ring the thing on the bank officials, and don't let them
shut up the bank. You want their aid. Let them make sure of their gold.
But the clerks and cashier ought to be at their desks or window when
Poggin rides up. He'll glance in before he gets down. They make no
mistakes, these fellows. We must be slicker than they are, or lose. When
you get the bank people wise, send your men over one by one. No hurry,
no excitement, no unusual thing to attract notice in the bank."

"All right. That's great. Tell me, where do you intend to wait?"

Duane heard MacNelly's question, and it struck him peculiarly. He had
seemed to be planning and speaking mechanically. As he was confronted
by the fact it nonplussed him somewhat, and he became thoughtful, with
lowered head.

"Where'll you wait, Duane?" insisted MacNelly, with keen eyes
speculating.

"I'll wait in front, just inside the door," replied Duane, with an
effort.

"Why?" demanded the Captain.

"Well," began Duane, slowly, "Poggin will get down first and start in.
But the others won't be far behind. They'll not get swift till inside.
The thing is--they MUSTN'T get clear inside, because the instant they
do they'll pull guns. That means death to somebody. If we can we want to
stop them just at the door."

"But will you hide?" asked MacNelly.

"Hide!" The idea had not occurred to Duane.

"There's a wide-open doorway, a sort of round hall, a vestibule, with
steps leading up to the bank. There's a door in the vestibule, too. It
leads somewhere. We can put men in there. You can be there."

Duane was silent.

"See here, Duane," began MacNelly, nervously. "You shan't take any undue
risk here. You'll hide with the rest of us?"

"No!" The word was wrenched from Duane.

MacNelly stared, and then a strange, comprehending light seemed to flit
over his face.

"Duane, I can give you no orders to-day," he said, distinctly. "I'm only
offering advice. Need you take any more risks? You've done a grand
job for the service--already. You've paid me a thousand times for
that pardon. You've redeemed yourself.--The Governor, the
adjutant-general--the whole state will rise up and honor you. The game's
almost up. We'll kill these outlaws, or enough of them to break for
ever their power. I say, as a ranger, need you take more risk than your
captain?"

Still Duane remained silent. He was locked between two forces. And one,
a tide that was bursting at its bounds, seemed about to overwhelm h