The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1916-09-07

| they surmounted the steep ascent and
stood on top of the Rim Rock, with
no signs of pursuit down in the valley,
and with the wild broken fastness
before them, Duane turned to the girl
and assured her that they now had
every chance to escape.
But-yOur-wound she faltered,
with dark, troubled eyes. IT see-the
blood-dripping from your back"
Jennie, I'll take a lot of killing"
he said.
Then he became silent and attended
to the uneven trail. He was aware
presently that he had not come into
BANDS camp by this route. But that
did not matter; any trail leading out
beyond the Rim Rock was safe enough.
What he wanted was to get far away
into some wild retreat where he could
hide till he recovered from his wound.
So he turned off on a trail that ap-
peared seldom Travelled.
Soon after this move be became con-
scious of a further thickening of his
senses. He felt able to hold on to his
saddle for a while longer, but he was
failing. Then he thought he ought to
advise Jennie, so in case she was left
alone she would have some idea of
what to do.
Jennie, I'll give out soon," he said.
"No-I don't mean-what you think.
But I'll drop soon. My strengths go
ing. If I die-you ride back to the
main trail. Hide and rest by day.
Ride at night. That trail goes to
water. 1 believe you could get across
the Nueces, where some rancher will
take you in"
Duane could not get the meaning of
her incoherent reply. He rode on, and
soon he could not see the trail or hear
his horse. He did not know whether
they travelled a mile or many times
that far. But he was conscious when
the horse stopped, and had vague
sense of falling and feeling Jennie's
arms before all became dark to him.
When consciousness returned he
found himself lying in a little hut of
mesquite branches. 1t was we'll built
and evidently some years old. Duane
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 step and
listened, but he felt tired, and present
| ly his eyes closed and he fell into
! 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 To- 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,
1 guess. l did all 1 could"
Duane saw now that the difference
in her was a whiteness and tightness
of skin, 4 hollowness of eye, look
Of strain.
Fever? How long have we been
here?" he asked.
She took some pebbles from the
crown of his sombrero and counted
them.
mine. Nine days." she answered.
rNine days." he exclaimed, incredu-
lousy. But another look at her as
sured him that she meant what she
said.
"Bland's men didn't come along
hereT
mo"
"Have you slept anyT
"a little. Lately I couldn't keep
awake"
81 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 ab0ut It,"
There's nothing much to TELL" she
i replied. simply. "x'e Asust have nd