The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-07-27
CHAPTER XII (Continued).


dark. Something strange about this,
Duane. But MacNelly's a new man
out here. He does some queer things.
Perhaps he's getting a swelled head.
Well, whatever his Intentions, his pres
ence around Mercer is enough for US.
Duane, you hit the road and put some
miles between you and the amiable
captain before daylight. Tomorrow I'll
go out there and ask him what in the
devil he meant"
That messenger he sent--he was q
ranger" said Duane.
Sure he was, and q nervy one! 1t
must have taken sand to come bracing
you that way. Duane, the fellow didn't
pack a gun. I'll swear to that. Pretty
odd, this trick. But you can't trust It.
Hit the road, Duane"
A little later a black horse, with muf-
fled hoOfs, bearing tall, dark rider
who peered keenly into every shadow,
trorted down pasture lane back or
Jones house, turned into the road, and
then, breaking into swifter gait. rapidly
left Mercer behind.
Fifteen or 20 miles out Duane drew
rein in forest OF mesquite, dismount-
ed, and searched about for a glade with
little grass. Here he staked his horse
on long lariat; and, using his saddle
for a pillow, his saddle blanket for COW
ering, he went to sleep.
working south. During the next few
days he paid brief visits to several viii
lagos that lay in his path. And in
each, some one particular friend had
piece Of news to impart that made Du-
ane profoundly thoughtful. A ranger
had made quiet, unobtrusive call up
on these friends and left this message:
Tell Buck Duane to ride into Captain
MacNelly's camp some time after
night.
Duane concluded, and his friends all
agreed with him, that the new rang
er's main purpose in the Nueces coun-
try was to capture or kill Buck Duane,
and that this message was simply an
original and striking ruse, the daring
of which might appeal to certain out
laws.
But 1t did not appeal to Duane. His
curiosity was aroused; 1t did not, how
ever, tempt him to do any foolhardy
act. He turned southwest and rode 100
miles until he again reached the
sparsely settled country. Here he heard
no more OF rangers. 1t was barren
region he had never but once ridden
through, and that-ride had cost him
dearly. He had been compelled to shoot
his way out. Outlaws were not in ac-
cord with the few ranchers and their
cowpunchers who ranged there. He
learned that both outlaws and Mexican
raiders had long been at bitter enmity
with these ranchers. Being unfamiliar
with roads and trails. Duane had
pushed on into the heart OF this district,
when all the time he really believed
he was travelling around 1t. rifle
shot from q ranch house, deliberate
attempt to kill him because he was an
unknown rider in those parts, discov-
cred to Duane his mistake, and hard
ride to get away persuaded him to re-
turn to his old methods Of hiding by
day and travelling by night.
He got into rough country, rode for
three days without covering much
ground, but believed he was getting on
safer territory. Twice he came to a
wide bottom land, green with willow
and cottonwood and thick as chapar-
raj, somewhere through the middle Of
which ran a river he decided must be
the lower Nueces.
One evening, as he stole out from a
covert where he had camped, he saw
the lights of a village. He tried
to pass it on the left, but was
unable TO because the brakes Of
this bottom land extended In almost
TO the outskirts Of the village, and he
had to retrace his steps and go round
20 the right. Wire fences and horses in
pasture made this a task, so 1t was we'll
after midnight before he accomplished
It. He made 10 miles or more then by
daylight, and after that proceeded eau
tiously along a road which appeared to
be we'll worn from travel. He passed
several thickets where he would have
halted to hide during the day but for
the fact that he had to find water.
He was a long while coming to 1t, and
then there was no thicket or clump of
mesquite near the water-hole that
would afford him cover. So he kept on.
The country before him was ridgy
and began to show cottonwoods here
and there in the hollows and yucca and
mesquite on the higher ground. AS he
mounted ridge he noted that the road
made O sharp turn, and he could not
sec what was beyond It. He slowed up
and was making the turn, which was
down hill between high banks OF yellow
Cay, when his mettlesome horse heard
something to friGhten him or SHE'D at
something and bolted. 1
The few bounds before Duane's iron
arm checked him were enough to reach
the curve. One flashing glance showed
Duane the open once more, a little val
ley below with a wide, shallow, rocky
stream. clump OF cottonWoods beyond,
a SOmbcr group of men facing him. and
two dark, limp. strangely grotesQue
figures hanging from branches.
The sight was common enough in
southwest Texas, but Duane had never
before found himself so unpleasantly
Close.
y hoarsc voice pcaled out: "By hell
there's another one"
Stranger, ride down an account fer
yourself" yelled another. ..
Hands up"
"Thet's right, Jack; don't take no
chances. Plug him."
These remarks were so swiftly ut
tered as almost to be continuous. Duane
WAS wheeling his horse when a rifle
cracked. The bullet struck his left fore
arm and he thought broke 1t, for he
dropped the rein. The frightened horse
leaped. Another bullet whistled past
Duane. Then the bend in the road saved
him probably from certain death. Like
the wind his sleet steed went down the
long hill.
Duane was in TO hurry to look back.
He knew what to expect. His chief con-
Germ OF the moment was for his injured
arm. He found that the bones We're still
intact; but the wound, having been
made by q soft bullet, was an exceed
jngly bad one. Blood poured from It,.
Giving tue horse his head, Duane wound
his, scarf tightly round the holes, and
with teeth and hand tied 1t tightly That
done. he looked back over his shoulder
Riders were making the dust fly on
the hillside road, There were more COM