The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-08-03

fury OF such moments he wanted to
give back shot for shot. But he slipped
on through the willows and at length
the rifles ceased to crack.
He sheered TO the left again, in line
with the rocky barrier. and kept OH.
wondering what the next mile would
bring. II brought worse for he was
seen by sharp eyed scouts. and a hot
fusillade drove him to run for his life,
luckily 10 escape with no more than a
bullet creased shoulder.
Later that day. still undaunted, he
sheered again toward the trap wall,
and found that the nearer he APP
preached to the place where he had
come down into the brake the greater
his danger. To attempt to run the
blockade OF that train by day would
be fatal. He waited for night, AMI
after the brightness OF the fires had
some what lessened he essayed to
creep out Of the brake. He succeeded
in reaching the foot OF the bluff, here
only a bank, and had begun to crawl
stealthily up under cover OF a shadow
when a hound again betrayed his po-
sition. ReLreating to the willows was
as perilous a task as had ever con-
fronted Duane: and when he had ac-
complished IL. right under what
seemed 100 blazing rifles, he felt that
he had, indeed been favored by provi-
dence. This time men followed him
a goodly ways into the brake, and She
ripping OF lead through the willows
sounded on all sides of him.
When the noise OF pursuit ceased
Duane sat down in the darkness, his
mind clamped between two things
whether to try again to escape or wait
Tor possible opportunity. He seemed
incapable OF decision. His intelligence
told him that every hour lessened his
chances for escape. He had little
enough chance In any case, and that
was what made another attempt so
desperately hard. StiIl IL was not love
or life that bound him. There would
come an hour, sooner or later, when
he would wrench decision out of this
chaos OF emotion and thought. But
that time was not yet.
When he had remained quiet long
enough to cool off and recover from
his run he found that he was tired. He
stretched out to rest. But the swarms
OF vicious mosquitoes prevented sleep.
This corner Of the brake was low and
near the river, breeding ground for
the blood-suckers. They sang and
hummed and whined around him in an
ever increasing horde. He covered his
head and hands with his coat and lay
there patiently. That was a long and
wretched night. Morning found him
still strong physically, but in a dread
full state OF mind.
First he hurried for the river. He
could Withstand the pangs OF hunger,
but II was imperative to quench thirst.
His wound made him feVerish, and
therefore more than usually hot and
thirsty. Again he was refreshed. That
morning he was hard put to IL to hold
himself back from attempting to cross
the river. If he could find light log
1t was within the bounds of possibility
that he might ford the shallow water
and bars of quicksand. But not yet!
Yearly, doggedly he faced about tow
ard the bluff.
All that day and all that night, all
the next day and all the next night, he
stole like a hunted savage from river
to bluff; and every hour forced upon
him the bitter certainty that he was
trapped, ... ...
Duane lost track Of days, of events.
He had come to an evil pass. Their ar
rived an hour when, closely pressed by
pursuers at the extreme southern cor
ner of the brake, he took to a dense
thicket of willows, driven to what he
believed was his last stand.
If only these human bloodhouds
would swiftly close in Oh aim! Let
him fight to the last bitter gasp and
have it over! But these hunters, eager
as they were to get him, had care Of
their own skins. They took few risks.
They had him cornered.
1t was the middle of the day. hot,
dusty, oppressive, threatening storm.
Like a snake Duane crawled into a
little space in the darkest part of the
thicket and lay still. Men had cut him
off from the bluff, from the river,
seemingly from all sides. But he heard
voices only from in front and toward
his left. Even If his passage to the
river had not been blocked, 1t might
just as well have been.
Come on fellers--down hyar," called
one man from the bluff.
Got him corralled at last" shouted
another.
Reckon We needn't be too shore. We
thought tibet more'n one" tainted an
=, Il seen him, tell you"
Jaw, tibet was a deer"
But, Bill found fresh tracks an
blood on the willows"
IF he's winged we needn't hurry"
Hold on thar, you boys" came a
shout in authoritative tones from far
ther up the bluff. 60 slow. You all
air gittin' foolish at the end of a long
chase" ".
.Thet's right, colonel. Hold 'em
back. There's nothin' shorer than some
body'll be stoppin' lead pretty quick.
He'll be huntin' US soon!"
LEU thlS SOlllCl ell NC
him out"
Fire the brake"
How clearly all this talk pierced
Duane's ears! In 1t he seemed to hear
his doom. This, then was the end he
had always expected, which had been
close to him before, yet never like
now.
by God" whispered Duane, the
thing for me to do now--is go out
meet them!"
That was prompted by the fighting.
the killing instinct in him. In that mo-
ment it had almost superhuman pow
err If he must die, that was the way
for him to die. What else could be
expected of Buck Duane? He got to his
knees and drew his gun. With his
swollen and almost useless hand he
held what spare ammunition he had
left. He ought to creep out noiselessly
to the edge of the willows, suddenly
face his pursuers, then. while there was
a beat left in his heart, kill, kill, kill.
These men all had rifles. The fight
would be short. But the marksmen did
not live on earth who could make such
fight go wholly against him. Con-
fronting them suddenly he could kill a
man for every shot in his gun.