Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-06-08
CHAPTER II (Continued).

The following day, toward evening,
ne happened upon a road which he be-
lieyed might lead to the village. There
We're a good many fresh horse tracks
IN the sand, and these made him
thoughtful. Nevertheless, he followed
the road. proceeding cautiously. He had
not gone very far when the sound Of
rapid 400 beats caught his ears. They
came from his a In the d~arkening
lance back along the road Voices,
however. warned him that these riders,
whoever they We're, had approached
closer than he liked. To go farther
down the road was not to be thought
Of, SO he turned a little way in among
tho mosquitoes n halted. hoping to es-
ape being seen or heard. AS he was
now a fugitive, it seemed every man
was his enemy and pursuer. The horse
men were fast approaching. Presently
they We're abreast of Duane's position,
so near that he cold hear the creak Of
saddles, the clink of spurs.
Shore, he crossed the river below"
said one man.
Il reckon you're right, Bill. He's
slipped u.s." replied another.
Rangers or a posse of ranchers in
pursuit of a fugitive! The knowledge
gave Duane a strange thrill. Certain
" they could not have been hunting
him.. But the feeling their proximity
gave him was Identical to what it would
have been a he been this particular
hunted man He held his breath; he
cleanched his teeth; he pressed a quiet
ing hand Upon his horse. Suddenly he
became aware that these horsemen had
halted. They were whispering. He
could just make out a dark group close
ly massed. What had made them halt
SO suspiciously?
You're wrong, Bill" said a man, in
a low but distinct voice. The idee of
hearin' a boss heave! You're wuss'n
a ranger. An your hell bent on KILN
that %rustler. Now, l say, let's go home
an eat"
WAL. I'll just take q look at the
sand" replied the man called Bill.
Duane heard the clink of spurs on
steel stirrup and the thud of boots on
the ground. There followed q short
silence. which was broken by a sharply
breathed exclamation.
Duane waited for nc more. They had
found his trail. He spurred his horse
straight into the brush.
At the second crashing bound there
came yells from the road, and then
shots. Duane heard the hiss of a bull
let close by his ear, and as 1t struck a
branch 1t made a peculiar singing
sound. These shots and the proximity
Of that lead missile reused in Duane
u 4uAChp ICL resentment WIllCIl IIOu1lIGu
into a passion almost ungOvernable. He
must escape, yet 1t seemed that he did
not care whether he did or not. Some
thing grim kept urging him to halt and
return vthe fire of these men. After
running a couple of hundred yards he
raised himself from over the pommel,
where he had bent to avoid the singing
branches, n tried to guide his horse.
In the dark shadows under mosquitoes
and cottonwoods he was hard put to it
to find open passage, however, he sue
ceeded SO we'll and made such little
noise that gradually he drew away
from his purauers. The sound of their
horses crashing through the thickets
died away Duane refined in and list
ened. He had distanced them. Probably
they would go into camp till day
light, then follow his tracks. He
started on again, walking his horse, and
peered sharply at the ground, so that
lie might take advantage OF the first
trail he crossed. 1t seemed a long while
until he came upon one. He followed
1t until a late hour, when, striking the
neighborhood OF the river, he picketed
his horse and lay down to rest. But he
did not sleep. His mind bitterly re-
VOWED the fate that had come upon him.
He made efforts to think Of other
things. but in vain. Every momen he
expected the chill, the sense of loneli-
ness that yet was ominous Of a strange
visitation. the peculiarly Imagined
lights n shades of the night-these
things that presaged the coming Of Cal
BAN. Roggedly Duan fought against
the insidious phantom. He kept telling
himself that it was Just Imagination,
n 1T would wear off In time. Still in
his heart ne did not believe what he
p But he would not give up; he
would not accept the ghost of his vic
time as a reality.
Gray. dawn found him in the saddle
again headed for the river. Half an
hour Of riding brought him to the dense
chaparral and willow thickets. These
he threaded to come at length to the
tord It was a gravel bottom. and
therefore an easy crossing. Once upon
q opposite shore he reigned in his
horse and looked darkly back. This
action marked his Acknowledgement of
his situation: he he'd. voluntarily
sought the refuge Of the outlaws; he
was beyond the pale. A bitter and
passionate curse passed his lips as he
that alien shore.
he rode perhaps 20 miles, not SPAR
ing his horse nor caring whether or
not he left a plain train.
Let them hunt mel" he muttered.
When the e a OF the day began to
pc oppressive. and hunger n thirst
MADE themselves manifest, Duane be-
q 70 look about him for a place to
malt Tor the noon-hours. The trail led
INTO 2 road which was hard packed and
emootn from the tracks OF cattle. He
doubted not that he had come across
OF the roads used by border raiders.
He headed into 1t, and had scarcely
travelled e mile when. turning q curve.
ne came point-blank upon a single
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