Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-07-13

clean cut hole made by the bullet bled
freely both at its entrance and where
1t had come out, but with no signs of
hemorrhage. He did not bleed at the
mouth; however, he began to cough up
a reddish tinged foam.
AS they rode on, Jennie, with pale
face and mute lips, looked at him.
I'm badly hurt, Jennie" he said, but
l guess I'll stick it ont"
The woman-did she shoot your"
Yes. She waS a devil. Euchre told
me to look out for her. l wasn't quick
enough"
You didn't have to-to-' shivered
the girl.
NO! not" he replied.
/, They did not stop climbing while Du-
ane tore a scarf and made congresses,
which he bound tightly over his
wounds. The fresh horses made fast
time up the rough trail. From open
places Duane looked down. When they
surmounted the steep ascent n stood
on top of the Rim Rock, with no signs
of pursuit down in the valley and with
the wild, broken Businesses before them,
Duane turned to the girl and assured
her that they now had every chance
of escape.
"But-your-wound!" she faltered,
with dark, troubled eyes. Il see-the
blood-dripping from your back!"
Jennie, I'll take a lot of killing" he
said.
Then he became silent and attended
to the uneven trail. He was aware
presently that he had not come into
BANDS camp by this route. But that
did not matter; any trail leading out
beyond the Rim Rock was safe enough.
What he wanted was to get far away
into some wild retreat where he could
hide until he recovered from his wound.
He seemed to feel a fire inside his
breast. and his throat burned SO that
it was necessary for him to take a
swallow of water every little while. He
increased as the hours went by and
then gave way to a numbness. From
that time on he a need of his great
strength and endurance. Gradually he
lost his steadiness and his keen sight;
and he realized that if he were to meet
foes, or if pursuing outlaws should
come up with him, he could make only
a poor stand. SO he turned off on a
trail that appeared seldom travelled.
Soon after this move he became con-
scious of a further thickening Of his
sense. He Felt able to hold on to his
saddle for a while longer, but he was
failing. Then he thought he ought to
advise Jennie, SO in case she was left
alone she would ave some idea Of
what to 10.
Jennie, I'll give out soon," he said.
mol don't mean-what you think.
But I'll drop soon. My strengths going.
If l die-you ride back to the main
trail. Hide and rest by day. Ride at
night. That trail goes to water. l be-
lieve you could get across the Nueces,
where some rancher will take you in
Duane could not get the meaning of
her incoherent reply. He rode on, and
soon he could not see the trail or hear
his horse. He did not know whether
they Travelled a mile or many times
4 that far Pnt he WAS conscious when
the horse stopped, and had a vague
sense OF falling and feeling Jennie
arms before all became dark to him..
When consciousness returned he
found himsei' lying in a little hut of
mesquite branches. 1t was we'll built
and evidently some years old. There
were two doors or openings. one in
front and the other at the back. Duane
imagined it had been built by a fugitive
one who meant to keep an y both
ways and not to be surprised. Duane
felt weak and had no desire to move.
Where was he, anyway? A strange. in
tangible sense. of time, distance, of
something far ehind weighed upon
him. Sight of the two packs Euchre had
made brought his thought to Jennie.
What had become of her? There was
evidence OF her work in a ~smoldering
fire and a little ~blackened coffee pot.
Probably she was outside looking after
Tie nurses OF SSlllllS WdteI. ne llouSIll
he beard a step and listened, but he
felt tired, and presently his eyes closed
and he fell into a doze.
Awakening from this, he saw Jennie
sitting beside him.. In some way she
seemed to have changed. When he
spoke she ave a start and turned
eagerly to him.
'Duane!" she cried.
Hello. How re you, Jennie. and
how am II" he said. finding it a little
difficult to talk.
"Oh. Tn all right" she replied. "And
you've come to-your wl'und's healed;
but you've been sick. Fever, l guess. ]
did all I could.
!. Duane saw now that the difference
In her 's,s Il wilderness and tightness OF
skin. a hallowness of eye. a look OF
strain.
. "Fever? How long have we beer
here?' he asked
crown Of his sombrero counted
, them.
Nine. Mine days. she answered.
Nine days!" he exclaimed, incredul-
, ously. But another 10 at her assured
him that she meant what she said. "pve
| been sick all the time? You nursec
, me?.
Yes
!, "Bland's men didn't come alons
: here?"
! mo-
: Where are the horses %
II keep them grazing down in a gorge
back OF here. There's good grass an6
water"
. "Iave you slept n ?"
) "A little. Lately 1 couldn't keel
6 awake"
E Good Lord! should think not
8 You've had q time OF 1t sitting here da,
: and night nursing me, watching for the
i ntYfIn xua CNrnn .fQl1 mo oil ohOx,k ~ ~