pistol.

The fellow went down in a heap.

"Whoop!" howled Ned Rector. "That's the blow that put the finishing
touches to father. Cut me loose! Cut me loose! Quick, Tad! He'll
be up in a minute!"

Butler had no need to be told this. He knew the first thing to be
done was to secure the prisoner. Ned could wait. The danger lay
with the man stretched out there on the ground. Tad worked rapidly.
His rope was jerked free from his belt. Three swift turns were made
about the body of the prostrate man, binding the fellow's arms firmly
to his sides.

Next Tad jerked the mountaineer's revolver from its holster and cast it
into the bushes. Then he tied the man's ankles together, after which
he straightened up and wiped the sweat from his face and forehead.

"Whew! Warm, isn't it, Ned?"

"Rather," drawled Rector. "Warmer for some folks than others. It
came near being pretty warm for you. Are you going to cut me loose,
or am I to stay tied to this tree for the rest of the night?"

"I guess we will let you up now. We shall have to wait until our
friend there comes to his senses before going farther. Tell me how
you got into this mess."

"The same way Chunky gets into trouble. I blundered into it." Ned
then went on to relate briefly how he had been jumped on by the
mountaineer and made prisoner.

"What was he trying to get you to tell him?"

"He accused me of being a Texas Ranger, a member of some fellow's band,
a fellow named McKay."

"The band or the man?" questioned Tad.

"That was the man's name. Billy McKay. He's a captain of Rangers, or
something of the sort, it doesn't matter much what."

"I rather think it does," answered Butler dryly.

"How so?"

"Why, don't you see, it means that if the Texas Rangers are after this
fellow he must be wanted for something very serious. Who is he?"

"You may search me. Stacy may be right after all. There are plenty
of Germans in Mexico, so why not some of them up here to stir up
trouble? He looks like pictures I have seen of some of those Hun
assassins," declared Ned Rector.

"I think I will search him. He may have some more weapons about his
person."

Tad found a bowie knife in the mountaineer's boot, but that was the
only weapon left on his person. Tad threw the knife away. About this
time the prisoner began to show signs of returning consciousness.

"You must have hit him an awful wallop," wondered Ned, standing over
the man and eyeing him