The Elbert County tribune., 1916-10-20

.of man, to be able to do that II
you have any such blood In you, never
give 1t chance"
what you say Is all very well,
uncle" returned Duane, ''but the only
way out for me Is to run, and won't
do it. Cal Balm and his outfit have
already made me look like a coward"
"Well. then. what're you goin' to
do?" inquired the elder man.
Il haven't decided-yet."
mo, but you're comm to 1t mighty
fast. That terrible spell is worlsin' in
you. You're gettin' cool an quiet,
an you think deep, an don't like the
light in your eye. 1t reminds me of
your father"
Il wonder what dad would say to
me today If he were alive and here"
said Duane.
| what do you think? What could
| you expect of man who never wore
glove on his right hand for twenty
years."
''Well, he'd hardly have said much.
Dad never talked. But he would have
done lot. And 1 guess I'll go down.
town and let Cal Balm find me-"
Then followed a long silence, dur
ing which Duane sat with downcast
eyes, and the uncle appeared lost in
sad thought of the future. Presently
he turned to Duane with an expression
that denoted resignation, and yet a
spirit which showed wherein they were
of the same blood.
you've got fast horse-the fast
est / know of in this country. After
you meet Balm hurry back home. I'll
have a saddlebag packed for you and
the horse ready"
With that be turned on his heel and
went into the house, leaving Duane
to revolve in his mind his singular
speech. That hour of Duane's life was
like years of actual living, and in 1t
he became a thoughtful man.
He went into the house and inspect
ed his belt aud gun. The gun was a
Colt AS. six-shot, and heavy, with an
ivory handle. He had packed 1t, on
and Off, for five years. Before that it
had been used by his father. There
We're a number of notches filed in the
bulge of the ivory handle. This gun
was the one his father had fred twice
after being shot through the heart,
and his hand had stiffened so tightly
upon 1T in the death-grip that his fin
gers had to be pried open. 1t had
never been drawn upon any man since
1t had come into Duane's possession.
But the cold, bright polish of the
weapon showed how 1t had been used.
Duane could draw it with inconceiv-
able rapidity, and at twenty feet he
could split card pointing edgewise
toward him.
Duane wished to avoid meeting his
| mother. Fortunately, as he thought,
she was away from home. He went
out and down the path toward the
gate. The air was full of the fra
GRANGE of blossoms and the melody of
birds. Outside in the road neighbor
woman stood talking to a countryman
in wagon; they spoke to him; and
he heard, but did not reply. Then he
began to stride down the road toward
the town.
Wellston was a small town, but i'm
portant In that unsettled part of the
great state because 1t was the trading
center of several hundred miles of ter
ritory. On the main street there were
perhaps fifty buildings, some brick,
some frame, mostly adobe, and one
third of the lot, and by far the most
prosperous. were saloons. Duane's eye
ranged down the street, taking in all
Mt glance. By the time he reached
Sol Whites place, which was the first
saloon. he was walking slowly. Sew
eral people spoke to him and turned
to look back after they had passed.
He paused at the door of Whites sa-
loon. took sharp survey of the inte-
rior, then stepped inside.
The saloon was large and cool, full
of men and noise and smoke. The
noise ceased upon his entrance, and
the silence ensuing presently broke to
the clinlS of Mexican silver dollars at
a monte table. All eyes except those
OF the Mexican gamblers We're turned
upon Duane. Several of the cowboys
and ranchers present exchanged
glnnces. Duane had been weighed by
unerring Texas instinct, by men who
all packed guns The boy was the
son of his father. Whereupon they
greeted him and returned to their
drinks and cards. Sol White stood
with his big. red hands out upon the
|
with long mustache waxed to sharp
points.
'Howdy, Buck" was his greeting to
Duane. He spoke carelessly and avert
ed his dark gaze for an instant.
"Howdy. SOL" replied Duane, slowly.
"Say. Sol. l hear there's gent In
town looking for me bad"
"Reckon there is, Buck" replied
White. "He came in heah aboot an
hour ago. Shore he was some riled
an a-roarin' for gore. Told me conf
| dential q certnin narty had rIyen xo,,