ace the bandits to their
lair, or if the former even knew the outlaws had returned to that
locality again. The words of Tucker answered his question.

"Well, we outrode them, Cap," said Tucker.

"Yes, but if you hadn't made a fool of yourself and tried a pot shot
on McKay they wouldn't have known we were anywhere about. That was
a fool play on your part, Dunk. Your temper will be the death of you.
We'll be lucky if it isn't the death of the whole outfit. I don't want
any more of it. If you can't control yourself better, the word will
go out that you aren't safe. You know what that means?"

Dunk grinned maliciously.

"I reckon I do. How long we going to stay in here this time?"

"I'll let you know when I am ready to go."

"But ain't you going to clean out that camp?"

"If you mean the boys, I am not. I am looking for bigger game just
now. When we get through you can settle your little grudge if you
want to. I reckon you'll get your fingers burnt, the same way you
did before, if you try it. Those boys are pretty slick."

Tucker's face grew black. No need to tell Tad of what the outlaw was
thinking at that moment. He was thinking of the time when the boys
had made him a prisoner and how they had been responsible for his
having been taken to El Paso and locked up. There was murder in the
heart of Dunk Tucker at that moment, as Tad Butler well knew.

The men had lighted candles and stuck them in crevices in the rocks,
so that the chamber was fairly well lighted. The horses were white
with foam, showing that they had been ridden hard. The watching boy
understood. The bandits had been hard pressed by the Rangers.

Jones walked away, leaving Tucker standing there nursing his deadly
rage. After a time Dunk followed into the other chamber, where the
men fell to discussing their escape in tones plainly audible to the
boys hidden under the blankets. From the conversation Tad drew that
the men had been on a raid and that they had been forced to throw away
much of their plunder because of having been so hard pressed by the
pursuing Rangers. Still, three small packs had been unloaded from
the ponies in the cave and carried to the inner chamber. The outlaws
were not in good humor. Their leader was the only one whose face
reflected a smile. Willie could smile even when facing a gun.
That smile had upset more than one man's aim and saved Willie's life.
Jones fully realized the value of his disconcerting