Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-08-24

to his kind THIN to honest men. I under-
stand Duane had many friends, that
whole counties swear by him-secretly,
Of course, for he's a hunted outlaw with
rewards on his head. His fame in this
country appears to hang on his match
less gun play and his enmity toward
outlaw chiefs. I've heard many a
rancher IA i wish to God that Buck
Duane would drift out here! I'd give
100 pesos to see him and Poggin meet
It's a singular thing. stranger, how
jealous these great outlaws are of each
other"
Yes, indeed, all about them is singu-
lar" replied Duane. HAS Cheseldine's
gang been busy lately?"
NO. This section has been free of
rustling for months. though there's un-
explained movements of stock. Proba-
bly, all the stock that's being shipped
now was rustled long ago. Cheseldine
works over a wide section, too wide for
news to travel inside of weeks. Then
sometimes he's not heard of at all for
a spell. These lulls are pretty surely in
dicative of a big storm sooner or later.
And Cheseldine's deals, as they grow
fewer and father between, certainly get
bigger, more daring. There are some
DGDple WHO J1lllk Cn6SeIullle Ildj noun
ing to do with the banll-robberies and
train holdups during the last few years
in this country. But that's poor reason
ing. The jobs have been too we'll done,
too surely covered, to be the work Of
sreasers or ordinary outlaws"
Whats your view of the outlook?
How's all this going to win up? Will
the outlaw ever be driven out?" asked
Duane.
Never. There will always be out
laws along the Rio Grande. All the
armies in the world couldn't comb the
wild brakes of that 1900 miles of river.
But the sway of the outlaw, such as is
enjoyed by these great leaders, will
sooner or later be past. The criminal
element flock to the southwest. Blu not
so thick and fast as the pioneers. Be
sides, the outlaws kill themselves, and
the ranchers are slowly rising in wrath,
if not in action. That will come soon.
If they only had a leader to start the
fight! Blu that will come. There's talk
of vigilantes, the same that were or
ganiZed in California and are now in
force in Idaho. So far it's only talk.
But the time will come. And the days
of Cheseldine and Poggin are num-
bered."
Duane went to bed that night ex-
ceedingly thoughtful. The long trail
was growing hot. This voluble colonel
had given him new ideas. 1t came to
Duane in surprise that he was famous
along the upper Rio Grande. Assul ed
ly he would not long be able to conceal
his Identity. He had no doubt that he
would soon meet the chiefs of this
clever and bold rustling gang. He
could not decide whether he would be
safer unknown or known. In the latter
case his one chance lay in the fatality
connected with his NAME, in his power
to look 1t n act it. Duane had never
dreamed of any ~sleuthhound tendency
in his nature, but now he felt some
thing like one. Abov all others his
mind fixed on Poggin = Poggin the
brute, the executor of Cheseldine's will,
but mostly upon Poggin the gunman.
This In itself was a warning to Duane.
He felt terrible forces at work within
him. There was the stern and in
domitable resolve to make MacNelly's
boast good to the governor Of the state
to break up Chesaldine's gang. Yet
this vas not in Duane's mind before a
grim and deadly instinct which he
had to drive away for fear he would
find in it a passion to kill Poggin, not
for the state, nor for his word to Mac
Nelly, but for himself. Had his fathers
blood and the hard years made Duane
the kind of man who instinctively
wanted to meet Poggin? He was sworn
to MacNelly's service, and he fought
iiloC y hSSP llliI, LIN llldI III L.
his mind.
Duane ascertained that Fairdal was
situated two days ride from Bradford
toward the north. There was a stage
which made the journey twice a week.
Next morning Duane mounted his
horse and headed for F%airdale. He rode
~leasurely, as he wanted to learn all he
could about the country. There We're
few ranches. The farther he Travelled
the better grazing he encountered, and,
strange to note, the fewer herds Of
cattle.
1t vas Just sunset when he made out
q cluster Of adobe houses that marked
the halfway point between Bradford
and Fairdale. Here. Duane had learned,
was stationed a comfortable inn for
wayfarers.
When he drew up before the inn the
landlord and his family and a number
of loungers greeted him laconically.
Beat the state in, hey?" remarked
n
"There she comes now" said another.
Joel shore is drivin' tonight"
Fan down the road Duane saw a
cloud of dust and horses and a lumber
Ing coach. When he had looked after
the needs Of his horse he returned to
the group before the inn. They awaited
the stage with that interest COM
mon to isolated people. Presently
IL folleu up, a large muQ DeSpatlefeu
and dusty vehicle, Uttered with bag
gage on top and tied on behind. A
number Of passengers alighted, three
Of whom excited Duane's interest.
One was a tall, dark, striking looking
man, and the other two were ladies,
wearing long gray ulsters and wells.
Duane heard the proprietor Of the inn
address the man as Colonel Long
streth, n as the party entered the
inn Duane's quick ears caught a few
words which acquainted him with the
fact that Lonsstreth was the mayor OF
Fairdale.
Duane passed inside himself to learn
that upper wonld soon be ready. All
table he found himself opposite the
three who had attracted his attention
Ruth, l envy the lucky cowboys
Longstreth was saying.
Ruth was a curly haired girl with
gray or hazel eyes,.
I'm crazy to ride bronchos," she said
Duane gathered she was on a visit
to western Texas. The other girls
deep voice, sweet like a bell, made Du,
are regard her closer. She had beauty
as he had never seen it in another
woman. She was slender, but the de-