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Updated: June 13, 2025
Duane advanced again until he stood before the man. Here the rays of light from the fires flickered upon Duane's face. "Reckon you're a stranger, all right. What's your name and your business with the Captain?" Duane hesitated, pondering what best to say. "Tell Captain MacNelly I'm the man he's been asking to ride into his camp after dark," finally said Duane.
There's a door in the vestibule, too. It leads somewhere. We can put men in there. You can be there." Duane was silent. "See here, Duane," began MacNelly, nervously. "You shan't take any undue risk here. You'll hide with the rest of us?" "No!" The word was wrenched from Duane. MacNelly stared, and then a strange, comprehending light seemed to flit over his face.
"Ah!" exclaimed MacNelly, softly. Then he grew businesslike, cool, and of harder aspect. "Duane, it's your game to-day. I'm only a ranger under orders. We're all under your orders. We've absolute faith in you. Make your plan quick, so I can go around and post the boys who're not here." "You understand there's no sense in trying to arrest Poggin, Kane, and that lot?" queried Duane.
As he was confronted by the fact it nonplussed him somewhat, and he became thoughtful, with lowered head. "Where'll you wait, Duane?" insisted MacNelly, with keen eyes speculating. "I'll wait in front, just inside the door," replied Duane, with an effort. "Why?" demanded the Captain. "Well," began Duane, slowly, "Poggin will get down first and start in. But the others won't be far behind.
Duane, whatever do you make of that?" exclaimed Jones. "A new one on me," replied Duane, thoughtfully. "First fool thing I ever heard of MacNelly doing. Can't make head nor tails of it. I'd have said offhand that MacNelly wouldn't double-cross anybody. He struck me as a square man, sand all through. But, hell! he must mean treachery. I can't see anything else in that deal."
Twice Duane endeavored to speak, failed of all save a hoarse, incoherent sound, until, forcing back a flood of speech, he found a voice. "Any service? Every service! MacNelly, I give my word," said Duane. A light played over MacNelly's face, warming out all the grim darkness. He held out his hand. Duane met it with his in a clasp that men unconsciously give in moments of stress.
The only way he could account for his presence there in a ranger's camp was that MacNelly hoped to get useful information out of him. Still that would hardly have made this captain so eager. There was a mystery here, and Duane could scarcely wait for it to be solved. While eating he had bent keen eyes around him. After a first quiet scrutiny the rangers apparently paid no more attention to him.
Perhaps we can make it appear that all or most of your outlawry has really been good service to the state. At that, I'll believe it'll turn out so." MacNelly paused a moment in his rapid talk, chewed his cigar, drew his brows together in a dark frown, and went on. "No man on the border knows so well as you the deadly nature of this service. It's a thousand to one that you'll be killed.
At that moment the door opened, and Ray Longstreth entered. "Duane," she said, softly. "Captain MacNelly sent me to you." "But you shouldn't have come," replied Duane. "As soon as he told me I would have come whether he wished it or not. You left me all of us stunned. I had no time to thank you. Oh, I do-with all my soul. It was noble of you. Father is overcome. He didn't expect so much.
"Now you've done your work laid the trap is this strange move of yours going to be fair to Miss Longstreth?" asked MacNelly, in significant low voice. Like a great tree chopped at the roots Duane vibrated to that. He looked up as if he had seen a ghost. Mercilessly the ranger captain went on: "You can win her, Duane! Oh, you can't fool me. I was wise in a minute.
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