The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1916-10-12
CHAPTER XIX.

CHAPTER XIX.
Strangers rode into Fairda1e; and
other hard-looking customers, new to
Duane if not to Fairdale, helped to
create charged and waiting atmos-
phere. The saloons did unusual bust
ness and were never closed. Respect
able citizens of the town were awak-
ened in the early dawn by rowdies
carousing in the streets.
Duane kept pretty close under
cover during the day. He did not
entertain the opinion that the first
time he walked down-street he would
be target for guns. Things seldom
happened that way; and when they
did happen so, it was more accident
than design. But at night he was not
idle. He met Laramie, Morton, Zim-
mer and others Of like character; q
secret club had been formed; and all
the members were ready for action.
Duane spent hours at night watching
the house where Floyd Lawson stayed
when he was not up at Longstreth's.
At night he was visited, or at least
the house was, by strange men who
were swift, stealthy, mysterious-all
that kindly disposed friends or neigh
borg would not have been. Duane
had not been able to recognize any Of
these night visitors; and he did not
think the time was ripe for a bold
holding up of one Of them. Neverthe-
less, he was sure such an event would
discover Lawson, or someone In that
house, to be in touch with crooked
men.
Laramie was right. Not twenty !
four hours after his talk with Duane, |
in which he advised quick action, he
was found behind the little bar Of his
restaurant with a bullet-hole in his
breast, dead. No one could be found
who had heard shot. It had been
deliberate murder, for upon the bar
had been left piece Of paper rudely
scrawled with pencil: Gail friends
of rangers look for the same"
This reused Duane. His first move,
however, was to bury Laramie. None
Of Laramie's neighbors evinced any in
terest in the dead man or the unfOr-
tunate family he had left. Duane saw
that these neighbors were held in
check by fear. Mrs. Laramie was i'll;
the shock Of her husbands death was
hard on her; and she had been left
almost destitute with five children.
Duane rented an adobe house on the
outskirts Of town and moved the
family into it. Then he played the
part of provider and nurse and
friend.
After several days Duane went
boldly into town and showed that he
meant business. It was his opinion
secretly glad of rangers presence.
What he intended to do was food for
,reat speculation. A company Of
militia could not have had the effect
lpon the wild element Of Fairdale
hat Duane's presence had. It got
ut that he was a gunman lightning
wifi ON the draw. It was death to
ace him. He had killed thirty men
Widest rumor Of all. It was actually
aid of him he had the gun-skill Of
luck Duane or Poggin.
At first there had not only been
reat conjecture among the vicious v
lement, but also very decided y
hecking of all kinds Of action CAL b
ulated to be conspicuous to keen Il
yed ranger. At the tables. at the G
ars and lounging-places Duane heard a
le remarks: 'eWho's tibet ranger s.
fter? What IL he do fust off? Is
Q waitin' fer somebody? Who's goin' b
draw on him fust-an' go to hell? 81
EST about how soon will he be found d
,mewheres full Of lead?" #
uane was cultivating the honest ii
ay-at-home citizens to array them in st
me against the other element, then
lirdale showed its wolf teeth.
,veral times Duane was shot at in st
e dark and once slightly injured.
umor had it that Poggin, the gun -
an, was coming to meet him. But
e 1awless element did not rise up hi
a mass to STAY Duane on sight. 81.
was not so much that the enemies so
the law awaited his next move, M
It just a slowness peculiar to the
ontier. There was rude kind Of tn
cd humor even in their open fe
stility. Al
one ranger or a company af
rangers could not have held the
divided attention of these men from Lo