The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1916-09-28

want to get closer to tnat cabin What
had he taken this arduous climb for ?
| He held back, however trying to evolve
| further plans.
While he was bordering the shadows
quickly gathered and darkencd. If he
J was 10 go back to camp he must set out
at once. Sun he fingered. And suddenly
| his wide rowing eye caught sight of two
| horsemen riding up the valley. They
must nave entered at 4 point below,
! round the huge abutment of rock, be-
You'd Duane's range of sight. Their
| horses We're tired and stopped at the
stream for q long drink.
| Duane left his perch, took to the steep
! trall. ana descended as fast a he could
without making noise.
1t did not take him long to reach the
valley floor. Ii was almost level, with
J deep grass, and here and there clumps
of bushes. Twilight was already thick
| down there. Duane marked the loca-
ton OF the train, and then began to slip
! like Il shadow through the grass and
| from bush to bush. lie saw a bright
! light before he made out the dark out
line of the ca5in. Then ne heard voices
! a merry Whistle, coarse song, and the
clink of iron cooking utensils. He
smelled fragrant wood smoke He saw
| moving dark figures cross the light
/ Evidently there was a wide door, or
! else the fire was out in the open.
| Duane SwerVed to the lett, out of
direct line with the light and thus was
| able to see better. Then he advanced
noiselessly but swiftly toward the back
! OF the house. There We're trees close
| to the wall, He would make no noise,
/ and he could scarcely be seen-if only
/ there was no watch dog! But all his
| outlaw days he had taken risks with
only his useless life at stake; now with
hn 11 ST.
and bold as an Indian. He coached the
! cover of the trees, knew he was hidden
in their shadows, for at a few PAGES
/ distance he had been able to see only
! their tops. From there he slipped up
! to the house and felt along a wall with
/ his hands.
He came to a little window where
light shone through. He peeped in. He
SAW a room shrouded in shadows, a
| lamp turned low, a table, chairs. He
| saw an open door, with bright flare
| beyond. but could not see the fire
| Voices came indistinctly. Without hes
itation Duane stole farther along-all
! the way to the end of the cabin Peep
! Ing round, he saw only the flare of
/ light on bare ground. Retracing his
! cautions steps, he paused at the crack
again, saw that no man was in the
/ room, and then he went on round that
/ end OF the cabin. Fortune favored him.
There We're bushes, an old shed, a wood
! pie, ali the cover he needed at that
corner. He did not even need to crawl.
Before he peered between the rough
1 corner of wall and the bush growing
close TO 1t Duane paused a moment
| This excitement was different from
| that he had always felt when pursued
1t had no bitterness, no pain, no dread.
! There was as much danger here, per-
maps more, Yet 1t was not the same
Then he looked.
He saw a bright fire, a red faced
man bending over it, whistline. while
he handled a steaming pot. Over him
was rooted shed built against the
wall, with two open sides and two sup
! porting posts. Duane's second glance
not so blinded by the sudden bright
| light, made out other men, three in
| the shadow. two in the flare, but with
backs to him.
It's a smoother trail by long Odds
/ but amt so short as this one right over
1 the mountain one outlaw was saving
What's eatin' you, Panhandle p"
| calculated another. Blossom an me
rode from PARKWAY Springs, where
/ PogSin is with some Of the gang"
Excuse me, Phil. Shore 1 didn't see
you come in, an Boldt never said
nothin'"
1T took you a long time to get here
but l guess that's just as WELL" spoke
up a smooth, suave voice with a ring
Longstreths voice Cheseldines
voice
Here they were-Cheseldine, Phil
knen, Blossom Kane, Panhandle
Smith, Boldt-how we'll Duane remem-
bered the names!-all here, the big
men OF Gheseldine's sang, except the
| blggest-Poggin Duane had holed
them, and his sensations of the mo-
ment deadened sight and sound of what
was before him. He sank down, con-
trolled himself, silenced q mounting
eNultation, then from a less strained
position he peered forth again
The outlaws We're waiting for sup
per. Their conversation might have
been that of cowboys in camp, ranch
ers at a roundup. Duane listened with
eager ears, waiting for the business
talk that he felt would come All the
time ne watched with the eyes Of a
wolf upon it's quarry. Blossom Kane
was the lean limbed messenger who
had SO angered Fletcher Boldt was O.
giant in stature, dark, bearded silent
Panhandle Smith was the red faced
COOK, merry, profane, a short, bow
legged man resembling many rustlers
Duane had known, particularly Luke
Stevens. And Knell, who sat there,
tall. slim, like a boy in build, like
boy in years. with his pale, smooth.
expressionless face and his cold, gray
| eyes And Longstreth who leaned
AGAINST the wall, handsome, with his
dark face and beard like an aristocrat,
resembled many rich Louisiana plant
er Duane had met. The sixth nsen sat
so much in the shadow that he could
not be plainly discerned, and though
addressed. his name was not men
toned.
Panhandle Smith carried pots and
pans into the cabin and cheerfully
called out IF you gents air hungry
fer grub don't look fer me to feed you
with a spoon"
The outlaws piled inside, made a
great hustle and clatter as they sat to
their meal. Like hungry men, they
talked little.
Duane waited there awhile, then
guardedly got up and crept round to
the other side of the cabin After he
became used to the dark again he ven
| tured to steal along the wall to the
window and peeped in. The outlaws
were in the first room and could not
be seen.
Duane waited. The moments dragged
endlessly. His heart pounded Long
| streth entered turned up the light. and
taking a box of cigars from the table
| he carried it out
Here, you fellows. SO outside and
en- l.op H,n e-oirI