The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1916-10-20
sliding table or chair, and then the
a. L.. a.

, inside the room. Kate Bland la,
, half across table where she had beer
! flung, and she was trying to get u
J her feet. BANDS back was turned
He had opened the door into Jennie,
room and had one foot across thu
threshold. Duane caught the girl.
low, shuddering cry. Then he called
out lead and clear.
With cat-like swiftness Bland wheel
ed, then froze on the threshold. Hi:
sight, Q~ick as his action, caught
, Duane's snenacing, unmistakable posi-
ton.
Blanjs big frame filled the door
He was in a bad place to reach for
his gun. But he would not have time
for step. Duane read in his eyes the
desperate calculation of chances. For
fleeing instant Bland shifted his
glance to his wife. Then his whole
body seemed to vibrate with the swing
of his arm.
Duane shot him. He fell forward,
his gun exploding as it hit into the
floor, and dropped loose from stretch
| ilS uIStlo. Dudllc SlOOu OftI
stopped to turn him on his back.
Bland looked up with clouded gaze,
then gasped his last.
duane, you've killed him. cried
Kate Bland, huskily. 81 knew you'd
have TOP
She staggered against the wall, her
| eyes dilating, her strong hands clench-
| ing, her face slowly whitening. She
| appeared shocked, half stunned. but
| showed. no grief.
Jennie called Duane, sharply.
"Come out. Hurryl"
She came out with uneven steps,
seeing only him, and she stumbled over
BANDS body. Duane caught her arm,
swung her behind him. He feared the
woman when she realized how she had
been duped. His action was protec-
tive, and his movement toward the
door equally as significant.
"Duane!' cried Mrs. Bland.
1t was no time to talk. Duane edged
on, keeping Jennie behind him. At
that moment there was a pounding of
iron-shod hoofs out in the lane. Kate
Bland bounded to the door. When she
turned back her amazement was
changing to realization.
"Where re you taking Jen?" she
cried, her voice like mans.
Get out of my way" replied Duane.
His look perhaps, without speech, was
enough for her. In an instant she was
transformed into a fury.
"You hound! All the time you were
fooling me! You made love to mel
You'll never leave here alive. Give me
that girl! Let me-get at her! She'll
never win any more men in this camp"
"Help! help help!' she shrieked, in
a voice that must have penetrated to
the remotest cabin in the valley.
Suddenly she snatched rifle off the |
wall and backed away, her strong |
hands fumbling at the lever. And she |
jerked it down, throwing a shell into
the chamber and cooking the weapon,
Duane leaped upon her. He struck up |
the rifle as it went off, the powder
burning his face.
"Jennie, run out Get ON horsep
he said.
Jennie flashed out or the door.
With an iron grasp Duane held to
the rif1e-barrel. He had grasped it
with his left hand, and he gave such
a pull that he swung the crazed wo-
man off the floor. But he could not
loose her grip. She was as strong as
ne.
"Kate! Let gop
He tried to intimidate her. She did
not see his gun thrust in her face, or
reason had given way to such an
,1tent to passion that she did not care.
She cursed. Her husband had used
he same curses, and from her lips
hey seemed strange, unsexed, more
leadly. Like tigress she fought him;
Ter face no longer resembled a wo-
mans.
He heard a cry from outside-a
mans cry, hoarse and alarming.
1t made him think Of loss of time.
This demon Of a woman might yet
lock his plan.
LET go!' he whispered, and felt |
lis lips stiff. In the grimness of that
Instant he relaxed his hold on the /
ifie-barrel.
With sudden, redoubled, irresistible S
trength she wrenched the rifle down S
nd discharged it. Duane felt blow S
"a shock-a burning agony tearing
trough his breast. Then in frenzy a
e jerked so powerfully upon the rifle a
nat he threw the woman against the v
rall. She fell and seemed stunned.
Duane leaped back, whirled, flew i"
ut of the door on the porch. The r
harp cracking OF gun halted him. il
.e saw Jennie holding to the bride II
I his bay horse. Euchre was astride r
lie other, and he had Colt leveled, W
i'd he was firing down the lane. Then II
lme single shot, heavier, and tt
uchre's ceased. He fell from the
)rse. h
A swift glance back showed to Duane Sc
man coming down the lane. Chess hi
lloway! His gun was smoking. He tt
'oke into q run. Then in an instant til
saw Duane and tried to check his til