de hang-out—dat is, if he was fixin' t' stay at de place?"
"I don't know," answered Matt; "but that's what he did and it's enough for me. I've got to recover that car, Josh. If I don't, and if anything happens to it, I'd look nice making my report to Tomlinson, wouldn't I?"
"If yous hadn't picked up dat bunch o' tramps on de road yous wouldn't have got into dis fix."
"I'm not sorry I helped you out, Josh."
"Sure not. Yous ain't dat kind, Motor Matt. All de same, yous would have been peggin' along to'rds Albuquerque, nice as yous please, if it hadn't been for dat crowd o' Uncle Tommers. Dere'll be doin's in Fairview in de mornin', w'en dad finds out yous ain't w'ere yous ought t' be."
"What can your father do?"
"He can do a lot w'en he gits started. Don't yous never t'ink he's a slow one, Matt."
Matt knew that Legree could keep a cool head in a pinch, but, for all that, he didn't see how he could do anything when he didn't have money enough even to pay his board-bill.
"Mr. Tomlinson has a lot of confidence in me," said Matt; "and, if that car is wrecked, I'll have——"