Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-07-26

the brush beyond. Heated now and
thoroughly terrorized. he kept the pace
through thickets that almost tore
Duane from his saddle. Something
weighty and grim eased off Duane. He
was going to get out in front! The
horse had speed, fire, stamina
Duane dashed out into mother open
place dotted by few trees, and here,
right In his path. within pistol range,
stood horsemen waiting. They yelled,
they .ipurred toward him, but did not
fire at him. He turned his horse
faced to the right. Only n thing kept
him from standing his ground to fight
1T out. He remembered those dangling
limp figures hanging from the cotton
woods. These ranchers would rather
hang an outlaw than do anything. They
might draw all his fire and then cap
ture him. His horror of hanging was so
great as to be all out of proportion
compared to his gun fighters instinct
OF self preservation.
A race began then. a dusty, crashing
drive through gray mesquite. Duane
could scarcely see, he was so blinded
by singing branches across his eyes.
The hollow wind roared in his ears.
But they must have been close. Did
they shoot at him? He imagined he
heard shots. But that might have been
the cracking OF dead snags. His left
AA'9 I'M INV ooClcSSS nv
handled the rein with his right; and
most of the time he hung low over the
pommel. The gray walls flashing by
him. the whip OF twigs. the rush of
wind, the heavy, rapid pound of hoofs,
the violent motion of his horse--these
sweat in his eyes the rack of his
wound the cold, sick cramp in his
stomach. With these also was dull,
raging fury. He had to run when he
wanted to fight. Ii took all his mind to
force back that bitter hate of himself,
of his pursuers. of this race for his
useless life.
Suddenly he burst out of a line of
mesquite n the road. A long stretch
of lonely road! How fiercely, with hot,
strange joy. he wheeled his horse upon
it! Then he was sweeping along. sure
now that he was out in front. His
horse still had strength INC speed, but
showed signs of breaking. Presently
Duane looked back. Pursuers-he could
count how many-were Looping along
In his rear. He paid no more attention
to them, and with teeth set he faced
ahead. grimmer now in his determine
alton to foil them.
He passed a few scattered ranch
houses where horses whistled from cor
rails. and men curiously watched him
fly past. He saw n rancher running,
and he felt %intuitively that this fellow
was going to join in the chase. Duane's
steed pounded on, not noticeably
slower. but with a lack of former
with a strained. convul-
sive. jerking stride which showed he
was almost done.
Sight of the village ahead surprised
Duane. He had reached it ooner than
he expected. Then he made a discov-
had entered the zone of wire
fences. AS he dared not turn back
now. ne kept on. intending to ride
through the village. Looking back
half a mile distant, too far to alarm
any villagers in time to intercept hlm
in his flight. AS he rode by the first
houses his horse broke and began to
labor. Duane did not believe he would
last long enough to go through the
village.
Saddled horses in front of a store
new, and n he had carried out sue
cessfully before. AS he pulled in his
heaving mount and leaped off, q couple
ranchers came out of the place, and
one of them stepped to a clear limbed.
llery bay. He was about to get into his
when he saw Duane. n then
halted. Il foot in the stirrup.
Duane stored forward, grasped the
bride of this mans horse.
Mines done-but not killed. he
painted. Trade with me-"
wal stranger. I'm shore always
rcady to trade drawled the man. But
amt you Il little swift"
Duane glanced back up the road. His
puriuers We're entering the village.
I'm Duane-Buck Duane," he cried
will you trade? Hurry!"
n rancher. turning white, dropped
ms foot from the stirrup n fell back.
Il reckon I'll trade" he said.
Bounding UP. Duane dug spurs into
the bays TANKS The horse snorted in
fright, plunged into a run. lie was
Iresh, swift, half wild. Duane flashed
by the remaining houses on the street
out into the open. But the road ended
at the village OF else led out from
some other quarter. for he had ridden
stlalght into the fields and from them
rough desert. When he reached
the W. of mesquite once more he
looked back to find six horsemen with
In riflc-shot of him. n more coming
behind them.
Ills new horse had not had time to
get warm before Duane reached a high
sandy bluff below which lay the willow
brakes. AS far as he could see ex-
tended an immense flat strip of red
tlnged willow. How welcome it was to
his eye! He. felt like a hunted wolf
that, and lame. had reached his
role In the rocks. Zigzagging down the
soft slope. he put the bay to the dense
of leaf and branch. But the horse
baked.
There was little time to lose. Dis
mounting. he dragged he. stubborn
beast II the thicket. This a harder
II slower work than Duane cared to
risk. II he had not been rushed he
might a had better success. So he
had to abandon the horse-a circum-
stance tina only such sore straits could
have driven him to. Then he went
Slipping swiftly through the narrow
aisles.
He had not gotten under cover any
too soon. For he heard his pursuers
piling over the bluff. loud voiced, con-
ftdent, brutal. They crashed into the