there, I don't think I care
to make his acquaintance," replied Butler with a laugh.

"He is, young man. You'd know Dunk to be a bad man the first time
you saw him. You wouldn't think it of Willie and by the time you get
him sized up, it's too late to do you any good. I hope you don't meet
with Willie and try to land him. If you do you'll be carried out on
a litter, reduced to a pulp."

"Br---r----r---r!" shivered Chunky.

"Where---where is this bad man supposed to hide himself?" asked the
professor.

"I wish I knew," sighed the Ranger. "It would be worth a cold thousand
dollars to me and perhaps some more. There's a price on Willie's head.
But what's the use speculating about it? We'll get him some day, but
he'll be a dead one when we do. I'd a sight rather capture him alive."

The boys listened to all this with deep interest. They had never
come in contact with such cold-blooded discussion over human lives.
They began to understand something of the things they had read
concerning conditions in the Lone Star State in the early days when
men's passions ran riot; when practically the only law of the land
was the law of the gun. Now, conditions had changed. It was only
in certain localities that lawlessness reigned in Texas, but these
were bad spots, as evidenced by the presence of the Rangers, that
intrepid body of men that for thirty years had been the terror of
evildoers. The Rangers were pitted against a worthy foe in this
instance, though it was a certainty that in time the Rangers would
get their men, either dead or alive.

"And now I reckon I'll be going," decided the lieutenant, after having
partaken heartily of the appetizing meal. "I'll be expecting you at
the Spring when we get there to-morrow."

"Thank you; we will endeavor to be there. It will be a pleasure to
meet your commander. We may get some useful advice from him."

"We'll bring up your horse if you will tell us where he is," offered
Tad.

"Thanks, pard. He's on the other side of the creek about fifteen rods
from here."

Accompanied by Ned, Tad hurried down, but found some difficulty in
locating the horse, so carefully had the animal been secreted. Withem
smiled when he saw them coming back.

"I guess you boys are all right," he nodded.

They helped him load the prisoner over the horse's back, after which,
giving each of the party a cordial shake of the hand, Lieutenant
Withem rode away. They observed that his rifle was