CHAPTER XV.
THE END OF THE MYSTERY.
Matt and Susie withdrew to the porch and softly closed the door behindthem. The minds of both of them were in a daze. There were tears inSusie's eyes.
"Fellers useter act that way when I was rampin' around in the hills,"growled Welcome, with a fierce look at the closed door; "but they wasmostly lawless, an' didn't keer fer no one. I got a mind to go right inthere an' drive the feller out!"
"Sh-h-h!" admonished Susie; "not so loud, Welcome. It's Rags' father."
"Father!" echoed Welcome, Chub, and Clip.
"Yes," said Matt. "Don't it beat anything you ever heard of, Clip?Bascomb is Rags' father! No wonder he was in a hurry to get here. Jose,the Mexican that was with Juan Morisco when the team ran away, foundBascomb in the hills and told him of the accident. After I fell in withBascomb he started to asking me about Rags. I'd no sooner told howbadly hurt she was, when he got in the biggest kind of a hurry to reachPhoenix."
"We certainly got here on the jump," said Clip. "If you want to getspeed out of a motor, put Motor Matt in charge."
"Didn't Rags tell you anything about herself?" asked Matt.
"Not a word," said Chub.
"And she can't get well?"
Susie shook her head.
"Who's her father, anyhow?" spoke up Welcome.
"Joe Bascomb," answered Matt. "He's one of the Dangerfield gang."
"You been mixin' up with that gang, Matt King?" went on Welcome.
"You bet he has," said Clip. "Matt's done a lot of mixing. Pretty hot,some of it."
"Where'd you go so sudden, pard?" came from Chub. "What was it thegovernor wanted of you?"
"He wanted me to turn a 'century' in five hours," answered Matt.
"Up Castle Creek Canyon and over the divide, at that," interpolatedClip. "He did it in less than five hours. And fought smugglers all theway."
"But where'd he pick up this Bascomb?" persisted Welcome. "That'swhat's worryin' me a hull lot."
"It's too long a yarn to spin now, Welcome," replied Matt. "You'll getit all some time. What came over the doctor all at once? Does anybodyknow?"
"Not me," said Chub. "He dug out o' here like he had a hurry-up callover in town somewhere. Never said a word, but just rolled into hisbuggy and began kicking up the dust."
"He's coming back," reported Clip, his eyes up the road. "Seems to bein as big a rush to get back as he was to get away."
"That isn't the doctor," said Susie, as the rig drew nearer. "There aretwo men in the buggy and neither of them is the doctor."
"One's McKibben," said Chub, "and the other is Sparks, his deputy. I'mnext now. The doctor found out Bascomb was one of the Dangerfield gang,and hot-footed it for the sheriff's office."
The rig drew up with a rush in front of the gate, and the two officersdropped out. Leaving Sparks to tie the horse, McKibben hurried into theyard. Matt went down the porch steps to meet him.
"Ah, King!" exclaimed the sheriff, a sparkle in his eyes. "I thoughtyou'd be back to-day. Made good, as usual, eh? The doctor says one ofthe gang is here."
"He's in the house," said Matt. "He's the father of the little girl,and----"
"The doctor told me that. Ever since Morisco told me what he knew, I'vebeen half-expecting this would happen. The only thing in the way washaving the girl's father find out how badly she was hurt. Who told him?"
"The Mexican that rode off on the horse when you arrested Morisco."
"He couldn't have told him all--he didn't know it."
"Well, I told Bascomb what I knew."
"Bascomb?" queried the sheriff.
"That's the man's name."
"Oh!"
"I'd leave him alone in there for a while, Mr. McKibben," went on Matt."He's having a hard time of it."
"I'll not bother him yet." McKibben turned to his deputy who was justcoming through the gate. "Go around to the rear of the house, Sparks,"said he, "and see that he don't get out that way."
Sparks disappeared around the corner of the building.
"Did Morisco tell you anything about the girl, Mr. McKibben?" queriedMatt.
