"I don't quite get the point of that joke."
"You'll get it soon enough! You'd savez it now, if you weren't a
muttonhead. As it is, I'll have to explain it. Do you remember capturing
Tony Chaves two years ago, lieutenant?"
The ranger nodded, with surprise in his round, innocent eyes.
"What happened to him?" demanded the other. A child could have seen that
he was ridden by a leering, savage triumph.
"Killed trying to escape four days later."
"Who killed him?"
"I did. It was necessary. I regretted it."
A sudden spasm of cruelty swept over the face of the man confronting him.
"Tony was my partner."
"Your partner?"
"That's right. I've been wanting to say 'How d'ye do?' ever since,
Lieutenant O'Connor. I'm right glad to meet you."
"But--I don't understand." He did, however.
"It'll soak through, by and by. Chew on this: You've got just ninety-six
hours to live--exactly as long as Tony lived after you caught him! You'll
be killed trying to escape. It will be necessary, just as you say it was
with him; but I reckon I'll not do any regretting to speak of."
"You would murder me?"
"Well, I ain't particular about the word I use." MacQueen leaned against
the side of his horse, his arm thrown across its neck, and laughed in slow
maliciousness. "Execute is the word I use, though--if you want to know."
He had made no motion toward his weapon, nor had O'Connor; but the latter
knew without looking that he was covered vigilantly by both of the other
men.
"And who are you?" the ranger asked, though he was quite sure of the
answer.
"Men call me Black MacQueen," drawled the other.
"MacQueen! But you said----"
"That I was Flatray. Yep--I lied."
O'Connor appeared to grope with this in amazement.
"One has to stretch the truth sometimes in my profession," went on the
outlaw smoothly. "It may interest you to know that yesterday I passed as
Lieutenant O'Connor. When I was O'Connor I arrested Flatray; and now that
I am Flatray I have arrested O'Connor. Turn about is fair play, you
know."
"Interesting, if true," O'Connor retorted easily.
"You can bank on its truth, my friend."
"And you're actually going to kill me in cold blood."
The black eyes narrowed. "Just as I would a dog," said the outlaw, with
savage emphasis.