"Confess?" the lieutenant laughed. "You don't know these Border
Bandits. No, they never confess. There will always be more or less
trouble down on the Rio Grande. It is so close to Mexico, so easy to
get across the border that bad men cannot resist taking advantage of
it. That is why the Rangers are still in business. If it were not
for the border we all should be looking for other jobs. As it is
there aren't many of us left."
"How many?" asked the professor.
"Some thirty in the state, that is all. We are subject to the orders
of the governor, though we're left pretty much to ourselves."
"Who is your commander?"
"Captain Billy McKay."
"That's the man Dunk named. He accused us of belonging to McKay's band
of Rangers," said Rector.
"He did, eh?"
"Yes."
"I thought so. Still, he might have shot you up just the same, even if
he had known you hadn't anything to do with us."
"Where is the rest of your party, Mr. Withem?" asked Tad.
"They're out on the trail," was the somewhat evasive answer. "I'll
get in touch with them sometime to-night or to-morrow."
"But you will take Tucker with you, will you not?" asked Ned.
"I reckon I will," laughed the Ranger.
"Shall we take him along for you? You have no horse?" asked Tad.
"My nag isn't far from here," smiled the lieutenant. "I'll load him
on like a sack of meal. He'll get a good shaking up, but it won't
hurt Dunk.
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