The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-08-10

The mob surged closer and was
showed back by the cowboys.
ABE, IL you amt drunk or crazy,
tell tibet over" ordered Abe's interlo-
cutor.
With some show Of resentment and
more Of dignity Abe reiterated his for
mer statement ...
you get hold Of his gum" bluntly
queried the cowboy. ~. H.. ..u ..
"Why-he set down thar-an' he kind
of hid his face on his hand. An
grabbed his gun an got the drop on
him." ....' o..
What the cowboy thought of this was
expressed in a laugh. His mates like
wise grinned broadly. Then the leader
turned to Duane. .r
Stranger, I reckon you'd better
speak up for yourself" he said.
That stilled the crowd as no COM
mand had done.
"Pm Buck Duane, all right" said
Duane, quietly. ut was this way"
The big cowboy seemed to vibrate
with a shock. All the rudy warmth
left his face; his jaw began to bulge;
the corded veins in his mack stood out
in knots. In an instant he had hard.
stern, strange look. He shot out a
front OF Duanes blouse. .......
| "Somethin' queer here. But IL you're
Duane you're sure In bad. Any fool
ought to know that. You mean it.
Them"
Yes"
Rode into shoot up the town. Ell?
Same old stunt of you gun fighters?
Want to kill the man who offered a
reward? Wanted to see jeff Aiken
bad. huh?" Lid. .....I
no" replied Duane. Your citizen
here misrepresented things. He seems
a little off his head" a
Reckon he Is. Somebody Is. that's
sure. You claim Buck Duane, then, an
all his doings?"
| I'm Duane; yes. But I won't stand
for the blanc OF things / never did.
That's why I'm here. saw that pla-
card out there Offering the reward.
Until now I never was within half a
days ride OF this town. I'm blamed
for what never did. I rode in here,
told who I was. asked somebody to
send for Jeff Aiken" a... II.
| AN then you set down an let this
old guy throw your own gun on you ?''
queried the cowboy In amazement.
| Il guess that's It," replied Duane.
| We'll, it's powerful strange, IL you're
| really Buck Duane"
A man elbowed his way into the circle.
| IT'S Duane. I recognize his. seen
him more'n one place." he said. Isl
bert, you can rely on what tell you
don't know If he's locoed or what.
But do know he's the genuine Buck
Duane. Any one who'd ever seen him
onct would never forget him." ...
| What do you want to see Aiken
for 2" asked the cowboy Sibert.
Il want to face him, to tell him I
never harmed his wife"
| "Why?" .. ...
Because I'm innocent, that's all"
| Suppose we send for Aiken an he
hears you an doesn't believe you; what
them"
IF he won't believe NEWLY, then
my cases so bad-rd be better off
dead" -
A momentary silence was broken by
Sibert.
IF this isn't a queer dealt Boys,
reckon we'd better send for Jeff"
| Somebody went fer him. He'll be
comm soon," replied a man.
Duane stood a head taller than that
circle Of curious faces. He gazed out
above and beyond them. IL was in this
way that he CHANGED to see a number
of women on the outskirts OF the
crowd. Some were old, with hard
faces, like the men. Some were young
and comely, and most of these seemed
agitated by excitement or distress.
They cast fearful, plying glances upon
Duane as he stood there with that
moose round his neck. Women were
more human than men. Duane thought.
He met eyes that dilated, seemed fas-
cinated at his gaze, but were not
averted. It was the old women who
were voluble, loud in expression of
| their feelings.
Near the trunk Of the cottonwood
stood s'""der woman in white. Du-
ane's wandering glance rested upon
| her. Her ewes were riveted upon him.
A soft hearted woman. probably, who
| did not want to see him hangedl
Thar comes Jeff Aiken now" called
a man, loudly.
The crowd shifted and trampled in
| eagerness.
Duane saw two men coming fast,
one of whom. in the lead was Of stall
wart build. He had a gun in his hand,
i and his manner was Of fierce energy.
The cowboy Sibert thrust open the
jostling circle OF men.
Hold on, jeff he called, and he
blocked the man with the gun. He
| spoke so low Duane could not hear
what he said. and his form hid Aiken's
face. At that juncture the crowd
spread out closed in. and Aiken and
Sibert were CAUGHT in the circle. There
was a pushing forward, a pressing of
manv bodies hoarse cries and fling
| ing hands-again the insane tumult
was about to break out-the demand
| for an outlaws blood the call for a
wild Justice executed 1000 times before
| OH IeNdS bIOOuy SOH.
| Sibert beloved at the dark en-
croaching mass. The cowboys with
him heat ami cufted in vain.
"Jeff. will you listen?" broke in ST.
bert hurriedly, his hand on the other
mans arm.
Aiken nodded cody. Duane, who had
seen many men In perfect control OF
themselves under circumstances like
these. recognized the spirit that domi-
mated Aiken. He was white. cold, pas
| sionless. There were lines OF bitter
grief deep round his lips. II Duane ever
felt the meaning of death he felt II
then. .
| Sure this q your game, Aiken" said
Sibert. But hear me minute. Reckon
there's no doubt about this man bein'
Buck Duane. He seen the placard out
at the cross roads. He rides In to Shir-
ley. He says he's Buck Duane an he's
loolin' for Jeff Aiken. That's all clear
enough. You know how these gun
lighters go loolSin' for trouble. But
here's what stumps me. Duane sits
down there on the bench and let's old
Abe Strickland grab his gun an get
the drop on him. More'n that he gives
me some strange talk about how. IL he
couldn't make you believe he's in
nocent, he'd better be dead. You see