Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-07-12

NO"
"Wherc are the horses?"
Il keep them grazing down in a gorge
back of here. There's good grass n
water"
Have you slept any"
"A little. Lately 1 couldn't keep
awake"
Good Lord! l should think not.
You've had a time or it sitting here day
and night nursing me, watching for the
outlaws. Come. tell me all about it."
There's notning much to tell"
." want to know. anyway. just what
you did-how YOU felt"
II ant remember very WE'LL She re-
piled. simply. w must have ridden
40 miles that day we got away. o
bled all the time. Toward evening you
lay on your horses neck. When we
came to this place you fell out of the
stopped your bleeding. 1 thought you'd
die that night. But in the morning I
had a little hope. l had forgotten the
horses. But luckily they didn't stray
far. 1 caught them and kept them down
in the gorge. When your wounds closed
and you began to breathe stronger 1
thought you'd get well quick. 1t was
lot. and that worried me, because l
couldn't stop you. Anybody trailing us
could have heard you a good ways. l
don't kno whether l was scared most
then or when you were quiet, and 1t
was so dark M lonely and still all
around. Every day l put a stone in
your hat"
Jennie. you saved my life said
Duane.
9" don't know. Maybe. 1 did all I
know how to do" she replied. You
saved mine-more than my life"
Their eyes met in a long gaze. and
then their hands in a close clasp.
Jennie, were going to get away" he
said. with gladness. I'll be we'll / n a
few days. You don't know how strong
l am. Well hide by day and travel
by night. 1 can get you across the
river"
And then? 2" she asked.
Wen find some honest rancher."
And then?" she persisted.
Why" he began, slowly, that's as
far as my thoughts ever got. 1t was
pretty hard. l tell you, to assure my
self of so much. 1t means your safety.
You'll tell your story. You'll be sent to
some village or town and taken care of
until a relative or friend is notified"
And you?" she inquired, in a strange
voice.
Duane kept silent.
What will you do?" she went on.
Jennie, I'll go back to the brakes. 1
daren't show my face among respect
able people. I'm an outlaw"
You're no criminal!" she declared,
with deep passion.
Jennie. on this border the little diff
ference between IN outlaw inc a GRIM
inal doesn't count for much"
You won't go back among those ter
rible men? You. with your g%entleness
you? Oh. Duane. don't-don't go!"
II can't go hack IN the outlaws of
least not Blande's band. No. I'll go
alone. I'll lone-wolf it, as they say on
the border. What else can l do.
Jennie?"
"oh. 1 don't know. Couldn't you hide?
Couldn't you slip out of Texas-go far
away?"
Il could never get u of Texas with
u being arrested. 1 could hide, but
q man must live. Never mind about
me. Jennie"
In three days Duane was able with
great difficulty to mount his horse.
and Jennie rode back to the main trail.
where they hid again till he had rested.
Then in the dark they rode out of the
canons and gullies Of the Rim Rock,
and early in the morning halted at the
first water to camp.
From that point they Travelled after
nightfall and went into hiding during
SAAO 0oy. JIG dCiOSS lAc N0uC0S river,
Daune was assured of safety for her
and great danger. for himself. They had
crossed into a country he did not know.
Somewhere east of the river there were
scattered ranches. But he was as liable
to find the rancher in touch with the
outlaws as he was likely to find him
honest. Duane hoped his good fortune
would not desert MIN in this last serv-
ice to Jennie. Next to the worry of
that was realization of his condition.
He had gotten UP too soon; he had rid
den too far and hard, and now he felt
That n he might fall from
his saddle. At last, far ahead over a
ground. he espied a patch of green and
a little flat, red ranch-house. He headed
his horse for it and turned a face he
tried to nak cheerful for Jennie's
k She seemed both happy and
sorry.
When ear at hand he saw that the
rancher was a thrifty farmer. And
thrift spoke for honesty. There were
fields of alfalfa. fruit-trees. corrals,
windmill pumps. irrigation bitches, ali
surrounding a neat little adobe house
Some children were playing in the yard.
The way they ran at sight Of Duane
limited OF both the loneliness and the
q woman come to the door, Their a man.
The latter looked keenly, then stepped
outside. He was a sandy-haired
freckled Texan.
"Howdy. stranger" he called, as
Duane halted. Get down, you an your
woman. Say, now. air you sick or shot
or what? Let me-"
Duane. Keeling in his saddle, ben,
searching eyes upon the rancher. He
thought he saw good will. kindness
honesty. He risked all on that one sharr
glance. Then he almost plunged from
the saddle.
The rancher caught him. helped him
to a bench.