Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-08-02

'f'N ~ VI w III
visible. Nevertheless, he heard shouts,
then the cracking of rifles, and bullets
began 10 zip and swish through the
lesfy covert. The day was hot and
WlndlcJS, and Duane concluded THAI
whenever he touched IL willow stem,
even even so slightly, it vibrated to
the top and sent u culver among the
leaves. Through this the guards had
located his position. Once u bullet
Missed by him; another hudded into
the ground before him. This shooting
ioosed Il rage in Duane. He had to fly
from these men. and he hated them and
himself because of it. Always in the
fury OF such moments he wanted TO
give back shot for shot. But he Slipped
on through the willows and at length
the rifles ceased to crack.
He Sheered to the left again, i'm line
with the rocky barrier, and kept on,
wondering h the next mile would
bring. 1t brought worse, for he was
fusillade drove him to run for his life.
luckily to escape with no more than a
bullet creased shoulder.
Later that day, still undaunted, he
sheered again toward the trap wall,
and found that the nearer he APP
preached to the place whore he had
come down into the brake tho greater
his danger. To attempt to run the
biockade of that train by day would
be fatal. He waited for night. and
49, SA> IIllcSS VI llG llyoS {lA0
some what lessened he essayed to
creep out OF the brake. He succeeded
In reaching the foot of the bluff, here
only a bank, and had begun to crawl
stealthlly up under cover of a shadow
when Il hound agar BETRAYED his 20
sltlon. Retreating to the willows was
as perilous a task as had ever con-
1fonted Duane; and when he had ac-
complished it. right under what
seemed 100 blazing rifles. he felt that
ne had lmdeed beer favored by provi-
dence. This time men followed him
a soodly ways into the brake, and the
ripping of lead through the willows
sounded on all sides of him.
When the noise of pursuit ceased
duane sat down in the darkness, his
whether to try again to escape or walt
Tor possible opportunity. He seemed
Of decision. His intelligence
old him that every hour lessened his
chances for escape. He had little
enough chance in any case, and that
was what made another ATTEMPT so
desperately hard. Still it was not love
OF life that bound him. There would
come an hour. sooner or later, when
ne WOULD wrench decision out of this
chaos of emotion and THOUGHT. Rut
that time was not vet.
When he had remained quiet long
enough TO cool off and recover from
ms run ne found that he was tired. He
stretched out to rest. But the swarms
u uu VICIOUS MOSQUITOES prevented sleep.
Ems corner of the brake was low and
,na lhs river, u breeding ground for
,ne blood-suckers. They san and
htmmed and hin around him i'm an
ever increasing horde. He covered his
mead and hands with his coat and Law
mere patiently. That was a long and
Wfetched night. Morning found him
sun strong physically, but in a dread
lui state OF mind.
flrst he hurried for the river. He
could withstand the pangs of hunger.
put IL was imperative to quench thirst.
HIS wound made him feverish. and
therefore more than usually hot and
THIRSTY. Again he was refreshed. That
morning ne Was hare put to it to hold
nlfnseif back from attempting to cross
.ae river. II he could find a light log
1t was within he bounds of possibility
that he might ford the shallow water
and bars of ~quicksand. But not YETI
YEARLY, doggedly he faced about low
ard the bluff.
All h Il day and all that night, all
the next day N all the lex night, he
stole like a hunted savage from river
to bluff: and every hour forced upon
him the bitter certainty that he was
trapped.
Duane lost track of days, of events.
Tie come to ;n evil pass. Their ar
rived an hour when. closely pressed by
pursuers at the extreme southern cor
ner of the brake, he took to a dense
thicket of willows. driven to what he
believed was his last stand.
II only these human bloodhouds-
would swiftly close in on him.! Let
MIN light to the last bitter gasp and
have 1T over! Blu these hunters, eager
as they were to get him, had care of
their own skins. They took few risks.
They had him cornered.
1t was h middle of the day., hot,
dusty, oppressive, threatening storm.
Like a snake Duane crawled into a
!, niue space In h darkest part Of the
thicket and lay still. Men had cut him
off from the bluff. from the river.
seemingly from all sides. But he heard
voices only from in front and toward
his left. Even If his passage to the
river had not been blocked, it might
Just as we'll have been.
Come on fellers-down hyar." called
n man from the bluff.
Got him corralled at last" shouted
another.
Reckon we needn't be too shore. We
u tibet mOre'n one." tainted an
| othe..
Il seen him. I tell you
"Aw. thet was q deer"
But Bill found fresh tracks an
blood on the willows"
If he's winged we needn't hurry"
Hold on thar. you boys" came a
SAAOuI IA authoritative tones from 1ar.
ther up the blum. Go slow. You all
air gittin' foolish at he end OF q long
| chase"
''Thet's right. colonel. Hold 'em
back. There's nothin' shorer than some-
bodyll be stoppin' lead pretty quick.
He'll be huntin' us s00n!"
him ut"
Fire the brake"