The Benson signal., 1916-11-18
CHAPTER X-Continued.

Buck and Jennie are sitting in the
wilderness cabin discussing their fu-
ture.
"pve been brought up in Texas.
remember what hard lot the men OF
my family had. But poor as they
were, they had roof over their heads,
q hearth with a fire, a warm bed
somebody to love them. And you,
Duane-oh, my God! What must your
life be? You must ride and hide and
watch eternally."
She ended with a sob and dropped
her head on her knees. Duane was
amazed, deeply touched.
'My girl, thank you for that thought
o. me-" he said, with tremor in his
voice. 'You don't know how much
that means to me-"
She raised her face, and it was tear
stained, eloquent, beautiful.
"Tve heard tell-the best of men
go to the bad out there. You won't
Promise me you won't. never
knew any man-like you. Live
may never see each other again-after
to-day. I'll never forget you. I'll pray
for you, and I'll never give up trying
to-to do something. Don't despair
It's never too late. It was my hope
that kept me alive-out there at
Bland's-before you came. I was only
a poor weak girl. But if could hope
so can you. Stay away from men,
BE a lone wolf. Fight for your life
Stick out your exile-and maybe
some day"
Then she lost her voice. Duane
claspeG her hand and with feeling as
deep as hers promised to remember
her words. In her despair for him she
had spoken wisdom-pointed out the
only course.
Duanes vigilance, mOmentarily
broken by emotion, had no sooner re-
asserted itself than he discovered the
bay horse, the one Jennie rode, had
broken his halter and gone off. The
soft wet earth had deadened the sound
of his hoofs. His tracks were plain
in the mud.
Duane did not want to leave Jennie
alone in the cabin so near the road
So he put her on his horse and bade
her follow. The rain had ceased for
the time being, though evidently the
storm was not yet over. The tracks
led up a wash to wide fiat where
mesquite, prickly pear, and thorn-bush
grew so thickly that Jennie could not
ride into it. He could not expect he1
to scramble quickly through that brake
ON foot. Therefore he decided to risk
leaving her at the edge of the thicke1
and go in alone.
As he went in a sound startled him
Was it the breaking of a branch he
had stepped on or thrust aside? He
heard the impatient pound of his
horses hoofs. Then all was quiet
Still he listened, not wholly satisfied
He was never satisfied in regard te
safety; he knew too well that there
never could be safety for him in this
country. Certain he was now that
some kind Of danger threatened.
Suddenly there came an unmistak
able thump of horses hoofs off some
where to the fore. Then a scream rent
the air. 1t ended abruptly. Duane
leaped forward, tore his way through
the thorny brake. He heard Jennie
cry again-an appealing call quickly
hushed. It seemed more to his right
and he plunged that way. He burst
into glade where smoldering fire
and ground covered with footprints
and tracks showed that campers hao
lately been. Rushing across this, he
broke his passage out to the open
But he was too late. His horse hae
disappeared. Jennie was gone. There
were no riders in sight. There was nc
sound. There was heavy trail o1
horses going north. Jennie had beer
carried off-probably by outlaws
Duane realized that pursuit was ou
Of the Question-that Jennie was lost