Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-08-03
CHAPTER XII (continuea

as IL had been, Tie hounds would
soon close in on him, and he would Kill
them or drive them away. 1T was beyond
the bounds Of possibility that any men
could have followed running hounds
through tlat brake jim the night. The
Thing that worried Duane was the fact
Of h bonfi'es. lie had gathered from
tho words of one of his pursuers tina
the brake was n kind of trap, and he
began TO believe there was only one way
out OF il, and that was along the
sank where he mad entered, md where
obviously ali night long his pursuers
had kept fires burning. Further con-
lecture on this point, however, was IN
terrupted by a crashing in the willows
and the rapid patter of feet.
G~na|rncath Du2ne lay a gray, fogGy
o~bscrmity. He could not see the ground.
Nor amy object bat the black trunk of
The tree. Sight would not be needed to
tell hiln when the pack arrived. With
Il pattering rush through the willows
the hounds reached the tree; and then
high above crash of brush n thud of
heavy plWS rose y hideous clamor.
Duane's p%ursuers far off to the south
would hear tina and know what it
meant. And at daybre3ll, perhaps be-
fore, they would take a short cur across
the brake, guided by the baying of
houids that had freed their quarry.
1t wanted only Il few moments, how
sN'Ip ttbA tttit ol'l - AIi0
vagu forms of the hounds in the gray
shadow below. Still he waited. He had
no shots to sl~are. And he knew how to
treat bloodhounds. Gradually the OBJ
security hghtencd. and at length Duane
lad good enough sight of the bounds for
his purpose. His first shot killed the
huge brute leader of the pack. Then,
with unerring shots, he crippled several
others. That stopped the baying. Pierre
ing bowls arose. The pack toe fright
and fled. it's course easily marked by the
hoWls of the crippled members. Duane
reloaded his gun, and. making certain
all the hounds "a gone, he descended
to the ground and set off at a rapid
pace to the nOrthWard.
h mist had dissolved under a riS-
ing u when Duane made his first
halt some miles north of the scene
where lie had waited for the hounds
A barrier to further progress, in shape
Of Il precipitouS rocky buff, rose sheer
from the willow brake. He skirted the
base OF the cliff, where walking vas
comparatively easy, around in the di-
reotion OF the river He reached the
end finally to see there was absolutely
nc chance TO escape from the brake at
that corner. 1t tool extreme labor, at
tended by some hazard considera-
bic pain to his arm, to get down where
he could ill mis- sombrero with water.
After quenc1ing his thirst he had Il
look at his wound. 1t was caked oyer
with blood and dirt. When washed off
The arm WAS seen, to be inflalned n
swollen around the bullet hole. He
pathed ii. experiencing Il soothing re-
lief in the cool water. Then he BAN
dased IL as best he could and arranged
a slip around his neck. This mlti-
! gated the pain OF the injured member
and held it in a quiet and restful po-
sltion, where it had a chance to begin
mendinS.
AS Duane turned away from the
river he felt refreshed. His great
strength and endurance had always
made fatigue something almost UNI
known to him. However, tramplng on
foot day and night was az unusual to
n:fn as to amy other riders of the
southwest, and it had begun to tell
on him. R~etracing his steps, he reached
tie point where he had abruptly come
upon the bluff, and he@e lie determined
To follow along its base in the other
direction until he found u way out or
discovered the futilitv of such effort.
Duane covered ground rapidly. From
time to time he pauSed to listen. But
he was always listening, and his eyes
We're ever rowing. This alertness had
become second nature with HIM, so
that except IN extreme cases of eau
ton he performed it While he pondered
his gloomy and Hateful situation. Such
JaDlC OIL uleTlHeSS anu tlOuSnL maze
time fly swiftly.
by noon he had rounded the wide
curve of the brake and was facing
south. The bluff had petered out from
a high. mountainous wall to a low
abutment Of rock. but 1T still held to
its steep, rough nature n afforded no
crack or slope where quick ascent
could have been possible. He pushed
on. growing warier as he approached
the danger zone. finding that as sc
ear the river on this side it was
imperative to go deeper into the will
lows. In the afternoon he reached Il
point where he could see men pacing
to and fro OF the bluff. This assured
hin that whatever place was guarded
was one by which he might escape.
He headed toward these men and APP
preached to within 100 PAGES of the
bluff where they We're. There were
several men and several boys, all
armed, and, after the manner of Tex
ans, taking their task leisurely. Far
ther down Duane made out black dots
on the horizon of the bluff line, and
these he concluded were guards sta
Toned at another outlet. Probably sll
the available men in the district were
on duty. Texans took Il grim pleasure
in such work. Duane remembered
that upon several occasions he had
served such duty himself.
%9 Duane peered through the branches
and studied the lay of the land. For
several hundred yards the bluff could
be climbed. He took stock OF those
careless guards. They had rifles, and
that made vain any attempt to pass
them In daylight. He believed an at
tempt by night might be successful:
and he was swiftly coming to a de-
termination to hide there till dark and
then try 1t, when the sudden yelping
OF a dog betrayed him to the guards
on the bluff.
The dog had likely been placed there
to give an alarm, and he was Justify
true to his rust. Duane saw the men
run together and begin to talk ex-
tcitedly and peer into the brake, which
was a signal for him to slip away
under the Willows. He made no noise,
and he assured himself III must be in
visible. Nevertheless, his heard shouts,
then the cracking OF rifles, and bullets
began to zip m swish through the
leafy covert. The day was hot and
swindless, and Duane concluded that
whenever he touched q willow stem.
even ever so slightls, 1t vibrated to
the top and sent culver among the
leaves. Through this the guards had
located his position. Once a bullet
Kissed ~ him: another tlaudded into
the ground before higi. This shooting
loOsed arage In Duane. He had to fly