at boy.

"That wasn't what I meant. Prudence hasn't anything to do with it.
It would be cold-blooded."

"Ready! Work the lever," commanded the captain as the voice of the
lookout called down the one word "Right!"

"Get ready," whispered Tad. "I'm going to bolt. Don't make a sound.
We may lose our lives, but I'm going to save the others. If I shoot,
drop in your tracks, but be careful not to drop in the opening. Now
think as you never thought before!"

"Wha---what are you going to do?" stammered the fat boy.

"Watch me. I can't explain it to you now. There goes the tree."

The operation of the huge bulk was very simple. One of the men
procured a long pole from a crevice in the rock. This he thrust down
under the roots of the tree, adjusted it and then began working the
pole as one would a pump handle. The tree began to rise at once.
Tad saw that the outlaw was working a pneumatic jack, on which he
figured a piece of timber had been placed so as not to crumble the
dirt from the roots when the bulk was raised by the jack. From the
outside the bandits no doubt used the same method that the Pony Rider
Boys had used to gain an entrance.

"Keep clear of the opening and don't shoot until we're all ready.
One volley will be enough, then back and trip the jack. All ready!"

The men began creeping out, Willie Jones in the lead.

"Now!" whispered Tad. "Follow me! Look out for squalls! Things
will happen rapidly when they begin."

The boys crept out, following the outlaws as closely as they dared.
Once outside the bandits quickly skulked off to one side or the other.

"Get down quick!" whispered Tad.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Tad Butler fired three shots from his revolver, then threw himself
on the ground. Almost with the first shot he heard the voice of the
Ranger captain. McKay, ever on the alert, was not caught napping.

"Throw torches away! Down!" he roared.

A thundering volley crashed from the rifles of the outlaws, answered
by a rattling fire from the revolvers of the Rangers. Tad heard an
outlaw utter an exclamation of pain and knew that one at least of
the bad men had been raked by a bullet.

"Back!" came the command from the leader of the bandits. The word
was not spoken loud enough to be heard far away, but every man there
heard it, and back they rushed into the cave. A shower of dirt fell
over the two Pony Rider Boys, who were by this time crawling on all
fours to get away from the tr