CL65 CREW ON APCH TO RWY 17C AT DFW BECAME CONFUSED WITH CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING TFC.

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VISUAL CONDITIONS DOWNWIND RWY 17C CLRED 4000 FT 'YOU'RE NEXT; HURRY UP.' APPROX 6000 FT; HDG 270 DEGS; TFC 12 O'CLOCK POS; B757 CALLED TFC ON ARPT. BOTH PLTS SAW A B757 AT 12 O'CLOCK POS. WINDS WERE 200 DEGS AT 25 GUST GUSTING TO 35 KTS. WE CALLED BOTH TFC AND ARPT IN SIGHT. CLRED VISUAL APCH; TURNED BASE ABOVE TFC. AS ACFT ON 12 O'CLOCK POS PASSED NOSE TURNED TO FOLLOW ACFT. APCH TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT AND TURN BACK TO 270 DEGS AND QUESTIONED TFC WE WERE FOLLOWING. WE STATED OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS TFC. WE RECEIVED RA AS WE WERE GIVEN THE MAINTAIN 4000 FT AND TURN 270 DEGS. WE COMMENCED CLB FROM 3500 FT TO 4000 FT. AN ACR X B757 WHO WE WERE UNAWARE OF WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH RWY 17L PASSED BENEATH US. APCH STATED CLR OF TFC AND CLRED US FOR VISUAL APCH. VISUAL APCH ACCOMPLISHED; NO EXCESSIVE MANEUVERING. THOUGH WE WERE SET UP HIGH ON APCH; THE CONFUSION ON APCH AND MANEUVERING ON BASE WITH WINDS GUSTING +/-10 KTS; WE FAILED TO CONTACT TWR FOR LNDG CLRNC. BOTH ACFT'S CRAB ANGLE DUE TO STRONG WINDS MAY HAVE LED TO CONFUSION ON RELATIVE PICTURES BTWN THE COCKPITS AND ATC RADAR PICTURE.