Tombstone epitaph., 1916-10-08

Buck and Jennie are sitting in the wilderness cabin discussing their fu- ture-
 I've been brought up in Texas I remember what a hard lot the men of my family had. But poor as they were, they had roof over their heads hearth with fire, warm bed somebody to love them. And you. Duane-Oh. my God! What must your life be? You must ride and hide and watch eternally."
 She ended with sob and dropped her head on her knees. Duane was amazed. deeply touched.
 My girl. thank you for that thought O| me" he said, with tremor in his voice. You don't know how much that means 10 me"
 She raised her face, and 1t was tear stained. eloquent, beautiful.
 I've heard tell-the best of men go to the bud out there. You won't. Promise me you won't. never knew any man-iike you. live may never see each other again-after to-day. I'll never forget you. I'll pray for you. and. I'll never give up trying toto do something. Don't despair Its never too late. It was my hope that kept me alive-Out there at Bland's-before you came. I was only Il poor weak girl. But if I could hope 50 can you. Stay away from men. Be a lone wolf. Fight for your life. Stick out your exile-and maybe some day"
 Then she lost her voice. Duane cinspec her hand and with feeling us deep as hers promised to remember her words. In her despair for him she had spoken wisdom-pointed out the only course.
 Duanes vigilance, mOmentarily broken by emotion. had no sooner re asserted itself than he discovered the bay horse. the one Jennie rode, Lad broken his halter and gone of. The soft wet earth had deadened the sound of his hOofs. His tracks were plain iu the mud.
 Du" ne did not want to leave Jennie alone in the cabin so near the road. So he put her on his horse and bade her follow. The rain had ceased for the time being. though evidently the storm was not yet over. The tracks led up a wash to a wide fiat where mesquite. prickly pear, and thorn-bush grew so thickly that Jennie could not ride into 1t. He could not expect her to scramble quickly through that brake ou foot Therefore he decided to risk leaving her at the edge of the thicket and go In alone.
 As he went In a sound startled him. Was II the breaking of branch he lad stepped on or thrust aside? He heard the impatient pound of his horses hOofs. Then all was quiet Still he listened. not wholly satisfied He was never satisfied in regard to safety; he knew too well that there never could be safety for him in this country. Certain he Nas now that some kind of danger threatened.
 Suddenly there came an unmistak- where to the fore. Then a scream rent the air. 1t ended abruptly Duane Ieaped forward, tore his way through the thorny brake. He heard Jennie cry again-an appealing call quickly hushed. It seemed more to his right. and he plunged that way. He burst into a glade where a smOldering fire and ground covered with footprints and tracks showed that campers had lately been Rushing across this. he broke his passage out to the open But he was too late. His horse had disappeared. Jennie was gone. There were no riders In sight. There was no sound. There was heavy trail of horses going north Jennie had been carried off-probably by outlaws Duane realized that pursuit was out of the Question-that Jennie was lost.