The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1916-08-03

nlnself because OF 1t. Always in the
fury OF such moments he wanted tc
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. In line
with the rocky barrier, and kept on
wondering what the next mile would
bring. 1t brought worse, for he was
seen by sharp eyed scouts. and no,
lusillade 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 where he had
come down into the brake the greater
his danger. To attempt to run the
blockade OF that train by day would
De fatal He waited for night, and
atter the brightness of the fires had
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
stealthily up under cover of a shad dow
When hound again betrayed his 20
sitlon. Retreating to the willows was
as perllous task as had ever con-
lrontea duane; and when he had ac-
compl1shed it, right under what
seemed 100 blazing rifles, he felt that
he had indeed been favored by proyi-
| dence This time men followed him
goodly 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
mind clamped between two things
whether to try again to escape or wait
ior possible opportunity. He seemed
| incapable Of decision. His intelligence
| told him that every hour 1essened his
chances Tor 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. But
| that time was not yet
When ne had remained quiet long
| enough to cool off and recover from
his run he found that he was tired, He
stretched out to rest. But the swarms
OF VICIOUS mosquitoes prevented sleep.
Ih1s corner of the brake was low and
near the river. a breeding ground for
the blood-suckers. They sang and
hummed and whined around him in an
ever increasing horde. He covered his
nead ana hands with his coat and Law
there patiently. That was long and
wretched night. Morning found him
still strong physically, but in a dread
ful state of mind.
FIRST ne hurried for the river Ie
could Withstand the pangs of hunger.
but 1T was imperative to quench thirst.
Ills wound made him feverish, and
therefore more than usually hot and
THIRSTY. Again he was refreshed. That
morning he was hard put to it to hold
himself back from attempting to cross
the river If he could find a light log
1t was within the bounds of possibility
that he might ford the shallow water
and bars of quicksand. But not yet!
&C Ivy RI. IL, L
ard the bluff.
All that day and all that night, all
the next day and all the next night, he
stole like 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.
He had come to an evil pass Their ar
rived an hour when, closely pressed by
pursuers at the extreme southern cor
ner of the brake. he took to dense
thicket Of willows, driven to what he
believed was his last stand.
1t only these human bloodhouds
would swiftly close in on him! Let
him fight to the last bitter gasp and
have 1t over! But 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 the middle of the day, hot,
S.uoSS, oppressive threatening storm.
, Like snake Duane crawled into a
little space in the 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 well have been.
Come on fellerS--doWn hyar" called
one man from the bluff.
Got him corralled at last" shouted
another.
Reckon We needn't be too shore. We
thought tibet more'n one" tainted an
other.
Il seen him, I tell you.''
"Aw, thet was a deer
But Bill found fresh tracks an
blood on the Willows"
III he's winged we needn't hurry"
Hold on thar, you boys" came a
ther up the bluff. Go slow You all
air gittin' foolish at the end of a long
chase.''
"Thet.s right, colonel. Hold EN-
hack. There's nothin shorer than some
hody'll be stoppin' lead pretty quick.
He'll be huntin' us soon!"
Let's surround this corner an starve
him OUT
Fire the brake
How clearly all this talk pierced
Duane's ears! In it he seemed to hear
t his doom. This. then was the end he
had always expected. which had been
close to him before, yet never like
now.
BY God!'' whispered Duane, .the
thing for ME to do now-is go out
meet them!"
That was prompted by the fighting.
the killing instinct in him. In that mo-
| ment it had almost superhuman pow
er. II he must die, that was the way
for him to die. What else could be
expected of Buck Duane? He got to his
knees and drew his gun. With his
lswollen and almost useless hand he
held what spare ammunition he had
left. He ought to creep out noiselessly
ito the edge Of the willows, suddenly
face his pursuers, then, while there was
| a beat left In his heart, kill. kill. kill.
These men all had rifles, The fight
would be short. But the marksmen did
not live on earth who could make such
| a fight go wholly against him Com
fronting them suddenly he could kill q
man for every shot In his gun.
/ Thus Duane reasoned. So he hoped
| To accept his fate to meet this end