A deep silence fell over the room. Tippoo stepped away from the door and tucked the revolver back into his sash. Mings, Packard and Finn bolted--glad, no doubt, to get away so easily. Sercomb started after them, but hesitated.
"Uncle," he began tremulously, "if you will----"
Then Sercomb's true character came uppermost. Halting in the door he shook his fist at Matt and Dick.
"I'll play even with both of you for this!" he gritted, then whirled and darted after his crestfallen companions.
"Come, Carl," said Matt, hurrying toward the hall door, "we'll go and keep an eye on the car."
"You bed you," exulted Carl, running after Matt. "It vas easy for Verral to be jeerful now, hey? Aber id don'd vas so easy for dose odder chaps. Donnervetter, vat a surbrise!"
When the other touring-car whisked out of the barn, through the grove and into the road, there were four very gloomy passengers aboard. Hardly looking at Matt and Carl, they kicked up the dust toward Santa Fé and Denver.
Tippoo appeared, as soon as the car had vanished.
"Sahib," said he to Matt, "you go to de house. I take care of bot' cars. Naboob sahib say so."
"Napoo sahip cuts a goot deal oof ice mit us, Tibboo," said Carl, "und I guess dot ve go, hey, Matt?"
"Sure, we will," replied Matt. "But be careful of this car, Tippoo. It has had so many close calls lately that I am scared of my life when it's out of my hands."
"Me take good care, sahib," answered Tippoo reassuringly.
Matt and Carl, full of wonder and satisfaction because of the way the affair had ended, started back along the foot-path to the house.
Mr. Lawton and Ferral met Matt and Carl in the parlor. They had been having a brief talk together, and there was a pleased look on Lawton's face and a happy light in Ferral's eyes.
Mr. Lawton stepped forward and caught Matt cordially by the hand.
"Matt," said he, "you have been a stanch friend of Dick's in the little time you have known him, and you have twice saved his life. He is indebted to you, but I am under an even greater obligation. But for your aid, the little plan I conceived for getting at the relative merits of my two nephews might have ended disastrously and given me something to regret till the last day of my life. I thank you, my lad; and you, too, Carl," he finished, turning to the grinning Dutch boy.