Carl walked over to where Kit lay under the shelter-tent and, seizing him by one leg, drew him forth into the sunlight.
“It’s all right, Kit!” he exclaimed. “We’ve decided that you did a mighty good thing in locating Phillips. We know where he is now, and so it will be all the easier to catch him.”
“I thought I’d given the whole snap away,” he said.
“You couldn’t have done a better job,” Carl insisted. “You see it’s this way,” he continued. “Phillips and Mendoza are still unaware that they have been followed to this locality. At least, we judge so because this alleged ranger asked you concerning a third machine.”
“I begin to understand,” said Kit brightening.
“This third machine,” continued Carl, “is evidently operated by the man who tried to destroy the _Louise_ and the _Bertha_ near St. Louis. He came on from New York, the way we have it figured out, to warn the two murderers of the steps which were being taken for their capture.”
“And we beat him to it!” cried Kit exultantly.
“Yes, we beat him to it,” replied Carl. “And here’s another reason,” the boy went on, “why we think the outlaws have not yet communicated with the messenger sent on from the east.
“If Phillips had known all the messenger will be able to tell him when they meet, he never would have shown himself to you.”
“Jiminy!” exclaimed Kit. “Then I’d be up in that bear tree yet!”
“You might be!” grinned Carl. “Anyhow, you did a good job in locating the outlaws for us. We know now that they’re in this section, and that is a whole lot.”
“Then we must be somewhere near Two Sisters canyon?” asked Kit.
Carl replied that he believed that they must be, and Kit tumbled back into the shelter-tent in a more cheerful frame of mind.
“There’s one thing about this situation that I’m not at all pleased with,” Ben remarked, as the boys began working over their machines, oiling, polishing and giving them a more respectable appearance generally. “We saw this third machine cross the range and settle down somewhere off to the south. My idea is that it can’t be very far away at this time, and I’m wondering whether the outlaw who talked with Kit won’t find it before night.”
“You bet he will!” exclaimed Jimmie. “That blond aviator who tried to blow up our machines will find some way of letting the murderers know that he has news for them.”