Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-10-18
The rangers took Duane no

grown. a noisy crowd surrounded the
station. but 1T stilled as Duane was
carried from the train.
a sea of faces pressed close. Some
wore faces he remembered=school-
mates, friends, old %neighbors. There
was an %upflinging of many hands
Duane was being welcomed home tc
the town from which he had fled. A
deafness within him broke. This wei
come hurt him somehow, quiclsenea
him; and through his cold being. his
weary mind. passed a change. His sight
Then there was u white house, his old
home. How strange. yet how real! His
heart beat fast. Had so many, many
years passed? Familiar yet how strange
1T was, and all seemed magnified.
They carried him in, these ranger
ed his read upon pillows. Tn house
was still, though full of people. Du-
ane's gaze sought the open door.
Some one entered-a tall girl in
white. with dark, wet eyes and u light
upon her face. She a leading an old
Der and sad. His mother! She was
feeble, but she walked erect. She was
pale. shaking, yet maintained her dig
nifty.
The some n in white Uttered a low
cry n knelt by Duane's bed. His
mother flung wide her arms with a
strange gesture.
This man! They've not brought back
my boy. This mans his father! Where
is my son? My son-oh, my son!"
When Duane grew stronger 1T was q
pleasure to lie by the west window and
watch Uncle Jim whittle his stick and
listen to his talk. The old man was
broken now. He told many interesting
things about people Duane had known
people who had grown up and mar
ried. failed, succeeded. gone away, and
died. But 1t was hard to keep Uncle
Jim off the subject Of guns. outlaws.
fights. He could not seem to divine
how mention of these things hurt Du-
ane. Uncle Jim was childish now, and
he had a great pride in his nephew. He
wanted to hear Of all Of Duane's exile.
And II there vas one thing more than
another hat pleased him 1t was to talk
about the bullets which Duane carried
in his body.
Five bullets. amt it," he asked. for
the Tooth time. "Ffve in that last
scrap! BY gum! And you had six be-
fore"
Yes. uncle" replied Duane.
Five six. That makes IL. BY
gum! A mans a man, to carry all that
lead. But, Buck, you could carry more
There's that niger Edwards. right
here in Wellston. He's got a ton of
bullets in him. Doesn't seem to mind
them none And there's Cole Miller.
I've seen him. Been a bad mar in his
day. They say he packs % bullets.
But he's bigger than you-got more
flesh. Funny. wasn't 1t, Buck.
about III doctor only bein' able to cut
one bullet out Of you-that n in your
breast bone? 1t was a Al caliber. an
unusual cartridge. I saw II, and
wanted 1t. but Miss Longstreth wouldn't
part with it. Buck. there was a bullet
left in one Of Poggin's guns, and that
bullet was the same kind as the one
cut out OF you. BY gum! Boy. ito
1T would indeed, uncle" replied
Duane, and the old. haunting, sombe,
mood returned.
But Duane was not often at the mer-
cy of childish old hero w%orshiping I'm.
Gle Jim. Miss ~Longstreth was the only
person who seemed to divine Duane's
him she warded off all suggestion.
One afternoon. while she vas there
at h west window, q message came
for him. They read 1t together:
You have saved the ranger service
to the Lone Star state.-MacNelly."
Ray knelt beside him at the window
and he believed she meant to speak ther
Of h thing they a stunned. He,
face wal still white. but sweeter now
warm with rich life beneath the mar.
BILE: and her dark eyes were still in.
tent. still haunted by shadows, but NJ
longer tragic.
I'm glad for MacNelly's sake az vel
as the states" said Duane.
She made no reply to that ant
seemed to be thinking deeply. DUANE
shrank q little.
"The pain ID It any worse today?'
she asked. instantly.
mo: it's the same. It will Away
be the Same. I'm full Of lead. 20,
know. Gut l don't mind a little pain.
'Then-it's the old mood-the fear?
she whispered. Tell me-"
eyes. It haunts me. I'll be we'll 500,
able to 60 out: Then that--that hel
will come back!"
mo. mol" she said. with emotion.
Some drunken COWBOY some foo
with q gun. will hunt me out In ever.
town, wherever ! 60" he went on, mis-
erably. Buck Duanel To kill Bucl
Duane!"
"Hu.hl Don't speak 50. Listen. 70,
when ! came to you-plead with Vol
not to meet Pogginf oh. that was
terrible hour for me. But It showed m
l tho truth. ] aaw h struggle betweel
your passion to kill and your love 70
me. could have saved o then haa
understand that-that thing which
haunts you. But you'l never have &
draw again. You'll. never have to XII
another man, thank Gods!
Like = drowning man heAlf8uid hav
grasped ct straws, but he U6uld no
voice his passionate query.
She put tender arms around his nee!
n because youth have me with you a
Wayu.s she replied. 'Because always
shall b between you and that-tha
ktorr1bl1 thing sta
IL seemed With the spoken though