Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-12-29

felt weak and had no desire to move.
Where was he, anyway? A strange,
intangible sense of time, distance, of
something far behind weighed upon
him. He thought he heard a step and
listened, but he felt tired, and present
ly 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 gave a start and turned
eagerly to him.
"Duane" she cried.
"Hello. How re you, Jennie, and
how am II" he said, finding it little
difficult to talk.
"Oh, I'm all right" she replied.
"And you've come to-your wounds
healed; but you've been sick. Fever,
I guess. did all I could"
Duane saw now that the difference
| In her was a whiteness and tightness
Of skin, hollowness Of eye, look
Of strain.
"Fever? How long have we been
hereW he asked.
She took some pebbles from the
crown Of his sOmbrero and counted
them.
| Mine. Nine days." she answered.
Mine daysw he exclaimed, incredu-
lousy. But another look at her as
sured him that she meant what she
said.
GLANDS men didn't come along
here|
mo"
Have you slept any?"
"a little. Lately l couldn't keep
awake"
II should think not. You've had a
time of it sitting here day and night
nursing me, watching for the outlaws,
Come, tell me all about It,"
There's nothing much to tell" she
replied, simply. 1--WE must have rid
den forty miles that day we got away
You bled all the time. Toward even
ing you lay on your horses neck
When we came to this place you fell
out Of the saddle. I dragged you In
here and stopped your bleeding
though you'd die that night. But In
the morning l had a little hope.
had forgotten the horses. But luckily
they didn't stray far. l caught them
and kept them down in the gorge
When your wounds closed and you be-
gan to breathe stronger thought you'd
get we'll quick. 1t was fever that put
you back. You raved lot, and that
worried me, because l couldn't stop
you. Anybody trailing us could have
heard you good ways. l don't know
whether / was scared most then OF
when you were quiet, and it was sc
dark and lonely and still all around
Every day l put a stone in your hat.
Jennie, you saved my life" sale
Duane.
II don't know. Maybe. did all
knew how to do" she replied. "Yor
saved mine-more than my life"
Their eyes met in long gaze, anG
then their hands in close clasp.
Jennie, we're going to get away
he said, with gladness. 'I'll be vel
in a few days. You don't know how
strong 1 am. Well hide by day anC
travel by night. can get you across
the river"
And then?" she asked.
"We'll find some honest rancher,
sand them" she persisted.
"Why," he began, slowly, "that's as
far as my thoughts ever got. 1t was
pretty hard, tell you, to assure my
self so much. 1t means your safety
You'll tell your story. You'll be sem
to some village or town and taken care
Of until relative or friend Is notified
"And you?" she inquired in a strange
voice.
Duane kept silence.
"What will you do?" she went on
Jennie, I'll go back to the brakes
I daren't show my face among re
spectacle people. I'm an outlaw"
"You won't go back among these
terrible men1 You, with your gentle
ness and sweetness-all that's gooC
about your Oh, Duane, don't-don'
gol"
II can't go back to the outlaws, a
least not BANDS band. No, I'll e
alone. I'll lone-wolf it, as they sa!
on the border. Never mind about me
Jennie"
CHAPTER x.