The party took its way back to the campfire, Stacy disgustedly throwing his gun on the ground at the foot of the tree where lay the prisoner’s rifle.

“Now, sir, perhaps you will explain who and what this man is?  You appear to be well acquainted with him,” said the professor.

“I am that.  But how did you get him?”

“Master Tad there will answer that question.  He and Rector made the capture.”

“You two younkers caught that man?” wondered the lieutenant.

“Yes, sir,” replied Tad modestly.  “But I’ll admit that it was a pretty tough job.  He nearly got us.”

“Tell me about it.”

Tad did so briefly, making as little of his own achievement as possible.  He related also, how the prisoner had gained possession of Professor Zepplin’s revolver and of the latter’s narrow escape from death.

“Boys, you’ve done a big thing.  The captain will be interested in you,” said Mr. Withem.  “He’s been wanting this man for a long time.”

“You haven’t told us who the fellow is, yet,” reminded Professor Zepplin.

“He is Dunk Tucker, sir, one of the most dangerous customers infesting the border.  We have been on his trail for weeks, but he’s managed to give us the slip every time.  We never expected to capture him alive.  We expected to have to shoot him on sight, which we probably would have done.”

“Is it possible?” murmured the professor.  “I did not suppose such conditions existed on the border at this late day.”

“They do not, ordinarily.”

“What has the man Tucker done?”

“Done?  It would be easier to tell you what he hasn’t done.  He’s committed pretty nearly every crime in the calendar and some that aren’t in the almanac.  He is one of a band of thieves that has been operating on the border for months.  They are smugglers and thieves.  They have even gone back to the old style of stock stealing.  Up to date it is estimated that they have run across the border into Mexico several hundred head of stock.  The ranchers are up in arms.  The Rangers have been called in to put the Border Bandits out of business.  This is the first one of the gang that we have captured.  And, after all, we didn’t capture him.  That was left for a bunch of plucky young tenderfeet—–­two of them, to be exact.

“Furthermore, it is suspected that Dunk and some of the other bad men of his crowd are in the pay of German agents in Mexico.  The Germans are trying to stir up trouble on this side of the line, and these border ruffians are ready to do anything for the sake of easy money, even at the expense of being traitors to their country.  It is believed that German money is finding its way into their pockets.  The hounds!” raged the Ranger.

“Surely these men have not resorted to force—–­committed murder or anything of that sort?” interposed the professor.

“Not that we know of, though some of them did have a pitched battle with a rancher over on the western border of the state.  A few stopped bullets, but so far as we know no one was killed.  I am telling you all this in confidence.  There are a good many in this thing whose names we do not know.”