Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-11-22
CHAPTER w.

Two days later, about the middle of
the forenoon, Duane dragged the two
horses up the last ascent of an exceed
tngly rough trail and found himself on
top of the Rim Rock, with a beautiful,
green valley at his feet, the yellow,
sluggish bio Grande shining in the
sun, and fhe great, wild mountainous
barren, Of Mexico stretching to the
south.
No wonder outlaws We're safe in that
wild refuge! Duane had spent the last
two days climbing the toughest and
most difficult trail ne had ever seen.
From the looks of the descent he
i imagined the worst part of his trayei
was yet to come.
The trail proved to be the kind that
could not be descended slowly. He
kept lodging rocks which his horses
ioosed behind him. And in q short
time he reached end rode down the
green retreat, wondering what would
be his reception.
The valley was much larger than it
had appeared from the high elevation.
Well watered, green with grass and
tree, and farmed evidently by good
hands, it gave Duane considerable
surprise. Horses. and cattle were ev-
erywhere. Every clump of cotton
woods surrounded a small adobe house.
Duane saw Meyicnns working in the
fields and horsemen going to and fro.
Presently he passed a house bigger
than the others, with a porch attached.
"A woman, young and pretty, he
thought. watched him from il door. No
one else appeared to notice him.
Presently the trail widened into a
road, and that INTO a kind of square
lined by number of adobe and log
buildings of rudest structure. Within
sight We're horses, dogs. a couple Of
steers, Mexican women with children.
and white men, all of whom appeared
to be doing nothing. His advent Gre
ated no interest until he rode up to
tho white men who were lolling in the
shade of house, This place evil
IDENTIFY was a store and saloon. and
from, the inside came lazy hum Of
voices.
AS Duane refined to a halt one of the
loungers in the shade rose with a loud
exclamation.
"Bust me if tibet Amt Luke's hoss!'
The others accorded their interest,
if not assent, by rising to advance
toward Duane.
.H9w about it, Euchre? Amt tibet
Luke's bay?n aueried the first man.
"Plain as Your nose replied the fell
low called Euchre.
saThere amt no doubt about. tibet,
then" laughed another, ;"fer Bosomer's
nose is shore plain on the landscape
These men lined up before Duane,
and as he cpolly regarded them he
thought they could have been recog-
5nized anywhere rs desperadoes. The
man called Bosonler, who had stepped
forward had forbidding face, which
showed yellow eyes. an enormous nose,
and n skin the color of dust, with a
thatch of sandy hair.
Stranger, who are you an where
in the hi did you cit tibet bay hosp
he demanded, His yellow eyes took In
Stevens horse, then the weapons hung
on the saddle, and finally turned their
glinting, hard light upward to Duane.
Duane did not like the tone in which
he had been addressed, and he re-
manned silent. Something leaped in
side of him and made his breast feel
tight. He recognized it as that strange
emotion which had shot through him
often of late, and which had decided
him to go out to the meeting with
Balm. Only now 1t was different, and
more powerful.
stranger, who are your" asked an
other man, somewhat more ciyilly.
my names Duane" replied Duane,
curtly.
"An' how'd you come by the hoss?'
Duane answered briefly, and his
words were followed by short silence,