Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-07-27
CHAPTER xI (continued).

Maybe the captain wants to give
me a fair chance to surrender without
bloodshed," observed Duane. pretty
decent of him, if ne neaa that"
III invites you out to his came after
dark. Something strange about this,
Duane. But MacNelly's q new man
out here. He does some queer things.
Perhaps he's getting q swelled head.
Well, whatever his intentions, his pres
ence around Mercer Is enough for us.
Duane, you hit the road and put some
miles between you and the amiable
captain before daylight. Tomorrow I'll
go out there and ask him what in the
devil he meant"
That messenger he sent-he was a
ranger" said Duane.
Sure he was, end a nervy one! 1t
must have taken sand to come bracing
you hat way. Duane, the fellow didn't
pack a gun. I'll swear to that. Pretty
odd. this trick. But you can't trust 1t.
Hit the road, Duane"
a little later a black horse. with muf-
fled hoofs, bearing a tall, dark rider
who peered keenly into every shadow,
tfotted down a pasture mi back OF
Jones house, turned into the road, and
then. breaking into swifter gait, rapidly
left Mercer behind.
Fifteen or 90 miles out Duane drew
rein in a forest of mesquite, dismount-
So, aAu SSStIGJSp dDOQL lOI ID Blduc Will
a little grass. Here he staked his horse
on a long lariat: and. using his saddle
for a pillow, his saddle blanket for COW
ering, he went to sleep.
Next morning he was off again,
working south. During the next few
days he paid brief visits to several VII
lagos that lay in his path. And in
piece of news to impart h a made Du-
ane profoundly thoughtful. A ranger
had made a quiet, unobtrusive call up
on these friends and left this message:
Tell Buck Duane to ride into Captain
MacNelly's camp some time after
night.
Duane concluded, and his friends all
agreed with him. that the new rang
er's main purpose in the Nueces coun-
try was to capture or kill Buck Duane,
II that this message was simply an
original and striking use, the daring
Of which might appeal to certain out
laws.
But it did not appeal to Duane. lbs
curiosity was aroused; 1t did not, how
ever. tempt him to do any foolhardy
act He turned southwest and rode 100
miles until he again reached the
sparsely settled country. Here he heard
no more Of rangers. 1t was a barren
region he had never but nee ridden
through, inc that ride had cost him
dearly. He had been compelled to shoe
his way out. Outlaws were not in ac-
cord with the few ranchers and their
cowpunchers who ranged there. He
learned that both outlaws and Mexican
raiders had long been at bitter enmitJ
with these ranchers. Being unfamiliar
pushed on into the heart of this district
when all h time he really believed
he was travelling around it. A rifle
shot from a ranch house, a deliberate
attempt to kin him because he was ar
unknown rider in those parts, discov-
cred to Duane his mistake, and a hare
ride to get away persuaded him to re-
turn to his old methods OF hiding by
day n travelling by night.
He got into rough country, rod TO,
three days without covering muct
ground, but believed he was getting or
safer territory. Twice he came to c
wide bottom land, green with willow
raj, somewhere through the middle O.
which ran a river he decided must b.
the lower Nueces.
One evening, as he stole out from s
covert where he had camped, he saw
the lights of a village. He tried
to pass 1t on the left, but wa.
unable to because the brakes o
this bottom land extended in almos
to the outskirts OF the village, and h,
had to retrace his steps and go round
IN tho right Wire fenres md hnrsas 4,
NJ st,,re made this a task So II was wal
after ,n,dnipht hefore he accomn,lisha
II. He made 10 miles or more then h,
dovli.ht and nrtar tbat n.ncaeda5 Gov,
tinusiy alnna q rooa witch annear red :,
Nc nuoI, ,.nsr f,.o,,, t,.,N a1 IIa nasso,
saversi thiclsats p,he,a nc wo,,1d hay,
haItad to hide drring +he saw hut so
the fact that he had to find water.
He was a long while coming to 1t, ant
nasa,,ita near Tho u.ater.hoIa ttho
,uo,,1d apsorS him cover GO he isant az
rrl,a no,,ntrv hafora h;,n ,,.s ,.i5a,
,na ba.on ~ shom cottnn,,"a aS ha,.
and +bara In tho hoI,osns ana NO.. nn,
nosan,,,te on the biah"r pro,,yd As =,
n,o.,ntad a r;age he nntad tIat +ha 800,
nnada'a sharn t,,,,, anS i,a MID -, !, va
saa Nh. naa havnnd - ne s,omoa =, ~
and was Mains the t,,rn which ua
dny,n hi, nat suaa, h;.,h harL ns ra1 Ma
cE"A ,,,,,a, h1s vnattisson,a han .. 49, go
Snna.%inr ~ srishtan Mn, az sI,ias q
sornethins ana boltad "iAi ' F"
Tra eaxy hn,,nda hasora M. I'd,
avn 1chacs,aG MN yrara a,o,,gn 70 VOC,
The c,rra Ono f,ashhin. rianca sbowa.
I,,.,,a m. onan nnna ,,sora = Ii+tIa wi
i".ls,s.. III II = !. s ..s'A a. ~