“That will do you good.  It will give you an appetite,” jeered Rector.

“He doesn’t need a tonic,” spoke up Tad.  “His appetite is quite enough for this outfit now.  It’s all we can do to keep enough supplies to keep him going.  My, it’s an awful thing to have such an appetite.”

“Well, Professor, what do you say?”

“I am agreeable, if the boys are.”

“Hurrah!” shouted the Pony Rider Boys.

“Of course, with the understanding, Captain, that you will see that we are properly protected?”

“You shall be.  Of course there may be occasions when you will be going on alone.  You will expect that.  Generally we shall be somewhere in the vicinity.  When we are all away it will mean that your enemies are also away.”

“The man Tucker is safe behind the bars, is he not?”

“He was at last accounts,” smiled the captain.  “I am sorry Jones knows what happened to Dunk.  I had hoped to keep him in ignorance of that until we had rounded up the rest of the gang.  However, what’s done cannot be undone.”

“Where is your horse?” asked Tad.

“A little way down the creek.  He’s all right.  Don’t worry about him.”

“By the way, when shall we see your men?” asked the professor.

“You should see some of them soon now.  They know where I am, and a half dozen or so will be riding this way before morning, I think.”

“You will remain with us to-night, of course?” urged Tad.

“If you insist,” smiled the Ranger captain.

“Certainly we insist,” emphasized the professor.

“Of course we do,” added Chunky.  “Maybe if there are any bullets flying about you will stop them instead of my doing it.  I’m tired of stopping bullets.  It hurts.”

“Having stopped a few in my time I think I know all about it, young man.”

They could not believe that this sunny-tempered, soft-spoken young fellow was the most dreaded of all the officers of the law who hunted down the desperadoes of the border.  It was also difficult to believe that Captain McKay was a marked man who had been condemned to death by these same desperate characters.  Something of the resourcefulness of the man was shown to the boys in a most marked manner later in the evening.

All hands had been sitting about the fire, the boys trying to draw out Captain McKay to tell of his experiences, which the Ranger was loth to do.  What experiences he did tell them were such as chiefly concerned others than himself.  According to his version Captain McKay had played a most inconspicuous part in the splendid work of the Texas Rangers.  Not once did he refer to the fact that he was the terror of every evil-doer in the State of Texas.

Finally it came time to turn in for the night.  The captain lazily rose and stretched himself.  The others were still seated, but were preparing to rise and prepare for bed when the interruption came.