Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-10-05
CHAPTER xx11.-(contlnued.)

Garh wall OF rock. Every nerve was a
strung wire. t'or a little while his mind
was cllttered and chopped with whirl-
ing thoughts. from which, like a flash
ing scroll, unrolled the long. battling
order of action. The game was now in
his hands. He must cross Mount Ord
at night. The feat was improbable, but
it might be lone. He must ride into
Bradford, 40 miles from the foothills,
before 8 o'clock next morning. He must
telegraph MacNelly to be in Val Verde
on the 25th. He must ride back to Ord,
to intercept Knell, face him, be de-
nounced. kill him, and while the iron
was hot strike hard to win Posgin's
half-won interest as he had wholly won
Fletcner's. Failing hat last. he must
let the outlaws alone to bide their time
in Ord, to be free to ride on to their
new Job in Va Verde. In the mean time
he must plan to arrest LongStreth. III
was a magnificent outline, incredible,
%alluring. unfathomable in its nameless
certainty. He felt like fate. He seemed
to be the iron consequences falllng upon
these doomed outlaws.
Under the wall the shadows were
black, only the tips of trees and crags
showing, yet he went straight to the
trail. 1t was merely II grayness I'VE
borders of black. He climbed and V
stopped. 1t did not seem steep. Ills rect
hight have had eyes. He surmounted
the wall, and, looking down into the
ebony gulf pierced by n point of light,
he lifted a menacing arm and shook ".
Then he strobe on and did not falter till
he reached the huge shelving cliffs.
Here he lost the trail; there was none;
but he remembered the shapes, the
points. the notches of rock above. Be
fore he reached the ruins of splintered
and jumbleS of broken walls
the moon topped the eastern slope OF
the mountain, and h myetifying
blackness he had dreaded changed to
magic silver light. 1t seemed as hght as
day. only soft, mellow, and the air held
q transparent sheen. He ran up the bare
ridges and down the smooth slopes, and,
like a goat, jumped from rock to rock.
In the light he knew his way and lost
no time looking for a trail. He crossed
the divide and then q all down mn
before him. Swiftly he descended, AZ
most always sure of his m of the
landmarks. He did not remember hay
ing studied them in the ascent, yet here
they were, even in changed light, ia
miliar to his sight. What he had once
seen was pictured on his mind. And,
true as a deer striking for home, he
reached the canon where he had lett
his horse.
Bullet was quickly and easily found.
Duane threw on the saddle and pack,
cinched them tight, and resumed his
descent. The worst wac now to come.
Bare downward steps in rock. sliding,
weathered slopes, narrow black gullles,
1000 openings in u maze of broken
stone-thesc Duane had to descend in
fast time, leading Il giant of a horse.
Bullet cracked the loose fragments,
sent them rolling, sliding on the scaly
| slopes, plunged down the sleeps, fol-
lowed like a faithful dog at Duane's
heels.
Hours passed as moments. Duane was
equal to his greatest opportunity. But
he could not quell that self in him
which reached back Yer the lapse OF
lonely, soaring years and found the boy
In him. He who had been worse than
dead was now grasping at the skirts OF
life-which meant victory, honor, hap
piness. Duane knew he was not just
right in part of his mind. Small Won
der that he was not insane, he thought!
He tramped on downward, his marvel
GUS faculty for covering rough ground
and holding to the true course never
before even in flight so keen and acute.
Yet all the time a spirit was keeping
step with him. Thought of Ray Long
streth as he had left her made him
weak. But now, With the game clear to
it's end, with the trap to spring, with
success strangely haunting him, Duane
could not dispel memory of her. He saw
| her white face, with its sweet sad lips
~ the dark eyes so tender and tragic.
NJ iii tAk ttAANl ASh tAAs
toll were nothing.
Tho moon sloped to the west.
Shadows of trees and crags now crossed
to the other side of him. The stars dim
mod. Then he was ont of the rocks: with
the dim trail pale at his feet. Mounting
Bullet, he made short work of the long
slope and the foothills and the rolling
land leading down to Ord. TIE little
outlaw camp, with it's shacks and
| cabins and row OF houses, lay silent and
| dark under the paling naoon. Duane
passed by on the lower trail, headed
into the road, and put Bullet to a gallop
He watched the dying moon, the wan
ing stars. and the east. He had time 50
spare, so he saved the morse. KneI
would be leaving the rendezvous abou,
the time Duane turned back toward
Ord. Between noon and sunset they
would meet.
The night wore on. The moon sanK
behind low mountains in the west. The
stars frightened for Il while, then faded
Gray gloom enyeloped the world, thick
ened, lay like smoke I've the road
Then shade by shade it lightened, until
through The transparent obscurity
shone IA dim light.
Duane reached Bradford before dawn
He ~disrlounted some distance from the
tracks, tied his horse, and then crossse
e TO the station. He heard the click
Ing of the telegraph Instruments
mud 1t thrilled him. The operator
sat inside reading. When Duane
tapped on the window he looked vi
with startled glance, then went swiftly
to unlock the door.
Hello. Give me p and pencil
Quick" whispered Duane.
With trembling hands xne operate,
complied. Duane wrote out the mes.
sage he had carefully composed.
Send ~this-repeat 1t to make sure
then keep mum. I'll see you again
Good-by."
The operator started. but did no,
.rpeak a word.
Duane left as stealthily and swiftly
as he had come. He walked his horse
a couple OF miles back on the road AND
then rested him till break OF day. The
east began to redden, Duane turned
grimly. In the direction Of Ord.
When Duane swung into the wide
grassy square on the outskirts OF Ore
nc saw s. bunch OF sadaled horses
hitclled In front OF the tavern. He
Knew what that meant. Luck still
favored llira. II 1t would only hold;
sBut he could ask no more. The res
q matterSof how greatly he coulS
make his power felt. An open contiic,
|sngainstS odds IaytnSthe balance. Tina