the fellow whom Tad had captured.  Dunk had regained his freedom and had joined his band.  His presence here indicated that it was not a good place for the Pony Rider Boys.  Tad hoped his own fellows might keep close to their camp.  He wondered if the Rangers would be able to trace 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 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.”