smile.

Tad's reflections were interrupted by the voice of one of the outlaws.

"They're here," said the voice. "I'd like to take a pot at them."

"It'll be your last if you try it," threatened Jones. "This is the
only safe retreat we've got. We don't propose to give it away by any,
such fool play as shooting at a Ranger from it, much as we'd like to
get rid of some of those fellows. They're crowding us pretty close.
And right here, I've got a proposition to make. By the way, Gregg,
what are they doing?"

"Looking for trails."

The outlaw captain smiled grimly.

"Let 'em look. Precious little trail they'll find, and precious little
good it'll do them if they do find it."

"Joe said those stones weren't where he'd left them."

"That's all right. Probably some of those boys have been fooling
around here. They're a nosey crowd. But there's no chance that they
have discovered anything yet. Give them time and they may. Once we
break up the Ranger camp the boys will take French leave mighty quick.
It will be too warm for them here. As I was about to say, I have a
proposition to make to you. Until things quiet down a little it is
my suggestion that we get across the Rio Grande and go into retreat
there in our old joint. We've got a lot of valuable stuff here that
we can't get out at present and we'll have to leave it here. The
Rangers are watching this locality altogether too closely for comfort
so far as we are concerned. Withem is nosing around El Paso as you
know, lying low for some folks that we know of there. No use to
take chances when we don't have to. If you're all agreed we'll just
slope to the other side of the river and lie low for a month. What's
your idea?"

"I'm agreed, if you'll give me a chance to get even with that gang of
boys first," spoke up Tucker.

"You mean that you want to stay here after we've gone?" smiled Captain
Willie.

"I reckoned I'd like to until I'd done what I told you."

"Well, I reckon you won't do anything of the sort. When we go out of
here, none of us comes back till the whole crowd returns. Is that
clear, Dunk?"

The outlaw growled an unintelligible reply.

"The Rangers have drawn off, Captain," called the lookout.

"Which way?"

"Toward the camp."

"They're going to stay there all night," decided the leader. "Well,
we'll watch our chance and perhaps we'll be able to get away some time
late in the night. Are you all agreed on getting across t