The Huttig news., 1916-09-23


 CHAPTER II-He meets Luke Stew chs, an outlaw.
 CHAPTER III-Stevens goes into the town of Mercer to buy supplies and is shot by rancher. Duane buries him.
 CHAPTER Iv-Duane goes to Rland's ohflaW stronghold in the Rim Rock and after shooting Bosomer, who duarrels With him over Stevens death. decides 10 stay there, Euchre takes Duane for partner and tells him about Bland the outlaw chief. md his band.
 Later he went outdoors to the cooler shade of the cottonwoodS. From this point he could see good deal of the valley. Under different circumstances Duane felt that he would have en- joyed such beautiful spot. He saw a good many Mexicans who, of course were hand and glove with Bland, Also he saw enormous fiat-boats. crude of structure, moored along the banks of the river. The Rio Grande rolled away between high bluffs. X cable sagging deep In the middle. was stretched over the wide yellow stream
 
 ferry, lay anchored on the far shore
 The valley was an ideal retreat for an outlaw band operating on big scale Pursuit scarcely need be feared over the broken trails of the Rim Rock And the open end of the valley could be defended against almost any number of men coming down the river.
 Duane must have idIed considerable time up on the hill, for when he re. turned to the shack Euchre was busily engaged around the campfire.
 Wal. glad 10 see yoH aint so pale about the gills as yon WAS" he said. by the way of greeting. "Pitch in an we'll soon have grub ready. There's shore one eonsolin fact round this here camp"
 '.What's that?" asked Duane.
 '.Plenty of good juicy beef to eat. An 1t doesn't cost short bit
 But 1t costs hard rides and trouble bad conscience, and life too, doesn't itf"
 
 science Mine never bothered me none. An as for life, why. thct's cheap in Texas"
 "Who is Bland?" asked Duane, quickly changing the subject. What do you know about him?"
 We don't know who he is or where he halls from" replied Euchre. "Thet's always been somethin' to interest the gang. He must have been young man when he struck Texas. Now he's niddfe-aged. I remember how years ago he was soft-spoken an not rough in talk or act like he is now. Bland ain't likely his right name. He knows lot. He can doctor you, an he's shore knowin' fellcr with tools. He's the kind thet rules men. Outlaws are always ridn' in here to join his gang, an if it hadn't been fer the gamblin' an gun-play he'd have a thousand men around him."
 "JIow many in his gang now?"
 II reckon there's short of hundred now. The1number varies. Then Bland has several small camps up an down the river. Also he has men back on the cattle-rangcs."
 "1ow does he control such big force?" asked Duane. "Especially when his bands composed of bad men. Luke Stevens said he had no use for Bland And I heard once somewhere that Bland was devil"
 "Thet's if. He is devil He's as hard as flint, violent in temper. never made any friends except his right hand men, Dave Rugg an Chess Allo- way. Bland Il shoot at wink. He's killed lot of fellers, an some fer nothin'. The reason thet outlaws gather round him an stick is because he's safe refuge, an then he's well heeled. Bland is rich. They say he has hundred thousand pesos hid somewhere, an lots of gold. But he's free with money. He gambles when he's not off with shipment of cattle. He throws money around. An the fact is there's always plenty of money where he is. Thet's what holds the gang. Dirty, bloody money!"
 It's wonder he hasn't been killed. All these years on the border!" eX- claimed Duane
 '.Wal," replied Euchre, dryly, Ines been quicker on the draw than the other fellers who hankered to kill him, thet's all."
 Euchre's reply rather chilled Duane's interest for the moment. Such remarks always made his mind resolve round facts pertaining to himself.
 "Speakin' of this here swift wrist game" went on Euchre. there's heen considerable talk in camp about your throwin' of q gun. I heard Bland say this afternaon--an' he said it serious like an speculative-thet he'd peyer, seen your equal. All the fellers who seen you meet Bosomer had somethin'