Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-07-12

mo-"
wv herc are the horses?"
Il keep them grazing down in a gorge
back of here. There's good grass and
water"
Have you slept any,"
"A little. Lately l couldn't keep
awake"
Good Lord. l should think not.
You've u a time or it sitting here day
and night nursing me, watching for the
outlaws. Come. tell me all about it,"
There's nothing much to tell"
Il want to know. anyway. just what
you did-how you felt"
II can't remember very WE'LL She re-
piled. simply. I'VE must have ridden
40 miles that day we got away. You
bled all the time. Toward evening you
lay on your horses neck. When we
came to this place you fell out of the
saddle. l dragged you in here and
stopped your bleeding. l thought you'd
had a little hope. 1 had forgotten the
horses. But luckily they didn't stray
far. 1 caught them and kept them down
in the gorge. When your Wounds closed
and o began to breathe stronger l
thought you'd get we'll quick. 1t was
eve that put you back. o raved a
lot, and that worried me, because 1
wv yOu. <Aily oOaJ OS
could ave heard you a good ways. 1
don't know whether l was scared most
then or when you We're quiet, and 1T
was so dark n lonely n still all
our Every day l put a stone in
your hat"
Jennie. you saved M life," said
Duane
Il don't know. Maybe. l did all I
how to do she replied. You
saved mine-mor than my life"
Their eyes met in a long gaze. and
then their hands in a close clasp.
Jennie were going to get away" he
said, with gladness. 'Ill be we'll in a
! am. Wen hide by day and travel
by night. 1 can get you across the
river"
And then?" she asked.
We'll find some honest rancher.''
And them" she persisted.
Why" he began. slowly. that's as
far as my thoughts ever got. 1t was
pretty hard. 1 tell you, to assure my
self of so much. 1t means your safety.
You'll tell your story. You'll be sent to
some village Or town and taken care of
until a relative or friend is notified"
And you?" she inquired, in a strange
voice.
Duane kept silent.
What will you do?' she went on.
Jennie, I'll go back to the brakes. 1
daren't show my face among respect
able people,. I'm an outlaw"
You're no criminal" she declared,
with deep passion.
Jennie. on this border the little diff
terence between an outlaw and a GRIM
tnal doesn't count for much.'
You won't go back among those ter
rible men? You. with your gentleness
and sweetness-all that's good about
you? Oh. Duane. don't-don't go!"
Il can't go back to the outlaws, al
a not Blande's band. No, I'll go
alone. I'll lone-wolf it, as they say On
the border. What else can i do.
Jennie?"
oh. l don't know. Couldn't you hide?
Couldn't you slip out of Texas-go far
away?"
II could never get out of Texas with
out being arrested. l could hide, but
a a must live. Never mind about
Jennie"
In three days Duane was able with
great difficulty to Mount his horse.
during daylight. by short relays, he
and Jennie o back to the main trail,
where they hid again till he had rested.
Then In the dark they ode out of the
canons and gullies of the Rim Rock,
and early in the morning halted at the
first water to camp.
From thai point they Travelled after
nightfall and went into hiding during
the day. Once across the Neuces river,
Daune was assured of safety for her
and great danger. for himself. They had
crossed into a country he did not know.
east of the river there were
scattered ranches. But he was as liable
TO i1nd the rancher in touch with the
outlaws as he was likely to find him
honest. Duane hoped his good fortune
would not desert MIN in this last serv-
Ice to Jennie. Next to the worry of
that was realization of his condition.
He mad gotten UP too soon; he had rid
den TOO far and hard, and now he felt
that any moment he might fall from
ms saddle. At last, far ahead over a
barren mesquite dotted stretch of dusty
ground. he espied a patch OF green and
a little flat, red lanch-house. He headed
ms morse for 1t and turned a face he
tried to make cheerful for Jennie's
sake. She seemed both happy and
sorry.
When near at hand he saw that the
rancher was a thrifty farmer. And
thrift spoke for honesty. There were
fields of alfalfa. fruit-trees, corrals.
pumps. irrigation bitches, ali
surrounding a neat little adobe house.
some children were playing in the yard.
Inc way they ran at sight Of Duane
limited OF both the loneliness and the
fear of their isolated lives. Duane saw
a woman come to the door. then a man.
The latter looked keenly, then stepped
outside. He was a sandy-haired,
freckled Texan.
"Howdy. stranger" he called, as
halted. Get down, you an your
woman. Say, now. air you sick or shot
or what? Let me"
Duane. Keeling in his saddle, bent
searching eyes upon the rancher. He
thought he saw good will, kindness,
honesty. He risked all on that one sharp
glance. Then he almost plunged from
the saddle.
The rancher caught him. helped him
to a bench.
martha, come out here!" he called.