The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-08-17
CHAPTER xxIv.-(Continued.)

but haven't heard lately"
Duane averted his face a moment,
hesitated until the swelling left his
throat, and then said: It's worth what
I went through today to hear that"
IT can imagine how you feel about
It. When l was in the war-but let's
get down to the business Of this meet
Ing"
He pulled his chair close to Duane's.
you've had word more than once in
tie last two years that l wanted to
see your"
'"Three times, I remember" replied
Duane.
why didn't you hunt me up?"
IT supposed you imagined me one OF
those gunfighters who couldn't take a
dare and expected me to ride up to
your camp and be arrested"
THAT was natural, l suppose" went
on MacNelly. You didn't know me,
otherwise you would have come. I've
been a long time getting to you. But
the nature of my job. as far as you're
concerned, made me cautious. Duane,
you're aware of the hard name you bear
all over the southwest"
''Once in a while I'm Jared into re-
alizing," replied Duane.
It's the hardest, barring Muir
reli and Cheseldine, on the Tex
as border. But there's this difference:
me III las o"9 "SS
deserve his infamous name. Chesel-
dine in his day also. But I've found
hundreds of men in southwest Texas
who're your friends, who swear you
never committed a crime. h farther
south ! get the clearer this becomes.
What l want to know is h truth.
Have you ever done anything crimi-
nal? Tell me the truth, Duane. 1t
won't make any difference in my plan.
And when | say crime l mean Wha l
would call crime, or any reasonable
Texan" ..
''That way my hands are clean, re-
piled Duane.
you never held up a man, robbed
d store for grub, sole a horse when
you needed him bad-never anything
like that?"
Somehow l always kept out Of that,
5ust when pressed the hardest"
Duane, I'm damn gladl" MacNelly
exclaimed, gripping Duane's hand.
"Glad for your mothers sake! But, all
h same, in spite of this, you are a
Texas outlaw accountable to the state.
You're perfectly aware that under ex-
listing circumstances, if you fell n the
hands Of the law, you'd probably hang,
at least go to Jail for a long term"
That's what kept me on the dodge
all these years." replied Duane.
certainly" MacNelly removed his
ClRdT. Ills eyes fdIIOWeu anu BllklCl GU.
The muscles along his brown cheeks
set hard and tense. He leaned closer
TO Duane, laid sinewy, pressing fingers
upon Duane's knee.
Listen to this" he whispered,
hoarsely. IF / place a pardon in your
handmade you a free, honest citizen
once more, clear your name of infamy,
make your mother, your sister proud
OF you-will o swear yourself to a
service, any service l demand of your"
Duane sat stock still, stunned.
Slowly, more persuasively, with show
OF earnest agitation, Captain MacNelly
reiterated his startling query.
my Cod" burst from Duane.
whats this?. MacNelly, you can't be
In earnest"
Never more so in my life. I've a
deep game. I'm playing it square.
What do you say?"
He rose to his feet. Duane, as If
impeil2d, rose with him. Ranger and
outlaw then locked eyes that searched
each others souls. In MacNelly's
Duane read truth, strong, fiery purpose,
hope, even gladness, and a fugitive
mounting assurance of victory.
Twice Duane ~endeavored to speak,
failed of all ave a hoarse, incoherent
sound, until, forcing back a flood Of
speech, he found voice.
Amy service? Every service! Mac
Nelly, / give my word" said Duane.
A light played Eel MacNelly's face,
hpld out his hand. Duane met it with
lis in q clasp that men unconsciously
give in moments of stress.
When they unclaSped and Duane
stepped back to drop into a chair Mac
Nelly fumbled for another cigar-he
had bitten the other into shreds-and,
lighting 1t as before, he turned to his
rrt,sNAn ,nnxxy cir aaI nAN L. ha1
the look of a man who had justly won
something at considerable cost. His
mex move was to TAX a long leather
case from his pocket and extract from
1t several folded papers. r
Here's your pardon from the gov
ernor," he said, quietly. You'll see,
when you look it over. that it's condi-
tional. When you sign this paper I
have here the condition will be met"
He smoothed out the paper, handed
Duane a pen, ran his forefinger along
q dotted line. " "
Duane's hand was shaky. Years had
passed since he had held a pen. 1t
was with difficulty that he achieved
his signature. Buckley Duane-how
strange the name looked!
fright here ends the career of Buck
Duane, outlaw and gun fighter" said
MacNelly; and, seating himself, he
took the pen from Duane's fingers and
wrote several lines in several places
upon the paper. Then with a smile he
handed 1t to Duane.
"That makes you a member Of Com
pany A, Texas rangers"
$50 that's tit" burst out Duane, a
light breaking in upon his bewilder-
ment. You want me for ranger SER
vice." pc
'sure. That's it," replied the cap
tain dryly. NOW to hear what that
service is to be. I've been a busy man
since / took this job, and, as you may
have heard, I've done a few things. !
don't mind telling you that political
Influence put me in here and that up
Austin way there's a good deal Of fric-
tion in the department of state in re-
gard to whether or not the ranger SER
vice is any good-whether 1t should be
discontinued or not. I'm on the party
side who's defending the range SER
vice. / contend hat it's made Texas
habitable. Well, it's been III to me to
produce results. So far / have been
successful. My great ambition is to
break up the outlaw gangs along the
river. / have never ventured in there
yet because I've been waiting to get
the lieutenant / needed. You, of course,
are the man I had in mind. It's my
idea to start way up the Rio Grande