"He told me all about her," replied the sheriff. "Morisco was senton here to get the girl and take her out to the Rio Verde. When thegang came along her father was to pick her up and take her with him toMexico. This here Bascomb came from the East, and left the girl behindhim. From what I got from Morisco, I figure that the little one had ahard time of it. Bascomb, knowing the gang was soon going to change itslocation, sent East and had the girl come to Phoenix. Jose is a brotherof Juan's, and Bascomb had the wood-hauler take charge of his daughteruntil he could get hold of her himself. When a man's a criminal, hisoperations are a bit hampered. That's the way it was with Bascomb. Hehad to watch his chance, send Juan in to town, and have him bring thegirl to the Rio Verde. Only Juan didn't. Matters went a little wrongfor him. Trust a couple of greasers to botch things up! Why, one of mymen had spotted Juan Morisco the minute he hit the Mexican quarter.We couldn't just identify him, that was all. A piece of courtplastercovered the scar on his face. The governor will be mighty tickled,Matt, when he hears how you've made good."
"Have you heard how Burke came out?"
"Got a wire from Prescott an hour ago. Six of the gang were capturedat Tinaja Wells; the rest, including Dangerfield, made a run of it andgot clear. But I reckon the smuggling of Chinks into this section hasbeen pretty well discouraged. You did a cracking good piece of work forUncle Sam yesterday, my boy."
"I wish it had turned out a little different," said Matt, looking away.
"Different?" asked the sheriff. "How do you mean?"
"If poor little Rags could only have pulled through----"
"We've got to take those things as we find 'em," said McKibben gruffly."It's hard lines, of course, and I'm sorry for Bascomb. But he broughtit all on himself. If he'd have led an honest life, Rags wouldn't havebeen left to shift for herself. Every man that goes wrong pays thepenalty--and sometimes makes others pay part of it. How long has hebeen in there?" The sheriff nodded toward the house.
"About half an hour," answered Matt.
"I reckon that's long enough."
McKibben walked to the steps and ascended to the front door. Just ashe was about to lay his hand on the knob, the door opened and Bascombshambled out.
He hardly looked like the same man. His shoulders were droopingforward, his head was bowed, and his face was heavy with grief.McKibben stepped up beside him and laid a hand on his shoulder. Bascombstarted at the touch and lifted his head passively.
"Well?" said he, in a low tone.
"You're under arrest, Dangerfield," said McKibben.
Matt and Clip hardly believed their ears. Dangerfield! Had McKibbenmade a mistake?
"Nothing much matters now, McKibben," returned the prisoner wearily.He held out his hands, wrists together. "I'm not armed, and I wouldn'tmake you any trouble if I was."
A pair of handcuffs were snapped into place, and the sheriff tucked ahand under his prisoner's arm and led him down from the porch.
"All right, Sparks!" called the sheriff.
While the deputy was coming around the house, the prisoner turned toMatt.
"Joe Bascomb Dangerfield, King, is my full name," said he. "I only gaveyou part of it. Some things you didn't understand before I suppose areperfectly clear to you now."
He faced the sheriff.
"Understand this, McKibben," he went on, "it was Matt King who broughtme in. He took charge of me in Castle Creek Canyon. The reward goes tohim."
"He'll be taken care of," said McKibben briefly.
Once more Dangerfield turned to Matt.
"You did your best for Ollie, King," he continued, a shake in hisvoice. "Give me your hand."
The handcuffs rattled as Matt shook the prisoner's hand; then, betweenMcKibben and Sparks, Dangerfield was led away.
Criminal though Dangerfield was, Matt pitied him from the bottom of hisheart. Instead of using the doctor's rig
for the return to town, theofficers appropriated the red roadster. Sparks got in behind, with theprisoner, and McKibben took the driver's seat. They were soon acrossthe bridge and lost to sight.
"Waal, snakes alive!" muttered Welcome Perkins. "Blamed if Matt didn'tketch the leader o' the gang without never knowin' it."
Matt whirled and went into the house. Susie was already in the frontroom. She motioned toward the couch.
Rags was lying still and silent, her hands crossed on her breast.