The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1916-09-21

1 grabbed his gun an got the drop on
him."
What the cowboy thought Of this
was expressed in laugh. His mates
likewise grinned broadly. Then the
leader turned to Duane.
stranger, I reckon you'd better
speak up for yourself" he said.
That stilled the crowd as no COM
mand had done. "I'm Buck Duane,
all right" said Duane, quietly. ut was
this way"
The big cowboy seemed to vibrate
with a shock. All the ruddy warmth
left his face; his jaw began to bulge;
the corded veins in his neck stood out
in knots. In an instant he had hard,
stern, strange look. He shot out a
powerful hand that fastened in the
front of Duanes blouse.
"Somethin' queer here. But If
you're Duane you're sure in bad. Any
fool ought to know that. You mean
1t, then?"
"Tm Duane; yes. But 1 won't stand
for the blame of things I never did.
That's why I'm here. 1 saw that pla-
card out there offering the reward.
Until now I never was within half a
days ride of this town. I'm blamed
for what I never did. rode in here,
told who I was, asked somebody to
send for jeff Aiken"
can then you set down an let this
old guy throw your own gun on your
queried the cowboy in amazement.
81 guess that's it," replied Duane.
"Well, it's powerful strange, if you're
really Buck Duane what do you want
to see Aiken fOr?"
81 wanted to face him, to tell him |
never harmed his wife,"
Suppose we send for Aiken an be
hears you an doesn't believe you;
what then%
eff he won't believe newly, then
my cases so bad-Pd be better or
dead"
A momentary silence was broken BY
Sibert.
eff this isn't a queer deal! Boys,
reckon we'd better send for jeff
Somebody went fer him. He'll Re
comm soon," replied man.
Duane stood a head taller than that
circle Of curious faces. He gazed out
above and beyond them. 1t was in THIS
way that he CHANGED to see number
Of women on the outskirts Of the
crowd. Some were old, with hard
faces. like the men. Some were yourG
and comely, and most Of these seemed
agitated by excitement or distress.
They cast fearful, plying glances up
on Duane as he stood there with th6t
moose around his neck. Women were
more human than men, Duane thought.
He met eyes that dilated seemed
fascinated at his gaze, but were not
averted. 1t was the old women who
were voluble, loud in expression of
their feelings.
"Thar comes jeff Aiken now," called
a man, loudly.
The crowd shifted and trampled in
eagerness.
Duane saw two men coming fast,
one of whom, in the lead, was of stall
wart build. He had a gun In his hand,
and his manner was that Of fierce en-
ergy.
The cowboy Sibert thrust open the
jostling circle of men.
"Hold on, jeff" he called, and he
blocked the man with the gun. He
spoke so low Duane could not hear
what he said, and his form hid Aiken's
face. At that juncture the crowd
spread out, closed in, and Aiken and
Sibert were caught in the circle. There
was a pushing forward, a pressing Of
many bodies, hoarse cries and flinging
hands-again the insane tumult was
about to break out-the demand for
an outlaws blood, the call for :. wild
Justice executed thousand times be-
fore on Texas bloody soil.
Sibert beloved at the dark en-
croaching mass. The cowboys with
him beat and cuffed in vain.
"Jeff, will you listen?'' broke in ST.
bert, hurriedly, his hands on the other
mans arm.
Aiken nodded coolly. Duane, who
had seen many men In perfect control
OF themselves under circumstances like