The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1916-11-23
CHAPTER XII.

days he paid brief visits to sevcrs
villages that lay in his path. And /
each some particular friend had
piece Of news to impart that mad
Duane profoundly thoughtful.
ranger had made a quiet. unobrusiv
call upon these friends and left thi
message, TEL Buck Duane to rid
into Captain MacNelly's camp som
time after night"
Duane concluded, and his friends al
agreed with him, that the new ranger
main purpose in the Nueces eouutr.
was to capture or kill Buck Duane
and that this message was simply al
original and striking ruse, the darini
of which might appeal to certain out
laws.
But 1t did not appeal TO Duane. His
curiosity was aroused; II did not, how
ever, tempt him to any foolhardy act
He turned southwest and rode hun
dred miles until he again reached the
sparsely settled country. Here he
heard no more of rangers.
He got into rough country, rode for
| three days without covering much
| ground, but believed that he was get
| ting on safer territory. Twice he came
to a wide bottom-land green with viii
low and cottonwood and thick as
middle of which ran river he de-
cided must be the lower Nueces.
one evening as he stole out from
a covert where he had camped he saw
the lights Of village. He tried to
pass il on the left, but as he mounted
ridge he noted that the road made a
sharp turn, and he could not see what
was beyond 1t. He slowed up and
was making the turn, which was down
hill between high banks of yellow
clay, when his mettlesOme horse heard
something to frighten him or SHE'D at
something and bolted.
The few bounds he took before
Duane's iron arm checked him were
enough to reach the curve. One
flashing glance showed Duane the open
once more, n little valley below with a
wide, shallow, rocky stream, clump
Of cottonwoods beyond, somber
group Of men facing him, and two
dark, limp, strangely grotesque figures
hanging from branches.
The sight was common enough in
southwest Texas bur Duane had never
before found himself so unpleasantly
close.
a hoarse voice pealed out "By hell
there's another one"
stranger, ride down an account fer
yourself" yelled another,
"Hands-upw
"Thets right, Jack; don't take no
chances. Plug him."
These remarks were so swiftly ut
tered as almost to be continuous,
Duane was wheeling his horse when
rifle cracked. The bullet struck his
left forearm and he thought broke 1t,
for he dropped the rein. The frighten-
ed horse ieuped. Another bullet
whistlcd past Duane. Then the bend
in the road saved him probably from
certain death. Like the wind his fleet
stced went down the long hill.
Duane was in no hurry to look back.
He knew what to expect. His chief
concern of the moment was for his
injured arm. lie found that the bones
were still intact; but the wound, hay-
ing been made by a soft bullet, was an
exceedingly bad one. Blood poured
from 1t. Giving the horse his head,
Duane wound his scarf tightly round
the holes, and with teeth ana hand
tied 1t tightly. That done, he looked
back over his shoulder.
Riders We're making the dust fly on
the hillside road. There were more
coming round the cut where the road
curved. Duane needed only one glance
To tell him that hcy We're fast and
cowboys ia a land where
all riders are good. They would not
have owned any but strong swift
horses Moreover, il was district
where runchcrs had suffered beyond
all endurance the greed and brutality
Of outlaws Duane had simply been SO
as to run right into a
IynChtug party at a time Of all times |
when any stranger would be in danger |
tilA any NulluN put ~ MS hAllt " I
escape with his life.
Duane did not look back again till |
he had crossed the ridgy piece of |
ground and had gotten to the level |
road. He had gained upon his pur- !
suers. When he uScertUiued this he |
tried 70 save his horse, TO check little |
.hat killing gait. This horse was
animal. big strong fast; |
but his endurance had never been put |
10 "a grueling test And that worried |
Dame. Ills life had made II im-
possible 70 keep one horse very long
ut time, and this one was an un-
5nuwn quantity.
Duane had only one plan-the only
plan possible In this case-and that
was to make the rlver.bottoms, where
he might elude his pursuers in the
willow brakes Fifteen miles or so
would bring him to the river, and this
vas not a hopeless distance for any
good horse II not too closely pressed.
lie began TO hope and look for trail
Dr. a road turning on to right or left.
There was none. rough, mesquite
dotted ana yucca-spired country ex-
tended away on either side. Duane
believed that he would be compelled to
take to this hard going one thing
was certaln--he had TO go round the
village. The river, however, was ON