Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-12-20

piece Of news to impart that made
Duane profoundly thoughtful. A
ranger had made quiet, unobtrusive
call upon these friends and left this
message, "Tell Buck Duane to ride
into Captain MacNelly's camp some
\ time after night"
Duane concluded, and his friends all
agreed with him, that the new rangers
main purpose in the Nueces country
was to capture or kill Buck Duane,
and that this message was simply an
original and striking ruse, the daring
Of which might appeal to certain out
laws.
But 1t did not appeal to Duane. His
curiosity was aroused; 1t did not, how
ever, tempt him to any foolhardy act.
He turned southwest and rode. hum
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 q wide bottom-land green with will
low and cottonwood and thick al
chaparral, somewhere through the
middle Of which ran river he de-
cided must be the lower Nueces.
One. evening as he stole out from
q covert where he had camped, he saw
the lights Of village. He tried to
pass it on the left, but as he mounted
= ridge he noted that the road made q
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 mettles0me horse heard
something to frighten him or SHE'D ct
something and boltsd
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, little valley below with .
wide, shallow, rocky stream, clump
Of cottonwoods beyond, somber
group of men facing him, and two
dark, limp, strangely grotesque figures
hanging from branches. Il
The sight was common enough IN
southwest Texas, but Duane had never
before found himself SO unpleasant.y
close.
A hoarse voice pealed out: by hell
there's another one!"
stranger, ride down an account fer
yourself" yelled another,
"Hands-up!"
'Thet's 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 a
rifle cracked. The bullet struck his
left forearm and he thought broke it,
for he dropped the rein. The frighten-
ed horse leaped. Another bullet
whistled past Duane. Then the bend
in the road saved him probably from
certain death. Like the wind his fleet
steed went down the long hill.
Duane was in no hurry to look back.
He knew what to expect. Els chief
concern of the moment was for his
injured arm. He found that the bones
were still intact; but the wound, hav-
ing been made by soft bullet, was an
exceedingly bad one. Blood poured
from it. Giving the horse his head,
Duane wound his scarf tightly round
the holes, and with teeth and hand
tied it tightly. That done, he looked
back over his shoulder.
Riders were 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 they were fast and
hard-riding cowboys In land where
all riders are good. They would not
have owned any but strong, swift
horses. Moreover, 1t was q district
where ranchers had suffered beyond
all endurance the greed and brutality
Of outlaws. Duane had simply been SO
unfortunate as to run right into q
lynching party at time of all times
when any stranger would be In danger
and any outlaw put to his limit to
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 ascertained this he
tried to save his horse, to check little
that killing gait. This horse was a
magnificent animal, big, strong, fast;