The Port Gibson reveille., 1916-10-19
CHAPTER XII.

WOIk1U& SOuLu. OuIAub LuG next ACW
days he paid brief visits to several
villages that lay in his path. And In
each some particular friend had a
piece Of news to impart that made
Duane profoundly thoughtful. A
ranger had made a quiet, unobtrusive
call upon these friends and left this
message, "Tell Buck Duane to ride
into Captain MacNelly's camp some
time after night"
Duane concluded, and his friends all
agreed with him, that the new rangers
main purpose in the Nueces country
was to capture or kill Buck Duane,
and that this message was simply an
original and striking ruse, the daring
OF which might appeal to certain out
laws.
But It did not appeal to Duane. His
curiosity was aroused 1t did not, how
ever, tempt him to any foolhardy act.
He turned southwest and rode a huns
dred miles until he again reached the
sparsely settled country. Here he
heard no more of rangers.
He got into rough country, rode for
three days without covering much
ground, but believed that he was get
ting on safer territory. Twice he came
to wide bottom-Iand green with Will
low and cottonwood and thick as
chaparral, somewhere through the
middle Of which ran a river he de-
cided must be the lower Nueces.
One evening as he stole out from
covert where he had camped. he saw
the lights Of village. he tried to
pass it on the left. but as he mounted
a ridge he noted that the road made a
sharp turn, and he could not see what
was beyond 1t. He slowed up and
was making the turn, which was down
hill between high banks of yellow
clay, when his mettlesone horse heard
something to frlghten him or SHE'D at
something and bolted.
The few bounds he took before
Duane's iron arm checked him were
enough to reach the curve One
flashing glance showed Duane the open
once more, a little valley below with a
wide, shallow, rocky stream, a clump
of cottonwoods beyond, a somber
group of men facing him, and two
dark, limp, strangely grotesque figures
hanging from branches.
The sight was common enough In
southwest Texas, but Duane had never
before found himself so unpleasantly
close.
A hoarse voice pealed out: ''By hell!
there's another onel"
stranger, ride 1Gwn an account fer
yourselfl" yelled ahother,
.Hands-up!'
"Thet's right. jack; don't take no
chances. Plug him r
These remarks wese so swiftly ut
tered as almost to be continuous,
Duane was wheeling lis horse when
rife cracked. The bsllet struck his
left forearm and he thought broke 1t,
for he dropped the rein. The frighten-
ed horse ieaped. Another bullet
past Duane. 3hen the bend
in the road saved him probably from
certain death. Like the yind his fleet
steed went down the long hill.
Duane was In no hurry 20 look back.
He knew what to expect. His chief
concern of the moment vas for his
injured arm. He found that the bones
were still intact; but the wound, hav-
ing been made by soft bul.et, was an
exceedingly bad one. Bln9d poured
from 1t. Giving the horse his head,
Duane wound his scarf tightly round
the holes, and with teeth and hand
lied it tightly. That done. be looked
back over his shoulder.
Riders were making the d1st fly on
the hillside road. There we're more
coming round the cut where -.he road
curved. Duane needed only one glance
to tell him that they were last and
hard-riding cowboys In a lane where
an riders are good. They wesald not
have owned any but strong. swift
horses. Moreover, 1t was district
where ranchers had suffered beyond
all endurance the greed and brutality
Of outlaws. Duane had simply been so
unfortunate as to run right Into a
Iynching party at time Of all times
when any stranger would be In danger
and any outlaw put to bis limit to
escape with his llfe
Duane did not. look back again till
be had crossed the ridgy pieee Of
ground and had gotten to the level
road. He had gained upon his pur-
suers. When he ascertained this he
tried to save his horse, to check little
that killing gait. This horse was a
ANIMAL big, strong, fast;
but his endurance had never been put
10 a grueling test. And that worried
Duane. His life had made It inn
possible to keep one horse very long
1t time, and this one was an I'M
known quantity.
Duane had only one plan-the only
plan possible IN this seand that
vas to make the river. bottoms, where
be might elude his pursuers In the
willow brakes. Fifteen miles or 50
would bring him to the river and this
vas not hopeless distance for any
rood horse il not too closely pressed.
lie began to hope and look for trail
,r road turning or to right or lefk.
There was none. 4 rough. mesquite
lott6d an< yucca-spired country ex-
ended away on either side. Duane |
81