mfortable at having made this young woman weep. "I ain't
got a word to say, Captain. It was plumb thoughtless of me," he
apologized.

"You come to my office this mo'nin' at twelve o'clock, young fellow.
Hear me? I've got a word to say to you."

"Yes," agreed the bulldogger humbly. "I didn't go for to scare the young
lady. Will you tell her I'm right sorry, Captain?"

"You eat yore own humble pie. You've got a tongue, I reckon," snorted
Ellison, dragging at his goatee fiercely.

The complexion of Roberts matched his hair. "I--I--I'm turrible sorry,
miss. I'd ought to be rode on a rail."

With which the range-rider turned, swung to the saddle of his pony
without touching the stirrups, and fairly bolted down the street after
his retreating herd.

CHAPTER V

CAPTAIN ELLISON HIRES A HAND

Captain Ellison was preparing for the Adjutant-General a report of a
little affair during which one of his men had been obliged to snuff out
the lives of a couple of Mexican horsethieves and seriously damage a
third. Writing was laborious work for the Captain of Rangers, though he
told no varnished tale. His head and shoulders were hunched over the
table and his fingertips were cramped close to the point of the pen.
Each letter as it was set down had its whispered echo from his pursed
lips.

"Doggone these here reports," he commented in exasperation. "Looks like
a man hadn't ought to make out one every time he bumps off a rustler."

He tugged at his goatee and read again what he had just written:

Then this Jose Barela and his gang of skoundrels struck out for the
Brazos with the stolen stock. Ranger Cullom trailed them to Goose
Creek and recovered the cattle. While resisting arrest Barela and
another Mexican were killed and a third wounded. Cullom brought
back the wounded man and the rustled stock.

A short noontime shadow darkened the sunny doorway of the adobe office.
Ellison looked up quickly, his hand falling naturally to the handle of
his forty-five. Among the Rangers the price of life was vigilance. A
tall, lean, young man with a sardonic eye and a sunburned face jingled
up the steps.

"Come in," snapped the Captain. "Sit down. With you in a minute."

The cowboy lounged in, very much at his ease. Roberts had been
embarrassed before Ramona Wadley that morning, but he was not in the
least self-conscious now. In the course of a short and turbid life he
had looked too many tough characte