The Huttig news., 1916-10-14

Dust-ciouds far ahead caused his l alarm to grow. He watched with his eyes strained; he hoped to see 8 wagon, n few stray cattle But no, he soon deserted several horsemen. Shots and yells behind him attested to tie fact that his pursuers likewise had seen these newcomers on the scene More than mile separated these two parties, yet that distance did not keep i them from soon understanding each other. Duane waited only to see this new factor show signs of sudden quick action, aid then, with muttered curse. he spurred his horse off the road into the brush.
 He chose the right side, because the river lay nearer that way and put his horse to his best efforts straight ahead. He had to pass those men. When this was seemingly made i'm possible by deep wash from which he had to turn, Duane began to feel fold and sick. Almost he lost his bear lngs. and finally would have ridden ] toward his enemies had not good fortune favored him in the matter of an open burned-over stretch of ground
 Here he saw both groups of pnr- suers, one on each side and almost within gunshot. Their sharp yells, as much as his cruel spurs, drove his horse into that pace which now meant life or death for him. And never had Duane bestrode a gamer, swifter, stancher beast. He seemed about to accomplish the impossible In the dragging sand he was far superior to any horse in pursuit, and on this sandy open stretch he gained enough to spare d little in the brush beyond Heated now and thoroughly terrorized, he kept the pace through thickets that almost tore Duane from his saddle. Some thing weighty and grim eased off Duane. He was going to get put in front, The horse had speed, fire. stamina
 race began then, dusty. crashing drive through gray mesquite. Duane could scarcely see, he was so blinded by stinging branches across his eyes.
 
 lle lost his sense of the nearness of his pursuers. But they must have been close. Did they shoot at him? He imagined he heard shots. But that might have been the cracking of dead snags. His left arm hung limp, al most useless; he handled the rein With his right; and most of the time hp bnnty
 Suddenly he burst out of line of mesquite into the road. A long stretch of lonely road How fiercely, with hot, strange joy, he wheeled his horse l upon 1t! Then he was sweeping along, sure how that he was out in front His horse still had strength and speed. but showed signs of breaking. Pre- sently Duane looked back. Parsuers- he could not count how many-were loping along in his rear. He paid no more attention to them. and with teeth set he faced ahead, grimmer now in his determination to foil them.
 Sight of the village ahead surprised Duane. He reached it sooner than he expected. Then he made a discovery he had entered the zone of wire fences. As he dared not turn back now, he kept on, intending to ride through the village. Looking backward, he saw that his pursuers were half mile distant, too far to alarm any villagers in time to intercept him in his flight. As he rode by the first houses his horse broke and began to labor. Duane did not believe he would last long enough to go through the village.
 Saddled horses in front of store gave Duane an idea, not by any means new, and one he had carried out sue cessfully before. As he pulled in his heaying mount and leaped off. couple or ranchers came out of the place, and one of them stepped to q clean-limbed, fiery bay. He was about to get into his saddle when he saw Duane, and then he halted, a foot in the stirrup.
 Duane strode forward, grasped the bridle of this mans horse.
 Mines done-but not killed" he panted. Trade with me-"
 Wal, stranger, I'm shore always ready to trade," drawled the man. But ain't you little swift?'
 Duane glanced back up the road. His pursuerS were entering the village.
 "Tm Duane-Buck Duane" he cried. menacingly. Will you trade? Hurry :"
 The raneher, turned white, dropped his foot from the stirrup and fell back.
 ''I reckon I'll trade" he said.
 Bounding up, Duane dug spurs into the bays Hanks. The horse snorted in fright, plunged into a run. He was fresh, swift, half wild. Duane flashed by the remaining houses on the street out into the open. But the road ended at that village or else led out from some other quarter, for he had ridden straight into the fields and from them into rough desert. When he reached the cover of mesquite once more he looked back to find six horsemen with in rifle shot of him, and more coming behind them.
 His new horse had not had time to get warm before Duane reached high SDnfIV huff below which Inv tho NyilIoy