The Pony Rider Boys with the Texas Rangers; Or, On the Trail of the Border Bandits

hot that, for a few seconds,

shot!" yelled

a

rmful of dry wood for the campfire, dropped his burden and with a howl made for shelter. Tad and Ned ha

he professor started to get up from whe

don't

!" commanded Tad, glow

an la

s I tell you. Now you come over here. Walk straight, one hand out. Leave yo

, a

y out of range of the revolver in the hands of the prisoner. Tad had thought he was out of range before, b

he made the discovery that he had thrown off his belt with revolver and cartridges before beginning to get supper. The ot

searching for a stone, while the others got well out of the way, watching T. Butle

w. You had better get a good bit farther off," advised the

For a few moments it was a race of wits. The lad as yet had not found a stone suited to his immediate requirements. He was using his eyes in this direction as well as watch

the side of the canyon the big eyes of Chunky might have been seen peering through between the bushes at the exciting scene below. All at once

hat pistol?" demande

!" roared the

with a well-directed toss, dropped the stone

he fellow, falling between his legs where he could not reach it without changing his position materially. This he tried to do in a series of quick twists and wriggles, though the boys knew fro

eapon. Tad was upon him with a rush. Grabbing the mou

ush us too far. I shan't promise to let you off so easily

t know. I'

what he d

flesh wound. It was bleeding very little now. Tad, at the professor's direction

ome down, Chunky. The fun is all over for the presen

he professor no longer urged the release of their prisoner. Tad smiled mirthlessly. Perhaps it was better that the professor should have had an

ask of gathering more wood for the fire. This time he went quite a distance down the c

ightened up, conscious that some one was standing beside him. As he rose the fat boy's nose nearly

stammered the fat

, if you value your lif

u--Pu--Pony

wha

Pony Ri

e you do

hering f

s your

ed the fat boy, trembling at the knees. "I haven't done

stranger grinned

who came in at State Line

e're the bu

all this trouble to round up a bunch of tenderfeet." The man

hem," he

" answere

ithem,'" repeat

too," reiterat

man?" demanded the newcomer with a slight show of

h them--with us--with the crowd,

ed back his head

name is Withem. W--I--T

O

the face of the Pony

u reckon yo

d a bit. I think I'll g

companion criticall

"If you want to take t

?" demanded

head to throw you out, or somethi

ake the

worse for you if you try to start anything. We

r Boys were amazed to see Stacy st

ows," was the fat

ame," correcte

o it is he is with. I thought I was with h

to the eyes of the newcomer. In that one glance Butler decided that the man was all rig

nstant he beheld the man who had just come into the camp of the Pony Rider Boys. The

us for a bite, Mr. Withem. T

's my

you came in is Stacy Brown, otherwise Chunky, and here are Mr. Rector an

as well as how to fry bacon. I could smell that across a co

ed the professor after they had

, young man, that looks like the mark of a bullet on yo

e what it is," mut

to be inquis

manners to be too curious down

joined heartily. "Men have been known to get into trouble by

g over from beside the tree against which he was sitting. That

st standing it against the tree when suddenly he stopped, bringing t

visitor was going to shoot. The fat boy was ready to run at the first sign of trouble. He had stopped enough

much interested,

en, searching look

a

alter, then subsided at

e you got this rifle? I have good and sufficient reason

who had set out to sh

tl

ere?" demanded the visitor with

ears evidence of the fellow's marksmanship. It seem

-you talke

n his eyes. "In fact we held quite a le

rested in the scant information that had been given to hi

t beat about the bush,"

of the fellow who shot y

came of

s,

ht and made

ha

have him now," s

he visitor springing to his feet, permittin

pay him a visit. I have a sort of proprietary interest in that fellow and I don't propose to have any monkey busines

Joe Withem, and I have good reasons to believe your prisoner is a man w

he party bringing up the rear, Chunky lugging a rifle which he kept in position for instant use in case the stranger s